The German Science Day, taking place every summer, this year for the eighth time, made itself a name amongst doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. Every year the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) invites promising Egyptian future doctors and post-doctoral candidates to gather at the Hotel Conrad in Zamalek.

The German Science Day is taking place within the framework of the COSIMENA project, which organises events that contribute to the networking of scientists from Germany and the MENA region. Thus, the project aims at making existing cooperation more visible and at creating synergies by which potential partnerships can be initiated. COSIMENA is the abbreviation for Clusters of Scientific Innovation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Michael Asaad© Michael Asaad

The general aim of the German Science Day is to foster further interdisciplinary and binational research relationships and to intensify the already substantial exchange in scientific research between Egypt and Germany.

The one-day programme was informing interested candidates about the research opportunities in Germany. The information came directly from the Universities in Germany who sent their representatives to Cairo. The programme consisted of:

• Panel Discussions
• Lectures
• Presentations
• Individual Counselling at the Info booths

A further highlight of The German Science Day was that it gave selected candidates the special opportunity to discuss their planned or already ongoing research in an individual one-on-one consultation with a Professor from Germany who was specialized in their field of research.

This year the following Universities participated:

• Technische Universität Berlin
• Technische Universität München
• RWTH Aachen
• Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies
• Freie Univeristät Berlin
• Philipps-Universität Marburg

The representative of these universities gave several lectures revolving around subjects such as: Climate Change, Energy, Water and Urban Development.