Australia

Political framework for scientific and technological cooperation

For historical reasons, the European dimension plays an important role in the Australian education and research landscape. In 1994, Australia was therefore the first country to conclude a Science and Technology Agreement with the European Union. The bilateral institutional collaboration between Germany and Australia is based on an intergovernmental agreement of 1974.

The positive developments in education collaboration are reinforced by an agreement on the mutual bestowal of research awards between the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). There are also agreements (in the form of MoUs) between the German Research Association (DFG) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) as well as the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Key areas of cooperation

The partnership focuses on bilateral research cooperation in the following areas:

• Health,
• Nutrition,
• Agriculture and biotechnology,
• Information and communication technologies,
• Environmental and marine research and
• Antarctic research

The Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) and the BMBF published a joint call for funding proposals in these areas in 2010 with the aims of better coordinating the funding programmes and developing an information network. At the same time, bilateral summer courses and workshops are to provide better support for young researchers.

Highlights of bilateral cooperation

In February 2010, a 14-strong delegation under the direction of the BMBF visited Australia. The visit focused primarily on photovoltaics. It was followed by the first ever joint call for proposals between the two countries, administrated by the Australian Academy of Science on behalf of the DIISR and the International Bureau of the BMBF on behalf of the BMBF.
According to the Higher Education Compass published by the German Rectors’ Conference (as of July 2010), 272 cooperation agreements exist between German and Australian universities. These partnerships particularly alleviate the problem of course fees in many cases through individual agreements.
A protocol on the mutual recognition of school, vocational school and university qualifications, concluded by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK)/Central Office for Foreign Education and the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition as a subdivision of the then Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), has existed since 1998.
Student and researcher exchanges form the most important instrument of bilateral cooperation in higher education, and are funded predominantly by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In 2008, the DAAD was able to initiate a new exchange programme with the Group of Eight (the eight most important Australian universities), which is experiencing very high demand. The programme will be continued through the signing of a MoU in spring 2010.
In 2007, eight Humboldt Research Awards were presented to Australian researchers and three Feodor Lynen Fellowships to German researchers. An Australian researcher received a Humboldt Research Award in 2008. The numbers for the period from 2003-2007 are: 50 Humboldt Research Fellowships, 26 Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships, 8 Humboldt Research Awards.