INCO-Net EECA brings east and west closer
(04.02.2009)
In future, the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme INCO-Net EECA (International Cooperation Network for Eastern European and Central Asian Countries) may create interesting opportunities for Finnish researchers to launch research collaboration with researchers and research institutes in Eastern Europe, Central Asia or the Baltic countries.
“When INTAS funding ceased, it was noticed that the EU no longer had a similar instrument available for bringing science and research in the EU and Eastern Europe closer together,” says Mikko Ylikangas, Programme Manager at the Academy of Finland.
It was time to move collaboration to the next level – and thus INCO-Net EECA was established. “Germany focused strongly on the matter, so the project was put together under the leadership of Bonn at the beginning of 2007.”
Ylikangas originally joined the Academy as coordinator of the Russia in Flux research programme. He is also in charge of the Academy’s Russia team.
Formula for cooperation under construction
The inaugural meeting for the project was held in Athens early in 2008. “Many EECA countries are not yet ready for direct research projects with researchers from EU countries. That’s why the INCO-Net project was necessary,” says Ylikangas.
The science and research funding organisations of EU countries are constantly engaging in diverse cooperation with Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Central Asia. “One of the purposes of EECA is actively to produce, compile and disseminate information for researchers, funding organisations and decision-makers.”
The second function of the INCO-Net EECA project is to raise the level of awareness. “Researchers from Eastern Europe and Central Asia have insufficient knowledge about what the Seventh Framework Programme can offer them, for example. And vice-versa: EU researchers don’t know a great deal about the countries in question. The project is also aiming to achieve bilateral communication and dialogue.”
Central Asia eager to invest in science
Of the Eastern European countries, the closest partner for the Academy of Finland is Russia. “Every year, we have joint calls with Russian research funding organisations. At the beginning of this year, for example, we opened a joint call with the Russian Foundation for the Humanities (RFH) in history research on the theme of Finland and Russia’s shared history from 1809 to 2009. Finland is also wanted to be involved in the four-year INCO-Net EECA programme because of its active expertise in cooperation with Russia.
“We’re involved in three of INCO-Net EECA’s work packages. These are looking to solve problems concerning the mobility of researchers. In 2009, we’re organising a workshop on the subject with our Russian partners.”
Finland’s partner in the third work package is the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.
Not about money alone
Problems with the mobility of researchers may be very concrete ones related to such matters as the very expensive air fares in Russia or visa procedures. INCO-Net EECA is not a development aid nor a way of forcing organisations into line.
“It’s a question of creating opportunities and opening borders based on open and fair principles. Often it’s not even a question of money, but simply of the dissemination of operating methods and information that have been found to be good and of the networking of funding organisations. Central Asia, for example, clearly wants to invest in science, and requires cooperation to that end”.
ERA-NET RUS starts up
INCO-Net EECA will supply information for the ERA-NET RUS project that started at the beginning of 2009 and in which the Academy is participating. “I see INCO-Net EECA as a horn of plenty, which is disseminating information concerning the science, research and research funding of the participating countries in as many directions as possible”.
Ylikangas believes that Finnish science and research cooperation in particular will increase during the coming 5–10 years. “The interest in Ukraine has already increased among Finnish researchers. When the Soviet Union broke up, many researchers from former Soviet states moved to the West, and the contacts between Finnish researchers and the Kiev University of Technology, for example, lapsed.
Text: Tiina Ruulio
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