New Zealand

Political framework for scientific and technological cooperation

An intergovernmental agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between Germany and New Zealand has been in force since 1978. German Federal Minister Annette Schavan and New Zealand Minister of Research, Science and Technology Steve Maharey signed an accord in Berlin in late February 2007. "We want to strengthen our cooperation in the areas of science and research by carrying out joint projects", Schavan said. Minister Maharey also highlighted the importance of the agreement: "Scientific cooperation is one of the most promising areas of our partnership, and we want to expand it even further."

Key areas of cooperation

The collaboration between Germany and New Zealand comprises a wide range of different research areas. Top-class researchers from both countries work together particularly closely and successfully in the following fields:

• Atmospheric research
• Forest and agricultural research
• Marine and polar research

The support of student and young scientist exchanges through scholarship programmes is also extraordinarily successful. The New Zealand government has reduced tuition fees for German students to the level paid by New Zealand nationals.

Highlights of bilateral cooperation

One collaboration between Germany and New Zealand that has been running successfully for quite some time is a project to measure the variations in the earth's rotational speed with the help of ring laser gyroscopes. This is a collaborative project between the Technical University of Munich, the University of Canterbury in Christchurch (New Zealand) and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater (USA). Another outstanding area of cooperation with scientists from New Zealand is the field of marine research. This is reflected in the joint research work that was carried out during expeditions of the research vessel Sonne in the years 1998, 2003 and 2007.

Following a suggestion from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), New Zealand established the Julius von Haast Fellowship Fund after mutual high-ranking visits in 2004. It is a scholarship programme for German researchers that complements the AvH's scholarships. Efforts to intensify cooperation in nanotechnology, biotechnology, health research as well as information and communication technology are currently at the centre of attention, partly in connection with European funding programmes. R&D cooperation between New Zealand and Europe receives significant support from the New Zealand embassy in Berlin and the science counsellor at the New Zealand embassy in Brussels.

Special activities of the International Bureau

The International Bureau (IB) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been responsible for realizing bilateral STC with New Zealand since 1996. On behalf of the BMBF, the International Bureau works to increase the international links between universities, research institutions and companies in Germany and New Zealand with the aim of realizing the international dimension of the BMBF’s funding programmes.

The goals of the IB’s cooperation with New Zealand are:

• Building connections that relate to German research priorities, particularly climate research and oceanography
• Supporting scientist exchanges between both countries, especially by raising awareness of the programmes of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) as well as New Zealand’s Julius von Haast programme
• Giving scientists access to unique research institutions and laboratories 
• Presenting German technology in New Zealand with the aim of creating contacts in the private sector

In late 2009, the IB of the BMBF, together with the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) and the Royal Society of New Zealand, published a first bilateral call for proposals in the following priority areas, as part of German-New Zealand cooperation in science and technology:

• Health research 
• Information and communication technology 
• Environmental sciences, with a special focus on climate change 
• Marine and polar research 
• Agricultural research and technology
• Other areas of outstanding importance for both countries

All in all, the IB and the Royal Society have been funding 13 new projects since July 2010. Together with the ongoing projects from previous years, this means that a total of 25 projects are receiving support. In total, the IB of the BMBF has provided funding for more than 70 projects since 1996.

As a rule, the mobility projects receive funding from both countries. The principle is that all expenses are borne by the sending country. In Germany, applications can be made for the reimbursement of flight costs to the project partner’s location as well as per diem allowances for the duration of the visit. The projects are evaluated in both countries. Projects that are considered to be deserving of funding by both countries are given priority when allocating resources. The selection of projects and decisions on the funding volume are made in consultation with experts nominated by both countries in each priority field.

On the occasion of the visit of a BMBF delegation in the spring of 2010, production technologies and renewable energies were determined as new priority areas of cooperation.

The next call for proposals was scheduled for November 2010.