4th Vanderbilt-Leipzig Cooperation Workshop
The 4th international scientific symposium was held with members of the Leipzig University and Vanderbilt University from the 6th to the 12th of July 2013 in Leipzig. The focus of this event taking place at the Biotechnological-Biomedical Center (BBZ) of the University of Leipzig was the further organization and consolidation of the university partnership (MOU) between Leipzig and Vanderbilt University. Likewise this event was set out to be a Kick-Off-Meeting for two new international junior research groups, which are funded by the State Ministry of Science and Arts through the European Social Fond (ESF) since July 1st.
The fourth cooperation workshop (scientific symposium) is linked to the plans of the Leipzig University and Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN, USA) to found an “International Collaborative Research Project” (Center for Research and Education). Considering the significant strengths in the research profiles of both universities, especially in the field of biochemistry and biomedicine as well as related disciplines, the institutionalization of the university partnership has been set. On Monday (8th July 2013) the symposium has been opened by the rector of the University of Leipzig, Prof. Dr. Beate Schücking, and subsequently the agreement of the bilateral university partnership, which was signed before at Vanderbilt, has been signed now here in Leipzig. This will enable research exchanges for another five years, with the aim to establish an institutionalized junior research exchange within the university cooperation. In line with the symposium 21 newly sponsored related research projects of the university will be introduced in presentations with an ensuing discussion of comprehensive scientific questions (Program).
Afterwards, Vanderbilt faculty met with many different researchers from Leipzig University on an individual basis to visit labs and work groups and discuss on-going or newly proposed research initiatives. The visit was framed by a social program where other aspects of Leipzig – the city-music, the sea scape, and the old city center – were presented.
The intense collaboration has already been initiated in 2007 and was first funded by the DFG and the NSF with internationalization grants from 2010-2011. Since then, Vanderbilt University sponsored the exchange with 50 000 $/year for three years and matching funds from Leipzig University and the PBF3 were provided here. So far there have been three scientific symposia in Leipzig and Nashville, as well as 42 two- to three-month research stays of junior research fellows at the respective other partner university. This year the program will be complemented through lectures and courses of three professors from Nashville in Leipzig, who are supported through the Leibniz-Program of the University of Leipzig.