Leibniz Association: Key regions

The Leibniz Association and its institutes are active worldwide: in research, in knowledge and technology transfer and in capacity building – through which they work with partners to find solutions to global challenges.

The Leibniz Association has priority regions – regions in which large numbers of Leibniz Institutes pool their work in cooperative and complementary ways. Leibniz Institutes work together on regional and subject-based projects and are supported with central resources.

Key regions

Research institutes in the United States are the most frequent non-European collaboration partners of the Leibniz Institutes. Academic links to Canadian universities and research institutes also play a key role within the Leibniz Association.

The career paths of many junior Leibniz researchers feature stints in North America, and numerous North American researchers work at Leibniz Institutes. Furthermore, individual Leibniz Institutes maintain research infrastructure in this region. On Mount Graham in Arizona, for instance, the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam operates the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) as part of an international partnership, and the two photo-electronic telescopes Wolfgang + Amadeus at the Fairborn Observatory in southern Arizona are shared with the University of Vienna. The Leibniz Association is also regularly represented at the major academic fairs in the Unites States, including large trade fairs, and the annual conference of the German Academic International Network (GAIN).
Contact
Dr Samuel Krug
krug(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
Dr Almuth Wietholtz-Eisert
wietholtz@leibniz-gemeinschaft.d e
The Leibniz Association and its member institutes are active in many fields in the Japanese research community – from oceanography and biodiversity research to computer science, polymer research, life and material sciences, robotics and nanotechnologies. Because of the high demand for collaborative partnerships with Japan, the Leibniz Association has established a model of personnel representation. It represents “Leibniz in Japan”, forges contacts with the Japanese academic community, supports the launch of collaborative research projects and establishes the “Leibniz brand” in the country. Furthermore, the scientific policy of the Leibniz Association is also represented in Japan – for example, on the International Advisory Board of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and in the Science and Technology in Society Forum, a network founded in Japan to foster international dialogue between the spheres of politics, industry and science.
Contact
Dr Samuel Krug
krug(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
Working with African partner institutes and their researchers, the Leibniz Institutes generate valuable findings in health research (some of which help in the fight against Ebola, malaria and other tropical diseases), biodiversity research (both aquatic and terrestrial), and in the form of social science and economic analyses (on democratisation processes, for instance, or in the field of conflict and peace research). They also make a significant contribution to capacity building by training local junior scientists. To facilitate local field work, two Leibniz Institutes have set up special field stations in Africa: the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research operates the Centre de Recherche de Primatologie Simenti in Senegal and the Kirindy Station in Madagascar, and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine maintains the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine in Ghana. Additionally, in order to pool resources, exchange expertise and initiate joint activities, numerous Leibniz Institutes have founded the cross-sectional initiative “Leibniz in Africa”. Its activities include alumni work and the joint development of strategies for academic capacity building.
Contact
Dr Almuth Wietholtz-Eisert
wietholtz(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
The Leibniz Association boasts the greatest pool of expertise for Eastern-European-related research in the German, non-university research arena. Leibniz Institutes work closely together across different sections with regional partners, with whom they often have long-standing links. Within the humanities, social sciences and economic sciences represented in Sections A and B, the Leibniz Association also plays a key, visible role in shaping Eastern European research. The Leibniz Institutes involved have set up an Eastern Europe project group in order to make use of complementary interests and activities, expand collaborative ventures with regional partners, and offer targeted policy advice.
Brochure "The Leibniz Central and Eastern Europe Network"

Contact
Dr Veronika Thanner
thanner(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
The Israeli research community is one of the most dynamic in the world. It has close ties to Europe, thanks to its association with the European Research Area. Long-standing collaborative relationships in virtually all areas of academia link Israeli research institutes and universities with numerous Leibniz Association Institutes. In addition to this active collaboration on research projects, the Leibniz Association forges contacts in Israel, supports its own institutes in establishing joint initiatives, and promotes dialogue with one of the world’s leading research communities. Regular Leibniz workshops with Israeli universities and research institutes help instigate new collaborative ventures and strengthen existing ones. For instance, in May 2018, a Leibniz workshop in the life sciences field brought together researchers from Leibniz Institutes and Israeli universities. A Leibniz workshop in 2016 laid the foundations for collaboration between (initially) six Leibniz Institutes and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in the Eilat Leibniz IUI Center (ELIC).
Contact
Dr. Samuel Krug
krug(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
Leibniz Association Institutes collaborate closely with partners in Latin America in the fields of natural sciences and environmental sciences in particular, but also in the social sciences and economic sciences – both through joint projects and in the form of local research activities. The expansion of co-operation at institute level has also led to an increase in collaborative involvement in the region. For example, following a Leibniz-Colombia collaborative workshop and a delegation visit by the president and several institute directors, partners from the Leibniz Research Alliance on Biodiversity are now employing their expertise for the development and sustainable use of Colombia’s biodiversity. Furthermore, members of the Leibniz Research Alliance on Medical Technology are presenting the application opportunities for photonics in the fields of life sciences and healthcare in Brazil. They are being supported in this by the Leibniz Association and the German Center for Research and Innovation in São Paulo.
Contact
Dr Samuel Krug
krug(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.de