International Affairs - Relations Internationales - EPFL

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Progress-Report_DEF.qxd:Layout 1 5.6.2007 3:00 Page 42 B Cooperation@epfl 42 VPRI Since 1999, the ISCB has focused on the development of environmentally-friendly technologies to increase pulse and wheat production and to allow the sustainable management of natural resources in marginal areas. Four topics were identified within this framework as priority research areas: the improvement of stress tolerance and pest control in pulses, the improvement of resistance against fungal diseases in wheat, the monitoring and the in-situ degradation of pesticide residues, and the improvement of soil quality. In addition to this, trans-sectoral topics are given due importance, and projects on bio safety, technology transfer as well as need and impact studies are included in the programme portfolio 44 . The framework for research collaboration is defined in a bilateral agreement between the governments of India and Switzerland. The funding agencies, the Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), hold overall responsibility for the programme. The programme has enabled the development of equitable research partnerships providing significant scientific progress, based on individually determined project goals and milestones. Several of the ISCB projects had reached fairly advanced stages by 2004. The results formed a solid base for further development towards desirable products and processes, which is the main objective of the programme. The most promising projects in terms of scientific achievements and collaboration were selected on the basis of a review for continuation during a second programme phase, which started in September 2004 and which will continue until August 2007. Three research networks and four collaborative projects are being supported during this period and they involve 23 Indian and 13 Swiss research groups). The project funding for the current programme phase (2004-2007 amounts to a total of SFr. 4.5 million, with SFr. 1.5 million per year coming from SDC and SFr. 2.3 million from DBT. Both funding agencies have stated their belief that the current programme, approved until August 2007, has been highly successful and rewarding. SDC and 44 For details see: http://iscb.epfl.ch DBT have both declared their continued interest in the ISCB, its focus and its guiding principles. A new 4-year phase (2007-2011) is under being prepared and it will be developed within the framework of SDC’s redefined policy on cooperation in India. 5.3 Inter-School Projects 45 In the light of the new objectives, Cooperation@epfl announced the promotion of its Inter-School Projects or priority programmes for transdisciplinary and interfaculty cooperation. These are aimed at enhancing dialogue between external partners, scientists and financial backers in some crucial development areas. The following Inter-School Projects were established in the following key fields of scientific interest, which are all oriented towards sustainable development: Information and Communication Technologies for the Environment, Health, Crisis Engineering, Energy, and Technologies for Sustainable Urban Development. These priority programmes are to be the basis of the international scientific cooperation projects run by the EPFL through Cooperation@epfl in the forthcoming years. Within the context of this strategy, the structure of Cooperation@epfl was reinforced to deal with the fields of Adapting Technologies for Sustainable Urban Development (Urban Development), Enabling Communication Technologies for the Environment (ICT4E) and Health, for an initial six-month period, starting in 2006. The main task was to investigate the compatibility between scientific expertise, development needs and external cooperation. Three scientists guided the first studies following an interdisciplinary, interfaculty and international approach, and the studies were focussed on generating the setup and launch of international EPFL projects in the near future. Some considerable results were achieved in these specific areas during the first 6-month period and these are worth a mention. In the field of Urban Technologies for Development, the most significant example was the project 45 S. Bolomey (Urban Technologies for Development), Dr A. Repetti (I&C Technologies for Environment, Dr M. Knuchel (Health), M. Schmid (Crisis Engineering). VPRI 43
Progress-Report_DEF.qxd:Layout 1 5.6.2007 3:00 Page 44 B Cooperation@epfl 44 VPRI proposal for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Future Urban Transport at the EPFL. The very positive evaluation of the Volvo foundation stimulated the group to continue and elaborate a new project with EPFL partners in Latin America. On the other hand, in the field of I&C Technologies for Environment, three project proposals have been submitted to several foundations, in partnership with EPFL laboratories and partners in the South: (1) a project on participatory information platforms for vulnerable communities to allow them to adapt to climate changes in Sahel regions, (2) a project on participatory information platforms for watershed monitoring and sustainable management in Africa, and (3) a project for a water management modelling and an information platform for industrialized and polluted watershed in China. With regard to the field of Health, the “Global health for developing countries at Cooperation@epfl: implications and opportunities” report shows the potential of the EPFL in this domain and the specific role that Cooperation@epfl could have as a promoter of partnerships with emerging and developing countries in the area of health. The EPFL plays a leading role in genomics, bioinformatics and nanotechnology, which are some of the main technologies for improving health in developing countries, and it has further interests in new technologies, which will be developed through the Global Health Institute. Another area of focus has been added to these three projects: Crisis Engineering, based on prior EPFL expertise in this domain. With regard to this field, specific research has led to the publication of “Crisis Engineering: towards a culture of risk and prevention” 46 . Moreover, Cooperation@epfl participated in the World Congress on “The Role of Science in the Management of Natural Hazards and Major Risks” 47 held at Davos in August 2006 with scientific experts from Switzerland and from the international organisations in Geneva. Plans for an MAS on Hydrometeorological Risks have been backed by the School of Continuous Education and it is scheduled to start in 2008 with scientific partners in Mexico and India. 46 See more details of the publication at: http://cooperation.epfl.ch/page61831.html 47 Available at: http://www.planat.ch/ressources/planat_product_en_762.pdf 5.4 EPFL-SDC Fund 48 In 1998 the EPFL negotiated a framework credit with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to co-finance a series of innovative interdisciplinary projects, which were launched via an internal call at the EPFL. The projects approved in the first call were completed successfully in 2001 and a second phase, endowed with a total of SFr. 2 million by the SDC as well as an estimated SFr. 250,000 per year from EPFL funds and contributions in kind, allowed Cooperation@epfl to launch an additional call for development research projects in 2003. This was opened to all the disciplines and Schools at the EPFL and addressed to all its researchers. In order to comply with the eleven principles for scientific partnerships with developing countries, as defined in the Guidelines for Research in Partnership with Developing Countries by the Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) 49 , the projects had to be inspired by the three basic dimensions of scientific cooperation for development: scientific excellence; international partnerships; and competence building in emerging and developing countries. As a result of the call, the EPFL-SDC scientific cooperation fund finances five scientific partnership projects from 3 EPFL Schools. 48 Prof J.-C. Bolay, Y. Changkakoti, C. Waridel. 49 For details see: http://www.kfpe.ch/key_activities/publications/guidelines.html Presentation of Pof. Rose Dieng-Kuntz, Scientific Manager of the Acacia Knowledge Management Project-team (NRIA Sophia Antipolis Research Unit). VPRI 45
Page 1 and 2: Progress-Report_DEF.qxd:Layout 1 5.
Page 21: Progress-Report_DEF.qxd:Layout 1 5.

International Affairs - Relations Internationales - EPFL

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?