(11.12.20) Colombia is an important partner for Germany, not only commercially, but also in the scientific and academic field and the DFG has good cooperation with the country.
To present and disseminate the opportunities for scientific cooperation between Colombia and the Germans, the “Scientific Workshop on Colombian-German Cooperation” was held on 28 October.

The event, organised by the Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA) together with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), took place online and aimed to familiarise interested researchers with the possibility of funding projects, and to encourage them to submit research proposals with a cooperation partner. DFG has a cooperation agreement signed in 2019 with UdeA, which is one of the most renowned universities in Colombia and whose history goes back more than 211 years.

The 104 participants of the workshop had the chance to have answers to their questions about the funding opportunities, as well as the eligibility and submission criteria. Dr. Dietrich Halm, DFG director for Latin America, and Dr. Sergio Cristancho Marulanda, vice-rector for research at UdeA, alternately presented the joint support programme. The cooperation agreement between the two institutions consists of the submission of proposals at any time. Regular projects in any area of knowledge can be supported jointly.

The event also included the presentation of a successful collaborative project between the two countries. Dr. Christoph Baer, from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, presented the project “Humanitarian Microwaves Detection of Improvised Explosive Devices in Colombia” which consists in the development of a new method of ultra-wideband radar detection for landmines using ground penetrating radar. With the help of electromagnetic waves, it is possible to look into the ground, so to speak. The project is a cooperation between German and Colombian universities, among them the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus.

The partnership between the DFG and Colombia is also through cooperation agreements with Miniciencias and Universidad de los Andes.
The Agreement between DFG and Miniciencias, established in 2009 and renewed in 2011, foresees the submission of proposals through the publication of joint calls. The agreement with the Universidad de los Andes, signed in 2013 and renewed in 2018, as well as the agreement with the UdeA, also allows the submission of proposals in continuous flow.

The DFG and the UdeA believe that in times of great challenges, such as 2020, it is essential to promote collaborative research opportunities, especially for the development of a free and inclusive science.