Argentina

Political framework for bilateral cooperation in education and research

Like Brazil and Chile, Argentina is one of the countries in Latin America with which Germany has been engaging in bilateral scientific and technological cooperation for many years.

The 1969 intergovernmental agreement between Germany and Argentina forms the basis of bilateral cooperation in science and technology. Our cooperation partner in Argentina is the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation (MINCyT), which was established in November 2007. Previously, bilateral cooperation used to be coordinated by the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Productive Innovation (SECyT; Secretaría para la Tecnología, la Ciencia y la Innovación Productiva), which reported to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

The main areas of cooperation are chosen by a joint commission, whose last meeting was held in April 1997 in Buenos Aires. Tulio Del Bono, head of SECyT, the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, paid a visit to the BMBF in 2004 to conduct talks on the subject of cooperation in research. The next meeting of the joint commission will take place in Buenos Aires in the middle of November 2008 (see below).

With the establishment of the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation and of Education and Culture in 2007, the new Argentinean government under Cristina Fernández de Kirchner strengthened the role of research and education for social development. The new strategic orientation also has the aim of helping increase investments in research and development to 1% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2010.

Key areas of German-Argentine cooperation

Germany and Argentina cooperate very intensively in various fields of biotechnology. The key areas of collaboration are joint projects relating to the biotechnology of economically useful plants and animals, the decontamination of polluted areas, and the utilization of Argentina's biological resources, for example for pharmaceutical purposes.

Environmental research (including marine and Antarctic research) is a significant and active area of cooperation. Biodiversity projects and research into the El Niño phenomenon (in collaboration with Chilean and Peruvian partners) have been central issues in recent years. On the German side, this is largely thanks to the initiative of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Some core areas of cooperation are the joint expeditions on the vessel Polarstern and the work undertaken at the Argentine Antarctic Station Jubany, in particular the Dallmann laboratory, which is located at this station. In addition to Argentina and Germany, the Netherlands are also involved in this project. On 5 April 2006, a follow-up agreement on the scientific collaboration at the Dallmann laboratory was concluded, extending a partnership that has lasted twelve years.

The Pierre Auger Observatory, which is located in the Argentinean Pampas, is the world's largest facility for the measurement of highest-energy cosmic rays. In addition to the Karlsruhe Research Centre in the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Universities of Aachen, Karlsruhe, Siegen and Wuppertal and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn are also involved in the Pierre Auger project. The inauguration ceremony for the Pierre Auger Observatory will take place in Malarüe, Mendoza, from 13 to 15 November. High-ranking government representatives and scientists from 17 countries (including Germany) will participate.

A highlight of bilateral cooperation

The second MPG partner institute worldwide, after the one in Shanghai, was established in Argentina in late 2007 and specializes in biomedicine. It is located at the centre of excellence for biomedical research in Buenos Aires. The institute is financed by the Argentinean Ministry of Research (via CONICET); the MPG is involved indirectly through the cooperation projects of various Max Planck Institutes. As part of a three-stage programme for the support of young Latin American scientists, a call for proposals was carried out in summer 2008 to select an Argentinean researcher who is to establish a research group at a German MPG partner institute during the course of the next five years. Subsequently, the Volkswagen Foundation will support his research activities in Argentina for another 5 years, with the prospect of funding for a further 5 years from the Argentinean research council CONICET.

The DAAD supports the "International Master Program in Biomedical Sciences" (IMBS) of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and the University of Buenos Aires, which was launched in August 2008. The official opening event will take place as part of the German-Argentinean Week of Science. This is the first German cooperative study programme in Argentina. In April and November 2008, Argentinean scientists followed the BMBF's invitation to take part in the Hannover Messe and Biotechnica 2008 in conjunction with two visits from Latin American expert delegations. The aim of these measures was to establish new contacts with German research institutions and companies and to plan future joint events.

The first "German-Argentinean Week of Scientific and Technological Cooperation" will take place in Buenos Aires in mid November 2008. It will also offer an opportunity for the next meeting of the German-Argentinean commission for scientific and technological cooperation. The week will include a seminar on bilateral scientific and technological cooperation over the last 10 years, an innovation forum on the subject of "Climate protection through sustainable technologies" and various other events (including a DAAD alumni meeting, a seminar organized by the Chamber of Commerce Abroad on the subject of "Science meets Business", the opening event for the DAAD's Master's degree programme in biomedicine, and the inauguration of the Pierre Auger Observatory in the province of Mendoza). Numerous high-ranking government representatives and researchers from both Germany and Argentina will take part in the science week. Its aims are to underline the innovative atmosphere of the Argentinean research landscape and to raise awareness of German research and technology among Argentineans in order to encourage even more highly-qualified German and Argentinean researchers to pursue collaborations. In addition, it is intended to trigger new developments and priorities in the area of STC over the next few years, both with a view to the Internationalization Strategy and cooperation in the context of the 200-year anniversary of Argentina's independence, which will be celebrated in 2010.

Funding for collaborations with Argentina

Bilateral cooperation with Argentina in science and technology (S&T) has evolved continuously since 1999. Current topics of mutual interest include environmental research and technology, marine and Antarctic research, biotechnology, medicine, nanotechnologies and information and communication technologies.

Joint calls for proposals are important for Argentina; they act as catalysts for the country's scientific community. There continues to be particular interest in cooperation in the field of Antarctic research. The BMBF and MINCyT issue joint calls for proposals for mobility projects on an annual basis (submission dates for this year's call: 3 March to 30 May 2008).