topic Ministry

Cooperation with European Countries

Cooperation with European countries is very important to Germany. A major part of this cooperation is multilateral and aims to actively shape the European Research Area. Bilateral cooperation focuses on establishing and developing partnership relations between stakeholders in the research community, facilitating coordination processes at all levels and promoting the generation of synergy between projects and partners. Joint initiatives and the identification of topics that are of mutual interest contribute to European strategy development and to shaping the European Research Area.

These activities are aimed in particular at implementing the Federal Government's Internationalization Strategy in European countries, mainly fostering research cooperation with the world's best and exploiting innovation potential through cooperation. Cooperation with European countries is particularly strong when it comes to implementing the BMBF's funding programmes. Networking and research cooperation instruments (e.g. a call encouraging cooperation by partners in the Baltic Sea countries) and joint events like research and innovation forums serve to strengthen the cooperative relations with European partners. The "International Cooperation in Education and Research - The Central, Eastern and Southeastern European Region" programme is an important instrument in the BMBF's cooperation with eastern European countries as it provides funding for preparatory projects in the areas of applied research, development and education.

In recent years, the BMBF and the science and research institutions it supports have expanded their cooperation and contributed to an intensification of collaboration in research and education by introducing new agreements and instruments.

The bilateral activities are supplementary to the European programmes and initiatives, particularly those of the Seventh Research Framework Programme, EUREKA and COST. The integration of the western Balkan countries (WBC) into the European Research Area is supported in particular by European network projects such as the WBC INCO Net and the Southeast Europe ERA Net, which involve the participation of the BMBF as well as partner ministries and institutions from numerous European countries.

• France
• Italy
• Poland
• Czech Republic
• Hungary
• United Kingdom
• Other European countries

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  topic Ministry

  France

  France is Germany's most important partner among the EU member states. Intensive cooperative relations are maintained in numerous fields and at different levels: between the ministries, between scientific and research organizations, and in the form of specific projects.
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  topic Ministry

  The United Kingdom

  Germany and the United Kingdom work together closely, both bilaterally and in international organizations. This is reflected in the large number of contacts and collaborations between British and German actors in the political, scientific, cultural and economic arena.
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  topic Ministry

  Italy

  Federal Minister of Education and Research Schavan met with Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in Rome on 11 October 2011 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Villa Vigoni, the German-Italian Centre for European Excellence. Both ministers attended a colloquium on migration, integration, and cooperation in a German-Italian dialogue, which was hosted by the Villa Vigoni. Minister Schavan then awarded the Ladislao Mittner prize that the German-Italian University Centre and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) confer upon outstanding Italian scholars. This is the tenth year the prize has been awarded.
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  topic Ministry

  Turkey

  Turkey's strong economic development is making it an increasingly attractive partner for both Germany and Europe. Germany and Turkey have a special relationship, not least due to the large number of Turkish citizens and people of Turkish descent living in Germany and to the integration policy of the European Union. There is a long tradition of German-Turkish cooperation in education, science and research, dating back to the days of the Ottoman Empire.
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