Cairo: The year 2007 will be dedicated to scientific discourse and co-operation between Germany and Egypt. On Jan.8 at 10:30 am Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Dr Hany Helal, and Bernd Erbel, German Ambassador to Egypt, will hold a joint press conference at the ministry, where information will be given on the upcoming events and their conceptual background. On Jan. 15, a meeting of Egyptian and German scientists at Cairo University will officially kick off the Egyptian-German Year of Science and Technology, a starting signal for a number of scientific events set for the course of the year. The year 2007 was declared "German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology after a bilateral agreement between the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. An idea first proposed by the Egyptian side and warmly received by the German ministry, the "Science Year , is considered an excellent platform to underline the priority of science and research, to intensify the co-operation between Egypt and Germany, and to support and encourage scientific exchange between the two countries. Over the course of the year, numerous projects and events will take place in both countries, mainly focusing on six fields of research: Material Sciences, Water, Social Sciences / Humanities, Renewable Energies, Medical Sciences, and Biotechnology. In addition to scientific meetings and conferences, public exhibitions and other events for the general public are planned. Special emphasis will be given to the support and training of young academics, to co-operation between science and industry, and to the European Union's research support programs. For more details, please refer to the following website: http://www.yearofscience.org.
