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Key Developments, News and Events on S & T & I in Egypt
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Putting Europe high on the global map of science and technology: Commission advocates new international strategy
Brussels, 24 September 2008
Today, the European Commission called on governments to jointly develop a strategy for international cooperation in science and technology. It proposed a strategic framework for jointly strengthening science and technology cooperation with non-EU countries, notably in the field of Information and Communication Technologies where Europe is a strong exporter.
The Commission's objective is to contribute to sustainable development worldwide while at the same time improving Europe’s competitiveness in science and technology. The Commission invites Member States to define together, rather than in isolation, priority research and technology areas where a coherent EU effort would have more impact.
According to European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, "Global challenges call for global responses. There is no area today where this is truer than in science. Our international partners are attracted by Europe as a model of regional integration, but they are faced with a multitude of governmental actors, research priorities when they want to engage in concrete cooperation. The aim of our strategic framework is to engage with our Member States to transform Europe's research labyrinth into a European Research Area open to the world, attracting the best brains and contributing to address global challenges".
"At a time where telecommunications, the internet, mobile telephony and television increasingly impact on our life and on the EU economy, it is urgent to improve the effectiveness of the EU's international action in information and communication technologies", said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. "If Europe wants to maintain its position as a global leader in Science and Research, we need to find the most efficient ways to collaborate within the EU and to transform our willingness to cooperate with our partners worldwide in acts while targeting our priorities".
Member States and the European Commission are involved in a myriad of research cooperation activities with third countries. However, the absence of a common strategy at European level has led to duplication of efforts and often a waste of resources. At the same time, global challenges such as climate change, food and water supply or the digital divide, highlight the need for a better cooperation in science and research between Member States and the Commission to promote EU policy goals as well as global sustainable development.
The strategy adopted by the Commission today sets out a framework for a European approach to international cooperation in science and technology. It outlines core principles which should underpin European cooperation with the rest of the world and proposes specific orientations for action to:
- strengthen the international dimension of the European Research Area (ERA) by integrating Europe's neighbours into the ERA and fostering strategic cooperation with key third countries through geographic and thematic targeting;
- improve the framework conditions for international cooperation in science and technology and for the promotion of European technologies worldwide. This includes the joint development of global large-scale research infrastructures (such as GEANT), support to mobility of researchers or management of intellectual property.
The Commission also recommends strengthening the global position of the EU's ICT industry and other advanced technologies that would, thanks to EU regulatory principles, improve the investment environment and anticipate the convergence between electronic communications and media. It also plans to monitor non-tariff barriers and regulatory hurdles faced by EU industry on third markets.
Background
The Communication is one of five policy initiatives planned by the Commission to follow up the 2007 Green Paper "The European Research Area: New Perspectives" and is a further step in the creation of the "fifth freedom" by removing barriers to the free movement of knowledge.
The initiative proposed today is at the same time a follow up to the 2006 Commission Communication "Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society" and follows a public consultation launched in July 2007 to gather views of stakeholders on how to open new global markets for ICT industry (IP/07/988).
The link to the full text of the Communication is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/press/2008/pdf/com_2008_588_en.pdf
See also IP's related to the European Research Area package:
IP/08/637, IP/08/555, IP/08/802, IP/08/1140, IP/08/1142
On the international dimension of the Information Society see:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/regwor/index_en.htm
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€57 million for multidisciplinary research into biorefinery Info day and brokerage session – September 16th, 2008 (03.09.2008)
The European Commission is today issuing a call to boost multidisciplinary research on biorefineries. Biorefineries can convert biomass into energy (second generation biofuels, heat and electricity) and value-added products (chemical building blocks, materials). Their development, foreseen by the Lead Market initiative, is expected to contribute to the implementation of the European Energy & Climate Package and the sustainability of biofuels production. Biorefineries will be also an important feature in the Bio-energy Europe Initiative which is being prepared under the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan. Some €57 million has been allocated to the call.
"The idea of sustainable biorefineries is compelling both politically and from the research point of view”, said Commissioner for Research, Janez Potočnik. "Biorefineries have been described as part of the backbone of the knowledge based bio-economy. As well as the benefits in terms of renewable energy and fuels, a fully developed biorefinery model could give a real asset for the European economy with new competences, jobs and markets."
Large, multi-disciplinary, collaborative projects are being called upon to address the entire value chain from the production of biomass, logistics, intermediary processing steps and its conversion into end-products. The proposed biorefineries will demonstrate their performance, life-cycle sustainability and feasibility at least at pilot scale in an integrated approach. The joint call also includes a coordination action aimed at enhancing the exchange of information, synergies and cross-fertilization between on-going activities in the field of biorefineries. This joint call engages four Themes of the Cooperation Specific Programme and two Directorates General (DG Research and DG Transport and Energy).
The one-day information event on September 16 will be opened by the European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik and will also feature a brokerage session. There, participants will be allowed to present a "flash" 5 minute presentation related to a project idea, their competence in the field, or their interest in joining a consortium.
For more information, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=newsalert&lg=en&year=2008&na=na-030908-3
Further information & registration form
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New Calls for Proposals in Cooperation and Capacities programmes
On the 3rd of September, twenty two new calls for proposals were published under Framework Programme 7 in the cooperation and capacities programmes. The budget for these calls is above € 1.65 Billion. For more information about the new calls, the work programmes and deadlines:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm
http://www.delegy.ec.europa.eu/en/EU_EGYPT_Cooperation/New_Calls_for_Proposals.asp
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New call for proposals of the Joint Egyptian-German Research Fund
The Science and Technology Development Fund announces the Joint Egyptian-German Research Fund, to support innovative application-oriented joint projects up to 200,000.00 euros. Teams based at Egyptian or German research organisations, state and non-state institutions of higher education, non-university research institutions or commercial enterprises, particularly SMEs. Research areas cover all fields of science and technology, with particular focus on Biotechnology and agricultural research; and renewable energy, in particular wind turbine technologies.
Deadline for submitting applications is on 25 September 2008.
For more information and application forms, please visit www.stdf.org.eg
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European Commission's on-line consultation regarding the preparation of a Commission Communication on "Policy Coherence for Development"
… Take part in one of our consultations - There is a chapter in this consultation on research. Your Input would enrich the results of the consultation. We are very interested in hearing your views.
Click Here |
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Free Master Scholarship available in Renewables and Development
ENEA Trisaia Research Centre in Italy is organizing a free
graduate Scholarship Master in Economics and Engineering of
Renewable Sources of Energy. The Master course addresses young
graduate applicants from both European and extra- European
countries, with a degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial
Chemistry, Physics or Economics.
Detailed information on the programme together with the
competition announcement can be found on the ENEA website:
www.trisaia.enea.it/renew.htm |
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PCI-MEDITERRÁNEO – International Scientific Programme for the
Mediterranean
The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) has
launched its grants that will be awarded to the different
categories that comprise the inter-university cooperation and
scientific investigation programme between Spain, Algeria,
Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia (PCI-MEDITERRÁNEO –
International Scientific Programme for the Mediterranean) … for
more information, please visit
http://www.becasmae.com/pci/presentacion_en.html
Public Announcement 2007 PCI Mediterráneo in English |
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Online
consultation on Green Paper "European Research Area: New
Perspectives"
Take part in shaping European policy by responding to one of our
consultations - we are very interested in hearing your views and
learning from your experience.
Click Here |
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The second
meeting of the focal points network was held on Wednesday,
17th of January 2007, at the Academy of Scientific Research and
Technology. The meeting was attended by 33 participants
representing Egyptian public and private universities, research
centers, and some ministries involved in research activities in
Egypt. Other representatives from the Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research, the Egyptian NCP, the
ENSTINET and EC delegation in Cairo participated in the meeting.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has
taken some measures to officially announce the network of focal
points to all universities and research centers in different
occasions, in order to facilitate the tasks of the focal points
in disseminating FP7 programmes among the research community.
The website for the focal points network has been built:
http://www.stineg.org . This website will be the main
mechanism through which the dissemination work and all
activities can be done. The website shall contain a database for
potential Egyptian researchers who could participate in FP7
programmes.
Next Focal Points meeting is planned to be held on February 28th
2007. |
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German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology 2007 Linking
Scientific Masterminds
H.E. Dr. Hany Helal, Minister of
Higher Education and Scientific Research and H.E. Mr. Bernd
Erbel, German Ambassador to Egypt, have announced in a joint
press conference on the 8th of January 2007 the start of the
German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology.
The official Opening Event of the “German Egyptian Year of
Science and Technology 2007” will be held on the 15th of January
2007, at 10:00 am at the Main Hall of the Cairo University.
Over the course of the year, numerous projects and events will
take place in both countries, mainly focusing on six fields of
research: Material Sciences, Water, Social Sciences, Humanities,
Renewable Energies, Medical Sciences, and Biotechnology.
In addition to scientific meetings and conferences, public
exhibitions and other events for the general public are planned.
Special emphasis will be given to the support and training of
young academics, to co-operation between science and industry,
and to the European Union’s research support programs.
For more details, please refer to the following website:
http://www.yearofscience.org. |
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The
Announcement of the First Calls for Proposals
The first FP7 calls for proposals are now available on CORDIS at
the following URL:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls
In each call you will find the following downloadable files:
- Call
Fiche
- Work
programme
- Guide for
applicants for the funding schemes available for this call
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Launching
of the RTDI Focal Points Network in Egypt
Tuesday, December 19th 2006
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One day after the approval of FP7 programmes by the Council in
Brussels, the first meeting of the Focal Points Network was held
on Tuesday, 19th of December 2006, at the Academy of Scientific
Research and Technology.
The network starts with 23 focal points, selected from
Egyptian public and private universities, research
centers and some ministries involved in research
activities in Egypt. |
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Other representatives from
the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific
Research, the Egyptian NCP, and EC delegation in Cairo
participated in the meeting.
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The network aims at promoting the participation of Egyptian
researchers and other stakeholders in the EU programmes related
to RTD and Innovation.
Besides the network, a central unit is in process to be
established at the Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research under the name "Programme
Implementation |
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Office." This unit
shall act as a coordinator and facilitator entity for
all Egyptian-European joint programmes related to
science, technology and innovation, and will be
responsible for the focal points network management and
training, as well as information and dissemination of
FP7 in close liaison with the EC delegation in Cairo.
For the implementation of their tasks the network and the
central unit will be supported by the EC trough a capacity
building programme (MEDA) for research, innovation and
development, starting early 2007.
Next Focal Points meeting is planned to be held on January 17th
2007. |
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| "Scientific Visa" A package of
three EU instruments - a directive and two recommendations aimed at
speeding up and facilitating admission and visa procedures for
researchers of third country nationals entering the EU. For more
information on the issue please click here: |
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Specific Call for Proposals
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Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme
Title: "Services in support for business and innovation"DG - Enterprise and Industry, The Competitive and Innovation Programme has announced a new call for proposals aims at implementing a single network providing integrated services in support of business and innovation in Europe. Building on the strengths and achievements of the current Euro Info Centres and the Innovation Relay Centres, the new network aims to enhance the competitiveness and innovation capacity of European companies, in particular SMEs. For more information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/funding/grants/themes_2006/calls_prop_2006.htm
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Towards
FP7-Call for Individual Evaluation Experts
Experts are cordially invited to register in the Call for
Individual Experts who will participate in the evaluation
process of the proposals received in response to calls made
under the programmes implementing the Seventh Framework
Programme. If you wish to register as a potential FP7 Expert,
please access the Expert Management Module (EMM) at
http://cordis.europa.eu/research_openings/home.html |
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For more information |
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