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E Pluribus Compositum – or – The Salad Bowl |
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Germany's New Center for Research and Innovation in New York
bridges vol. 25, April
2010 / Institutions & Organizations
By Sebastian Fohrbeck , Marion Müller & Joann Halpern
 On February 19, 2010, Germany's Federal Minister of Education and Research, Annette Schavan, and the German Ambassador to the United States, Klaus Scharioth, opened the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) in New York1. Part of the German Government's Strategy for the Internationalization of Science and Research, it is one of five such centers worldwide. The other locations are Moscow, New Delhi, São Paulo, and Tokyo. Funds for the centers' start-up phase are provided by the German Federal Foreign Office.
The mission of the GCRI is to strengthen transatlantic collaboration in science and technology to help solve the challenges of the 21st Century.
Its primary goals consist of:
- Presenting Germany to the North American market as a land of research and innovation
- Enhancing the dialogue between academia and industry
- Creating a forum for the initiation and enhancement of transatlantic projects
- Providing an information platform for the German research and innovation landscape.
Two key German organizations have been entrusted with bringing the idea to life and establishing GCRI in the American market: the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)2 and the German Research Foundation (DFG)3 . These organizations have had their own liaison offices in North America since 1971 and 2002, respectively. This new entity allows them, in an unprecedented way, to go above and beyond what individual agencies, organizations, and stakeholders can achieve in the American market. It is a road not previously traveled but one that surely holds great potential.
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The Civilian Research & Development Foundation |
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bridges vol. 25, April 2010 / Institutions & Organizations
 There is nearly universal agreement that science is perhaps the best global, common language, able to bridge most of the deepest political, theological, and cultural divides while providing solutions to challenges that observe no geographical borders. Moreover, it is science and technology (S&T) that drive the successful economies of the 21st century. International S&T collaborations are effective ways for nations to cultivate strong relationships. From these relationships - known as science diplomacy - flow the real value of scientific exchanges, the area in which the CRDF operates.
Established as the US Civilian Research & Development Foundation, CRDF is an Arlington, VA-based nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, and training. Historically, CRDF focused on post-Soviet Russia and the newly independent states in Eurasia. But as the demand for the economic, innovative, and academic drivers of S&T expanded, so too did CRDF's focus. Now in its fifteenth year, CRDF has offices in Moscow, Russia; Kiev, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Amman, Jordan.
CRDF's work provides a critical entry point for nations - through international S&T cooperation - to harness their economic potentials, solve societal challenges, promote security, and generally improve the human condition. As part of its mission, CRDF promotes positive change by introducing international best practices and proven institutional models in science, higher education, and technology commercialization. In addition, CRDF enables universities, companies, and nonprofits to conduct research and development projects around the world, through its services component.
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