Australia
June 9, 2004
More than ten thousand French
researchers will be linked to Australia's leading research
organisations, CSIRO and
The Australian National
University as a result of an agreement signed today.
Research on issues including
salinity, water management, and agricultural production will
receive a significant boost under the agreement, which promises
collaboration between researchers in agricultural and land-based
environmental research.
The
Memorandum of Understanding between ANU, CSIRO and five peak
French research centres and will enable a much closer
collaboration between researchers from the two countries in
environmental research, study of natural resources and
agriculture.
The
agreement follows years of close collaboration between a number
of researchers from the two countries - and is set to
significantly expand collaboration and also increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of research in key areas. It will
also result in an increase in exchange of researchers and
students between France and Australia.
The
agreement was signed by ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb,
CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Geoff Garrett in the presence of the
French Ambassador to Australia, Mr Patrick Henault.
"This
historic agreement opens the path to some very exciting
synergies. It provides Australia's leading research institutions
with an important entrée to France - and hence to Europe as a
whole," Professor Chubb said.
"This
agreement will mean the best people from our two countries will
put their heads and their funding together to tackle priority
issues agreed between our two countries."
Dr Garrett
said: "CSIRO has a long history of collaboration with its French
counterparts."
"With
today's initiative I am particularly pleased to see that active
collaboration expand to include work with an even wider range of
French agencies and also with our colleagues from ANU."
Mr Henault
said: "The combined staff of these French institutions number
more than 40,000, of which around 14,000 are in the fields
covered by the MOU. These closer links can only bring benefits
to us all."
The
agreement involves five French research bodies: the National
Centre for Agricultural Machinery, Rural Engineering, Water and
Forests; the International Centre
for Agricultural Research for Development; the
National Centre for Scientific
Research; the National
Institute for Agricultural Research; and the Institute for
Research for Development. |