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The India-EU Ministerial Science Conference in New
Delhi today underlined the potential benefits of joint or coordinated calls for
proposals, in strategically important research fields of mutual interest
involving the co-investment of resources equally open to research communities
in the EU and in India on a partnership model for balanced mutual benefits for
both sides.
A Joint Communiqué
was signed by the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth
Sciences, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Dr. Annette
Schavan, German Minister of Education and Research and Mr. Potocnic, Research Commissioner, European Commission
at the conclusion of the Ministerial meeting in which 37 delegates from
20 EU Member States particpated.
Following is the
text of the New Delhi Communiqué :
“The Ministerial
Science Conference concentrated its discussion on two key questions and came to
the following conclusions related to these questions:
1.
What are the main economic and societal challenges that the EU
and India are confronted with and what role do science and technology play in
addressing them?
2.
How can EU-India science and technology cooperation be further strengthened and its
impact enhanced, and through what modalities?
As highlighted by the three co-chairs-Minister,
Sibal, Minister Schavan, Commissioner Potocnic- in their concluding remarks,
the Conference:
·
Expressed appreciation for the valuable input received
from the participating Indian and European experts representing the respective
research communities, from both the private and public sector; and took careful
note of the S&T Session’s conclusions and recommendations which constitute
an integral part of this Communiqué and which are annexed.
·
Recognized the importance of a strong science and
knowledge base as a major prerequisite for competitiveness and that enhancing
sustainable socio-economic development and tackling global issues concerning
e.g. health, environment and energy can only be done through international
S&T collaboration.
·
Recognized the growing importance of the
internationalization of science and technology and of the interdependence of
innovation systems. Within this overall
context, it noted with satisfaction the significant recent progress on S&T
cooperation between India and a growing number of EU Member States as well as
between India and the EU as a whole.
·
Underlined that S&T cooperation between the EU and
India should be based on the principles of symmetry, reciprocity, mutual
benefit and, where appropriate, the co-investment of resources in joint
actions.
·
Stressed the importance of the European Commission and
EU Member States working together in order to promote a clear and strong
European dimension across their various S&T cooperative actions with India.
·
Highlighted the importance of human resources in
S&T and of increasing the mobility of researchers between the EU and India.
In this context, it welcomed progress made by the EU on ‘researchers visa’
which reduces barriers to movement within the EU of researchers who are not
nationals of any of its Member States.
·
Recognized the current “windows of opportunity” for a
significant increase in the breadth and depth of EU-India S&T cooperation;
these include the recent Indian announcement of a significant increase in
public investments in research and in
science education as well as the launch of the EU’s 7th Framework
Programme for Research and Technology Development 2007-2013.
·
Underlined the potential benefits of joint or
coordinated calls for proposals, in strategically importance research fields of
mutual interest involving the co-investment of resources equally open to
research communities in the EU and in India and on a partnership model for
balanced mutual benefits for both sides.
·
Noted the role of support initiatives aimed at
facilitating partnership and generating benefits for both parties, such as the
possible organization of ad hoc EU-India high level S&T advise as well as
an EU-India high level Strategic Workshop Series to exchange knowledge and to
promote scientific contacts and collaboration.
·
Highlighted the usefulness of the various existing
dialogues such as the Steering Committee of the EU-India Science and Technology
Agreement, in order to commonly agree on priorities and implement EU-India
S&T cooperation.
·
Highlighted the need to build upon the high visibility
and goodwill generated during this Conference through well defined and
practical follow-up initiatives and actions.”
The meeting also approved Indian participation in
FAIR project of Germany.
A joint declaration of Indian participation in
International Facility for Anti-proton & Ion Research (FAIR), Germany, was
signed by Shri Sibal and Dr. Schavan on the sidelines of India-EU Ministerial
Science Conference.
India
intends to be the major partner in this International Anti-proton and Ion
Research by contributing 3 per cent of the total construction and operation
cost of the project which is approximately 2.7 Billion dollar. Thirteen countries including China have
already enrolled in this international facility which is being constructed at
Darmstadt Germany.
The highlights of the Scientific Session held prior
to the Meeting are as follows:
Principles: Shared Vision
·
Win-Win
·
Equal Partnership
·
Public acceptance on
both sides
o
For example energy,
environment, global change, human health
Some
Important Lead Points:
·
New joint mechanisms
for obtaining expert advice for selection of research areas and related issues
for leveraging the possibilities offered by FP7 and 11th five year
plan through coordinated programmes of agencies.
·
Co investment and
harmonized joint calls.
·
Linkages to bi lateral
programmes of EU member countries with India.
·
A balance of bottom up
model as well as carefully selected strategic areas based on existing strength
facilitating exchange of researchers between Europe and India after taking into
account of intercultural divides.
·
EU India Strategic
workshop series on some key areas like climate change, clean energy,
combustion, comprehensive approach to system biology with a focus on infectious
diseases and drug development including pre-clinical trials.
·
Mounting a joint and
flexible funding programme for exchange of researchers along the lines of Maire
Curie.
Major Recommendations
- Establishment of a
critical number of Joint EU-India nodes for networking innovation systems
in different regions of India and Europe.
- New Symmetric
programme for promoting S&T collaboration and mobility with joint
funding.
- Combined effort to
create joint infrastructure for advanced research in both India and EU.
- Follow-up funding
systems for collaborating EU-India scientist networks.
At their Summit in Helsinki in
October 2006, the leaders of the EU and
India reiterated their commitment to the EU-India strategic partnership. The leaders
also provided a major impetus to their cooperation in Science and
Technology by clearly underlining both the ‘critical role of science and
technology in striving towards their knowledge based economies’ and ‘the
further mutual benefits of further strengthening their S&T cooperation’. In order to address the challenges laid down
by their respective leaders the Member States of the European Union, India and
the European Commission are holding the first ever EU-India Ministerial Science
Conference, 7 and 8 February 2007 in New Delhi.
Hosted by the Government of India and
held within the framework of the German EU Presidency, this is the first time
that EU Member States and the European Commission meet on a science ministerial
level outside of the EU. It is also the first time that European Nobel
laureates and other icons of European science interact in such a forum with
students outside the EU.
This event therefore
provides a unique window on science and technology in Europe, in an open and
constructive dialogue with India. It is
intended thereby to build mutual awareness, trust and friendship in science and
technology between India and the EU.
PRA:AT:NC
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New Delhi Communique for India-EU S&T cooperation
