Swiss delegation beefs up scientific research ties with Japan
A Swiss delegation has pledged to further increase scientific and technological exchange with Japan after a visit to Tokyo for a meeting of the joint committee for cooperation between the two countries.
In a press releaseExternal link published on Monday, the Swiss Federal Council said that cooperation has already increased significantly since the signing of the agreement on scientific and technical cooperation in 2007.
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The recent visit, by a delegation of funding agencies and educational research institutions and led by Ambassador Mauro Moruzzi, was an opportunity for further strengthening, the government said.
Notably, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), signed a memorandum of understanding intended to further extend and facilitate direct cooperation.
Preparations were also made for a joint research call to be launched by the SNSF and the Japan Science and Technology Agency this spring.
According to the Federal Council, Japan is one of the most important Asian partner countries for Swiss researchers. Between 2013 and 2017, Swiss and Japanese scholars have worked together on over 160 SNSF-funded projects.
Priority in the partnerships is given to funding young researchers to travel: grants by the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, as well as Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, have enabled hundreds of Japanese students to come to Switzerland to conduct research over the past decade.
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