Singapore and Europe forge deeper ties in the life sciences through milestone cooperation agreement
The Government of Singapore, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and its intergovernmental funding body, the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), have signed a Cooperation Agreement to strengthen scientific interaction and collaborative research between Singapore and Europe. This milestone agreement marks the first time a non-European nation has become an EMBC Associate Member State.
As an EMBC Associate Member State, Singapore gains access to all of EMBO’s activities, providing its scientists with the opportunity to interact with and benefit from the best scientists in Europe. The agreement brings together major players in Singapore’s biomedical research scene, namely the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Scientists can apply to all of EMBO’s programmes, such as long-term fellowships for postdoctoral researchers, short-term fellowships, courses and workshops, as well as the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. At the same time, Europe will benefit from closer interaction with the outstanding scientists in Singapore’s research community. Greater cooperation between nations will help catalyse new discoveries and deliver world-class solutions for global issues.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Singapore as the first EMBC Associate Member State,” said Professor Maria Leptin, Director of EMBO. “Since it was founded, EMBO has viewed cross-country cooperation as an essential foundation for the growth of science. The scientific community in Singapore, with its strengths in research and technology development, is a perfect partner for the exchange of expertise and we look forward to further collaboration in the years ahead.”
Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), who signed the agreement on behalf of the Singapore Government, said, “Singapore has benefitted greatly from the partnership with one of Europe’s foremost organizations in the life sciences. We look forward to building on our collaborations and driving more impactful and innovative healthcare outcomes together with Europe as the first non-European EMBC Associate Member State.”
Professor Gerrit van Meer, President of the EMBC, remarked: “All member states enthusiastically welcome Singapore as the first Associate Member State of the EMBC. We look forward to working closely together to help support the work of talented researchers worldwide.”
Background information
Singapore’s admission as an EMBC Associate Member State builds upon its 2011 agreement with EMBO, which provided new opportunities for researchers in Singapore to engage their European counterparts in inter-disciplinary scientific collaborations over three years. The 2011 agreement saw strong participation by researchers from both Europe and Singapore, with two of A*STAR’s researchers, Associate Professor Bruno Reversade from the Institute of Medical Biology and Dr Florent Ginhoux from the Singapore Immunology Network, receiving the EMBO Young Investigator Award, and five other scientists awarded EMBO Long-Term Fellowships to work in prestigious European centres. Dr Malin Jonsson Boezelman and Martin Linster were awarded EMBO Long-Term Fellowships to conduct research in Singapore. EMBO workshops have been held in Singapore annually and were well attended by both Singapore and European scientists.
Following the EMBO Gold Medallist Symposium held in Singapore in May 2015, an EMBO workshop on 'Telomeric Chromatin and Telomere Fragility’ has been planned in Singapore this December. Past EMBO workshops in 2013 and 2014 have focused on ‘Complex Systems in Immunology’, and ‘Cell Plasticity & Nuclear Dynamics,’ respectively.
Contact
Ms TANG Xin Ning
Senior Officer, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Tel: +65 6826 6452
tang_xin_ning(at)a-star.edu.sg
Dr Barry WHYTE
Head, Public Relations & Communications
European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
Tel: +49 6221 8891 108
barry.whyte(at)embo.org
