On the occasion of the Year of Science 2011 “Research for Our Health”, launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has invited 20 international scientists and administrators to participate in a tour of medical research facilities and graduate schools in Germany. With stops in Munich, Stuttgart, Tübingen and Heidelberg, the programme will focus on three highly topical issues in healthcare today: personalised medicine, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer research. In addition to fostering cooperation between German and international researchers, one of the central aims of the week-long Science Tour is to better acquaint foreign researchers with the unique German network of university and non-university research institutes and their close ties to industry and commerce.
The invited scientists come from the United States, Canada, Italy, Taiwan, Lebanon, Latvia and Cuba. During the tour, they will learn about the cutting-edge research being conducted at German universities, research institutes and companies. The participants will have the opportunity to discuss current developments in health research and define common areas of interest as starting points for future cooperation with their German colleagues.
The tour will stop at the following institutions:
Universities:
-Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
-Heidelberg University
Research Institutions:
-Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich
-Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen
-Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart
-European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg
-German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg
Companies:
-Rinecker Proton Therapy Center (RPTC) in Munich
-Roche Diagnostics in Penzberg near Munich
Background:
The Science Tour is part of the “Research in Germany– Land of Ideas” campaign, which the BMBF started in 2006 to strengthen and expand R&D collaboration between Germany and international partners. The DAAD, which has organised the tour on behalf of the BMBF, is the largest funding organisation in the world and supports the international exchange of students and scholars. Its primary objectives include encouraging outstanding academics from abroad to study or conduct research in Germany and enabling German researchers to gain professional qualification at the best institutions around the world.
