UK and German universities joined forces to host an innovative showcase that shone a spotlight on the vital partnerships that exist between British and German academia.
Held at the British Embassy in Berlin as part of a collaboration between BUILA and its German counterpart DAIA, the showcase explored themes contributing to key European priorities where partners are collaborating at the cutting edge of science and technology and education.
“Universities in the UK are committed to continuing their deep-rooted academic collaborations”
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and president of Universities UK Janet Beer said that irrespective of the outcomes of Brexit, “universities in the UK are committed to continuing their deep-rooted and often ground-breaking academic collaborations with German and European academic institutions and companies”.
“Collaborative research and teaching are a key component to UK HE’s success and is something we need to work hard to protect and nurture,” she said.
The showcase demonstrated how HEIs in the UK and Germany are working together and with other European partners to develop knowledge and skills and foster the innovation needed to address some of the key issues facing Europe.
Examples of educational collaborations present at the Showcase included those between Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Glasgow on a project called GET – SET – GO, and Wuppertal University which is partnering with 34 British Schools on a project called PrimA.
Deputy Secretary General at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Christian Müller added that the importance of collaborative research between Germany and the UK cannot be underestimated.
Since 2014 some 11,745 joint projects have been undertaken between Germany and the UK and over 72,000 research publications have been produced jointly between German and UK academics, many of them with support from DAAD.
“It is absolutely crucial that these research links are maintained,” he said.
The showcase took place to coincide with the British Council’s Going Global Conference.
