The ScanBalt Campus (SBC) Molecular Diagnostics Knowledge Network announces today that the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports a pilot phase education and research programme for postgraduate students in Molecular Diagnostics.
(ag/ehj) – The aim of the project is to set up a comprehensive and attractive research and education programme for postgraduate students to learn cutting edge technologies developed by the members of the Knowledge Network: the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and the Medical University of Gdansk, the University of Hamburg, and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). The network is based on the longterm relationship between Prof. Bielawski (Molecular Diagnostics division in Gdansk) and Prof. Brandt (Institute of Tumour Biology, UKE in Hamburg).
Molecular Diagnostics encompass the tools, methods and knowledge for analysis, diagnosis and research in human, animal and plant diseases. Several aspects in Molecular Diagnostics are covered by the project partners. Along with a Fall-School taking place in Hamburg in November 2007, the department leaders also agree upon joint research projects where the postgraduate students could apply the methods and technologies learned. The Knowledge Network intends to raise grants within the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme to finance the joint research projects.
“We see this recent funding by the German Federal Ministry as a first step towards an academic collaboration around the Baltic Sea both in research and education in Molecular Diagnostics. And we would like to invite other institutions from Northern Europe to join,” explains Prof. Bredehorst, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg.
Topics and content of the education and research programme have been subjects of a meeting of project partners in Tartu, Estonia, in September 06 during the last ScanBalt Forum, the annual conference of ScanBalt Bioregion, and during the projects´ steering committee meeting in Hamburg in July. “With the funding by the International Bureau of BMBF we are now in the position to establish an education and research programme at the first place and continue the progress of SBC Molecular Diagnostic Knowledge Network already made during the INTERREG funded previous project period,” says Hans Kuhn, Head of Life Science Projects at Norgenta. Norgenta, the North German Life Science Agency of the two German federal states Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, is the fourth partner in this recently funded bilateral German-Polish collaboration project.
Postgraduates attending the Fall-School will also have the opportunity to participate in the Forum Innovative Therapies (FIT 2007) in Wedel (near Hamburg) on 1st and 2nd November 2007. FIT is the Research and Development congress co-organized by Norgenta. This years´ main topic is Oncology.
ScanBalt – the network of networks – has the vision of creating a competitive world-class meta-bioregion. ScanBalt BioRegion consists of the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as Poland, Northern Germany and North-Western Russia (11 countries in total). The ScanBalt BioRegion encompasses 85 million people, more than 60 universities and more than 870 biotech/life science companies. Members of ScanBalt are 11 regional triple helix networks between universities, biotech/life science industry, hospitals, public authorities and other important players.
ScanBalt Campus (SBC) aims at creating critical mass in research and education within some selected scientific areas in biotechnology and life science. In the project, 31 universities, hospitals and companies from 10 countries in Northern Europe unite to increase the mobility of students, lecturers and researchers within the ScanBalt region. The project, co-funded by the European Union, pioneers in putting the Bologna process into practice within a large network. Furthermore, SBC aims at being a model for a trans-national and trans-sectorial organization, based on education, research and development.
SBC will include several components, such as a ”real and virtual university”, an academy of scientists, and a media database. The website is a one-stop-entry to all ScanBalt Campus activities. ScanBalt Campus Knowledge Networks are specialized in education, research and development within life science and biotechnology. The aim is to increase the cooperation and mobility among universities, companies and hospitals in order to promote transdisciplinarity and innovation.
Partner of the project: – Molecular Diagnostics Division, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and the Medical University of Gdansk – Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg – Institute of Tumour Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Further information:
Hans Kuhn
hans.kuhn@norgenta.de
Norgenta GmbH North German Life Science Agency
Falkenried 88 20251
Hamburg
http://www.life-science-nord.net
