An event entitled “Connecting Continents: Research Dialogue with Europe”, was held at the Academy of Science in Canberra, on Wednesday, 9th July. The event aimed to explore the strategic benefits of Australia deepening its research and industry relationship with Europe, potentially through association with Horizon Europe. The event, co-hosted by the Australian Academy of Science and EURAXESS Australia & New Zealand, brought together stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and the diplomatic community. and European stakeholders, to explore the ways Australia and Europe can collaborate more closely on science and innovation. The focus was on benefits to Australia joining the Horizon Europe scheme as an associate member.
Speakers included Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Tony Haymet PhD FTSE and Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General for Innovation, Prosperity & International Cooperation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Chief Negotiator for Horizon Europe projects.
AAvHF Members, Professors Jeff Malpas and Katherine Andrews at the Horizon Europe event in Canberra (9th July, 2025)
Two members of our Australian Association of Humboldt Fellows, Professors Katherine Andrews and Jeff Malpas had been invited to attend. Indeed, Professor Andrews, Head of Tropical Parasitology Group at Griffith University, had been invited to speak as a member of the panel entitled “Lessons and Impacts”, to share experiences of working across borders and disciplines. In addition to Katherine, this panel included Professor Thierry Correge, Regional Director of CNRS, Oceania, Professor Elisabetta Barberio, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, and Professor Nicholas Rowe, Scientific Head of Horizon Europe Project INTRACOMP.
As Katherine has commented, “I was able to mention that being an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow early in my career, was formative.”