Canada & Germany: Four Decades of Successful Cooperation

Among industrial nations, Canada is an increasingly important partner for Germany in education and research cooperation. Topics of mutual interest include environmental research, energy, biotechnology and medical research, nanotechnology, and Arctic research. A special focus is placed on involving young researchers in bilateral cooperation activities. During her trip to Canada this November, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Cornelia Quennet-Thielen, was a guest and speaker at the interdisciplinary colloquium "Excellence in Research" in Toronto.

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©BMBFThe colloquium was held by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in honour of the 40th anniversary of the German-Canadian intergovernmental agreement on scientific and technological cooperation and the 10th birthday of the Canadian Humboldt Alumni Association. Further information on the colloquium can be found here.

Political framework for bilateral cooperation in education and research

 Germany is one of the few countries with which Canada has concluded an intergovernmental agreement on scientific and technological cooperation. The agreement came into force on 30 June 1971 and forms the basis of an active bilateral partnership in science and technology. The 40th anniversary of the agreement, which we jointly celebrated with a jubilee year in 2011, provided an opportunity to further intensify our cooperation.

In addition, Germany and Canada concluded a cultural agreement in 1975. Acting on behalf of the Federal Government, the BMBF signed a joint declaration with Canada in 2002, thereby establishing an exchange programme for young workers. An agreement between the EU and Canada was concluded in 1999.

In addition to these contractual framework conditions, it is worth mentioning that in recent years Canada has in made substantial new investments in research and development (R&D) at universities, research institutions and in the private sector. Since then, research institutes have become significantly better equipped, new institutes have been - and are still being - established, and funding organizations and strategic funding programmes have seen considerable growth. This offers a great deal of potential for future cooperation.

 

Key areas of cooperation between Germany and Canada

 

The key areas of cooperation have been aligned with the national priorities of both countries over time and currently focus on the following fields in particular:

• Until 2009/2010, the BMBF (Division 617) funded two bilateral projects to improve the quality of wheat and rapeseed and their resistance to plant diseases. In addition, Canada and Germany are partners in the ERA-NET Plant Genomics.
• In the area of geoscience, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) undertakes joint research projects with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), particularly in the fields of marine and terrestrial environmental geology and polar geology.
• The German Aerospace Center (DLR) cooperates directly with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Their work focuses on robotics, the joint use of radar data and the reciprocal use of tracking stations.
• The GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research is engaged in an intensive and successful collaboration with Canadian partners at the TRIUMF research institute.
• The Helmholtz Alberta Initiative agreement was signed on 29 September 2009 with the aim of intensifying cooperation in the areas of environmental research and geoscience.
• Partnerships between individual German states and Canadian provinces are another element of cooperation: Baden-Württemberg is cooperating with Ontario, Bavaria with Quebec, and Saxony with Alberta. Most recently, in February 2010, the Alberta-Saxony Intercultural Internship Alliance was launched. Fifteen universities in Saxony and nine universities in Alberta are involved in this programme for the exchange of interns.
• Due to current global challenges, multilateral projects play an increasingly important role in areas such as environmental and marine research, space activities, and climate protection. Germany and Canada are cooperating closely as partners in relevant networks.
• The project "Access2Canada - Supporting EU Access to Canadian Research and Innovation Programmes" was launched in autumn 2009 and the BILAT project with Canada in autumn 2010 as part of the activities under the EU's 7th Research Framework Programme; the BMBF is involved in both projects.

Highlights of bilateral cooperation

The BMBF has been preparing a strategic partnership between Germany and Canada in the field of fuel cell research since 2007. The BMBF's Basic Energy Research Division 722 is currently funding a German-Canadian collaborative project on PEM fuel cells. In addition, a bilateral project which involves cooperation by German and Canadian researchers on the development of low-cost, multi-purpose fuel cells was included in funding activities by the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in 2010.

Partnerships in higher education institutions

The door has now been opened for even closer academic cooperation between higher education institutions in Canada and Germany: four of the strongest research universities in Canada have concluded new cooperation agreements with German partners. As a result, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and the University of Waterloo will be cooperating closely in the field of electrical engineering, while the collaboration between RWTH Aachen University and the University of Alberta will centre on the subject of mobility. The Frauenhofer-Gesellschaft and its Institute for Solar Energy Systems intend to pool their specialist knowledge in the field of energy and sustainability research with the University of British Columbia. The agreement was signed in Berlin in spring 2012 at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of German-Canadian cooperation in science. In his address, BMBF Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel named Canada an important partner of Germany in higher education cooperation. "The universities constitute a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation. Strategic partnerships in the international network of higher education institutions have great significance." For more information, please visit the German-Canadian website.

Funding for collaborations with Canada

In addition to funding from the BMBF's specialist programmes, the BMBF division responsible for cooperation with Canada (214) finances activities designed to prepare joint projects, for example workshops, and the support of young researchers. Furthermore, advertising the opportunities for studies and research in Germany is becoming increasingly important.

Special activities of the BMBF (specialist Directorates-General) and of the scientific and intermediary organizations

At the Max Planck - University of British Columbia Center for Quantum Materials, German and Canadian researchers are cooperating in the field of new materials. The BMBF division responsible for cooperation with North and South America will support this activity with roughly 40,000 euros annually over the coming four years.