Heidelberg University and Santander Universidades are planning to intensify and expand their cooperation. To this end, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eitel, Rector of Heidelberg University, and Emilio Botín, Chairman of Banco Santander, signed an agreement on the “TOP Programme Europe – Latin America” and the “ELITE Programme Latin America – Europe – Asia” on 5th July 2013. It is based on the long-term framework agreement concluded two years ago with Banco Santander. The bank supports the university's initiatives through its División Global Santander Universidades, which operates in Germany under the name of Santander Universitäten. With this step, the partner institutions want to support the geographical mobility of young scientists and scholars, develop top-class networks of strong research partners in Latin America, Asia and Europe, investigate innovative research topics on an international level and make the results of that research available to society.
Via its Centre for Ibero-American Studies (IAZ), Heidelberg University develops and coordinates European cooperation projects with leading universities in Latin America, especially Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. In the long term, the partner institutions hope to build a bridge of scientific collaboration between Europe and Latin America, for the benefit of junior researchers in particular. On another level, the partners in Europe and Latin America will work together to create networks of excellence with leading universities in South and East Asia, especially India, China and Japan. The IAZ, the South Asia Institute, the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, the Centre for East Asian Studies and the International Relations Office of Heidelberg University will all be involved in the coordination and development of this project. The research partners on the three continents will be selected by mutual agreement with Santander Universitäten.
Within the framework of the “TOP Programme Europe – Latin America” and “ELITE Programme Latin America – Europe – Asia” summer and winter schools dealing with innovative research questions and aimed at doctoral candidates and junior researchers are funded by Santander Universitäten. They are to be organised in cooperation with the Heidelberg Center South Asia in New Delhi, the Heidelberg Center for Latin America in Santiago de Chile and the International Academic Forum Heidelberg as well as Japanese partner universities, if applicable.
The Centre for Ibero-American Studies has been funded since March 2011 via the existing framework agreement between Heidelberg University and the bank through the División Global Santander Universidades. The IAZ initiates and maintains scientific exchange with the countries of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. One of the centre’s major concerns is to establish networks for young scientists, especially in the humanities, and to support them with the required infrastructure. For this purpose, the IAZ – supported by Santander Universitäten – offers scholarships in linguistics, translation and interpreting, and literature that allow doctoral students to spend several months doing research at an international partner university. Research stays of international junior researchers at Heidelberg University are funded as well.
Banco Santander has been cooperating with universities since 1997 through its División Global Santander Universidades. It supports academic institutions in the fields of teaching and research, international cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial culture, student exchange as well as innovation. Today it maintains strategic partnerships with more than 1.020 institutions worldwide. So far, Santander Universitäten provides funding for five universities in Germany. Heidelberg University is the first German university to have signed a cooperation agreement.
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