Prague, March 2 (CTK) – The Czech Republic and Saxony plan to offer the capacities of the new Czech research centres, jointly use EU subsidies and cooperate in technical education programmes, Czech Deputy PM Pavel Belobradek and the Saxony Minister for Science and Arts, Eva Maria Stange, agreed on Wednesday.
Prague was Stange’s first foreign destination in her capacity as minister.
After their meeting, Belobradek (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) said it is necessary to create conditions for an extension of bilateral cooperation in technical education.
He and Stange also sought ways to enhance bilateral ties within the Horizon 2020 European programme and apply for European subsidies.
They discussed the launch of summer schools and support for postgraduate student clusters.
Belobradek said it is crucial to introduce the results of science and research in practice.
The Czech Republic follows up last year’s Czech-Saxony Day of Innovation in Prague. The successful event will be extended next time and named Czech-Saxony Week of Innovation, Belobradek said.
In this connection, rectors of Czech and Saxony universities are to meet later this month, he said.
Joint research programmes have been carried out, for example, by the Technical University in Liberec, north Bohemia, and the Dresden university, which have been developing nanomaterials and technical textile together.
The West Bohemian University in Plzen, for its part, cooperates with the Saxony side in the area of engineering and material research.
Stange said the two states are united by their common interest not to do science only for science but for the benefit of the economic development.
She said science and research are very advanced in Saxony, but many local institutions are still oriented to western Europe instead of preferring cooperation with the nearest neighbour across the border.
