Joint Information Exchange Event with JRC

Together with the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), the Ministry of Education and Science organised a JRC Information Exchange Event in Skopje on October 5, 2010.
Welcome addresses at the event were held by Nikola Todorov, Minister for Education and Science, Atanas Kocov, Member of the JRC Board of Governors and Ulla Engelmann, Head of the Stakeholder Relations Unit at JRC. Speeches were given on the purpose and mission of JRC, JRC’s large-scale infrastructures, on possibilities for collaboration and examples of collaboration with the FYR of Macedonia. Thematic presentations were held on nanotechnology and environmental engineering at the JRC and on JRC’s support for a sustainable agriculture and rural development in the Western Balkans.

Promotion of Open Calls in FP7

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Science organised an information and promotion event on September 21, 2010. Presentations by the National Contact Points focused on the currently open FP7 calls, which are of particular importance in view of the research priorities of the FYR of Macedonia (such as health, transport, energy, NMP and ICT), followed by a discussion. More than 100 participants attended the event, representing the academic and business sector, SMEs as well as local governments.

International Annual Congress ESAO 2010

From September 8 to 11, 2010, the International Annual Congress ESAO 2010 was held by the European Society of Artificial Organs at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

The aim of the congress was to bring together and to foster the exchange between and the collaboration among clinicians and scientists from the field of biotechnologies and bioengineering as well as industrial partners from all over the world. Furthermore, students and post-docs as well as clinicians, engineers, and scientists in early career stages met in Skopje for the “yESAO young researchers initiative”. This initiative was dedicated to the exchange of ideas and experiences in the interdisciplinary field of artificial organs, the discussion of career development paths, fund raising via joint research projects and networking.

FP7 was promoted as part of the congress. The presentation given by the Ministry of Education and Science emphasised the possibilities for young researchers offered by the People programme and the funding opportunities for health research, in particular in the framework of the open FP7 call.