topic Ministry

Cooperation with the Asian-Pacific region

The opportunities to gain knowledge and access to new markets, and the risks of technology leakage, are regularly assessed and taken into account in the development of appropriate education and research policies, which form the basis of our cooperation with the individual countries in the region. The aim is to enable us to use the rapid development of the Asia-Pacific region in the fields of science and research to promote German interests as well, and to gear these advances towards the achievement of German and European objectives. We want to make our partner countries aware of the efficiency of German science and research. Our objective is to establish long-term cooperation through individual partnerships between the best institutes in Germany and in the partner countries.

In recent years, the BMBF and the research institutions it supports have expanded their cooperation with these countries and introduced new agreements and instruments, thus contributing to an intensification of collaboration in the areas of research and education. The BMBF has cooperation agreements with the following Asian-Pacific countries:

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  topic Ministry

  China - Intensive Research Cooperation in New Fields

  China is Germany's most important partner in Asia. Over the recent decades, both countries have significantly expanded their cooperation in research and education. The agenda for the second round of German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations held in Beijing on 30 August 2012 included topics such as LED technology and oceanography. At the first round of German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations in Berlin at the end of June 2011, both lands signed off on several declarations of bilateral cooperation in education and research, including initiatives in vocational training, higher education cooperation, a German-Chinese Wissenschaftskolleg, innovation research, life sciences, and sustainable water management.
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  topic Ministry

  New Zealand

  Through the International Bureau of the BMBF, the BMBF supports the initiation of new cooperation projects by means of joint workshops, fact-finding missions and researcher exchanges. Activities are generally coordinated with New Zealand through an annual joint call for proposals in the autumn of each year.
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  topic Ministry

  Australia

  Australia is one of the industrialized nations with the highest scientific standards. The most important objective in the Australian government's research policy is to strategically position Australia as a key location of high technology in the Asian region. The areas of education in which the Australian government actively develops policies are mainly centred on vocational training and higher education. Australia's cooperation with Germany in the areas of education and research is developing in an extraordinarily positive way. For example, Australian applicants are some of the strongest contenders for Humboldt scholarships.
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  topic Ministry

  India - Dedication to Innovation and Vocational Education

  The tiger awakes - with an ambitious plan, India is seeking establish itself among the world's scientific leaders. By 2020, India will open 70 new institutes of higher education in an effort to increase the number of students and meet international standards. In addition, the research budget has been increased significantly. India is Germany's most important partner for scientific and technological cooperation (STC) in South Asia. Both countries can look back on 60 years of cooperation in the field of education and research.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/1524.php)
   
  
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  topic Ministry

  Indonesia

  Indonesia is a priority country in Germany's Scientific and Technological Cooperation (STC) with Asia. After the tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004, the two countries worked together in the development of a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean, thus significantly extending scientific and technological cooperation. Only eleven weeks after the catastrophe, the first meeting of a new steering committee took place in Jakarta. This committee is responsible for implementing the concept for the development of the system, which was elaborated under the leadership of the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ).
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  topic Ministry

  Japan

  It is the Federal Government' declared objective to develop a lasting partnership strategy with Japan. From a strategic point of view, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (STC) with Japan is one of the mainstays of German-Japanese relations. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research cooperates with Japan on the basis of the STC Agreement of 1974. The key areas of cooperation set out in the agreement are marine research and technology, the life sciences, and the environment.
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  topic Ministry

  Mongolia

  In terms of politics, economics and science, the Asian-Pacific area is developing into one of the most influential regions in the world. Researchers from China, India or Japan are making important contributions to enhancing our worldwide knowledge in particular in the area of science. With its Asia Concept 2002, the BMBF has taken stock of successful cooperation over the past few years and defined the guidelines for the coming years.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/1584.php)
   
  
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  topic Ministry

  Republic of Korea (South Korea)

  South Korea is a remarkable success story. In the 1960s, it was still one of the world's poorest countries. Today, the Republic of Korea is Asia's fourth-largest economy. In terms of GDP, South Korea's economy ranks 15th in the world. It is the world's 9th-largest export nation. South Korea is one of the most important markets for German exports. At the same time, Germany is South Korea's 4th-largest trade partner and the most important trade partner among the EU Member States, with a trade volume of US$25 billion in 2008.
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  topic Ministry

  Vietnam

  In recent years, Vietnam has confirmed its role as one of the most dynamic partners of the BMBF in the region with cooperation priorities in the areas of biotechnology and environmental technology. Bilateral cooperation with Vietnam has received major new impetus. Both sides have agreed, in particular, to base cooperation on a novel structural basis.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/1522.php)