China and Canada to Work Together on Nanotech Research Lab

[grantnano]

Government of Alberta and China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Announce Launch of Joint Research Lab to Focus on Nanotech

Breakthroughs in science will be accelerated thanks to $500,000 in contributions towards a new collaborative research initiative. Victor Doerksen, Minister of Alberta Innovation and Science made the announcement on January 17, 2006 while speaking to Chinese officials in Beijing, China.

"This investment in research and technology taps into global opportunities made possible by a strong collaboration with scientists in Alberta and China," said Doerksen. He is leading Alberta industry, academic and government representatives on a 12-day technology mission to China and California promoting the province's research, investment and development opportunities.

"Partnering with China makes sense, because joint efforts will position Alberta to develop technologies for the China market."

The Alberta government's investment of $350,000 in the Joint Research Laboratory project is supplemented by $150,000 from the University of Alberta. In China, the research will be conducted in State Key Laboratories and/or National Laboratories throughout China.

Dr. Gary Kachanoski, the vice-president of research at the University of Alberta and the joint project lead, said "This collaboration with China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and its top laboratories will lead to outstanding joint research, and create new models for international research collaboration. This is an important start of an ongoing partnership with MOST through the UofA's new China Institute."

The joint research project will focus on three main areas of research: nanotechnology, environment and energy. Projects will be identified and agreed to based on their importance and interest to both Alberta and China. The first five joint research projects have been approved and scientists from both sides will begin their collaborations this year.

This project was made possible by a three-year agreement signed in October 2005 between the University of Alberta and China's Ministry of Science and Technology. The framework for this agreement was created during Premier Klein's China Mission in June 2004, when he signed a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology in the government of the People's Republic of China.

Source: Alberta Government.

URL: [url]http://www.gov.ab.ca [/url]

This story was posted on 2 February 2006.