Marie Curie Actions: Inspiring Researchers - Imdea

Unlocking a worldof learning throughinternationalcooperationcooperationFrom understanding climate change to unlocking thesecrets of the human genome, there are certain scientifi cquestions and issues which concern the entire world.As an international scientifi c hub with a long-standingtradition of research excellence, the EU is well placed toplay a vital and pivotal role in such global undertakings.For many years, the European Union has nurturedinternational scientifi c cooperation to address the needsand opportunities of an interconnected world and tocontribute to the peace and prosperity of Europeans, aswell as to that of citizens around the world.Global warming is just one example where the EU hastaken the lead in promoting international collaboration.Not only has Europe been a trailblazer in the politicalsphere – playing a major role in the Kyoto Protocol, forexample – but it has also been a major investor in ‘green’technologies and eco-innovation, and cooperates withpartners across the world in these fi elds.But it is not all about down-to-earth subjects – in fact,the sky is quite literally the limit. Through the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA), Europe joined the global teambuilding the International Space Station (ISS), which isincreasing our knowledge of the ‘fi nal frontier’.Then there is the galaxy within. The sequencing of the humangenome was another notable – and groundbreaking –example of the EU’s participation in international science.Labs in Europe, Japan, the United States and othercountries shared the painstaking quest to identify themore than 3 billion nucleotide ‘letters’ making up theDNA macromolecule.253