EC commits Euro 8 million for implementing EU-India Joint Action Plan
Date: 2 March 2007
The Head of Delegation of the European Commission to India, Bhutan and Nepal, Ambassador Francisco da Câmara Gomes and India's Joint Secretary of Ministry of Finance, Mr. Kumar Sanjay Krishna signed the Financing Agreement for the EU-India Action Plan Support Facility Programme (APSF) here today.
The European Commission is committing Euro 8 million for the APSF which has been designed to implement the Joint Action Plan endorsed at the EU-India Summit of September 2005 in the framework of the EU-India Strategic Partnership adopted in November 2004. The Strategic Partnership acknowledged India as one of the world's most important international actors along with the US, China, Canada and Russia.
"The EU-India Action Plan Support Facility Programme is a decisive instrument for providing a prompt and immediate support to sector policy dialogues between the EU and the Government of India and taking action in the main priority areas identified by the Joint Action Plan," said Ambassador Francisco da Câmara Gomes.
The APSF will provide support to policy dialogues in the key sectors of environment (e.g. waste, climate change), energy (e.g. clean technologies, energy efficiency and renewable energies), education (Contemporary Study Centres), employment, labour issues and social policy (e.g. skills, training and employment issues), industry policy and business co-operation (e.g. investment opportunities, industrial standards, etc.).
APSF main activities include joint sector studies and research works, seminars and workshops, needs assessments, advice and technical assistance (capacity building), study tours and exposure visits. The APSF also includes specific actions for promoting the development of Contemporary Study Centres on both sides and supporting cultural exchanges.
The APSF is going to be implemented over a period of 4 years, laying the foundation for further possible actions foreseen under the next programming period of EU-India Co-operation.
Source: EU India Chambers
Scholarships for young Indian Researchers awarded by Italian Ministry of Research
Date: 19 February 2007
The Italian Ministry of Research published a call for awarding scholarships to young Indian researchers who wish to spend a stage in Italian Universities.
The call is related to 11 research areas. In particular the list includes the following areas:
1. Grid Technology and Related Infrastructures.
2. Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
I am writing in my position of member of the Euro India Co-operation Community and mainly as the Scientific Director of two important High Performance Computing and Grids Centers located at University of Calabria (Southern Italy). These centers are:
1. Center of Excellence on High Performance Computing,
2. Supercomputing Center for Engineering Applications (jointly operated by University of Calabria and NEC).
Source: EU India Chambers
EU-India co-operation in science and research will reach new heights when the first-ever EU-India ministerial meeting on science takes place on February 7-8, 2007 in New Delhi. Nobel laureates from the EU and top Indian scientists will participate in the two-day event. Five hundred Ph.D. scholars, selected by a multi-layered rigorous process from across India, will have the chance of a lifetime to interact with at least 15 European science icons, including three Nobel laureates, as well as with front-ranking Indian scientists.
India’s "missile-man" will also be there
It was announced that India's president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, aka India's "missile man", would attend the February conference at the press conference, which took place on January 31 at the German ambassador Bernd Mützelburg's residence in New Delhi and was co-chaired by the representative from the European Commission Francisco da Camara Gomes. Kalam is an eminent researcher in the fields of science and technology and is generally viewed as the father of India's integrated missile program.
The science ministerial conference will be co-chaired by the German federal minister for education and research, Dr. Annette Schavan, who will represent the German presidency of the EU, the European commissioner for science and research, Dr Janez Potocnik, and the Indian minister for science and technology and earth sciences, Kapil Sibal. The meeting will be attended by ministers, or their designated representatives, from all of the 27 EU member states -- many of which have recently signed bilateral agreements with India
EU's two-fold tasks
Mützelburg said the climax of the EU's German presidency would be the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome on March 25. The EU Heads of State and government will meet in Berlin to mark the occasion and will issue a declaration to reaffirm EU values and outline the union's future role, he said.
In co-ordination with the European Commission and with Portugal and Slovenia as the two EU member states that will succeed the German EU presidency, Germany has developed the "18-Month Programme" to increase continuity in the EU. This programme will be among others aimed at bringing forward the discussion about the EU constitution, its economic future and its social nature, as well as how to secure natural resources and increase security.
Common interests
Addressing the press conference, Ambassador Mützelburg devoted considerable time to underline the commonalities between EU and India. He said both had much in common -- commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights, rule of law and an independent judiciary and media. He also drew attention to the fact that the EU and India entertained close political ties. He informed reporters that the troika level EU-India foreign ministers meeting would take place in Berlin on May 31, 2007 hot on the heels of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hamburg on May 29, 2007, in which 45 countries are due to participate. This will be the first ASEM for India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Mützelburg said the EU-India summit would not take place during the Germany presidency, as it was traditionally held during the latter half of the year. India would be invited to Heiligendamm within the G8 Outreach framework. The focus of this summit will be on efforts to shape a globalising world economy and to support development in Africa
Source : Deutsche Welle