Collaboration between the University of Bordeaux and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is on the good track fo

On the 9th and 10th of June 2015, the “France-Chile Forum for Higher Education, Research and Innovation” took place in Paris, during the visit of Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet, to France.

During these two days, in the presence of the Chilean President and the French Minister for National Education, Higher Education and Research, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, several agreements to reinforce collaboration between research and innovation institutions in both countries were signed.
During the event, the Superintendant of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sanchez, and the President of the University of Bordeaux, Manuel Tunon de Lara, signed an agreement to reinforce cooperation between the two institutions in the field of plant biotechnology, at both PhD level and for research projects. This cooperation also involves prestigious partners such as the University of California Davis and Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Such progress is in line with the plant biotechnology internationalization projects led for several years by the University of Bordeaux, for instance with the University of Tsukuba, Japan.  
At the end of June 2015, the Plant pedagogic team from the University of Bordeaux has co-organize an international “Workshop in Plant Biotechnology” in Santiago. It was dedicated to the topic of “Plant Stress and Sustainable Agriculture”. Several colleagues from the University and INRA Bordeaux has attend.
 
This agreement is another milestone within the long-standing partnership between the University of Bordeaux and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. The two institutions have managed many exchanges – involving members of management teams, professors, researchers, as well as students. Scientific collaboration cover several domains, especially oenology, virology, plant biology, neuroscience, and have led to numerous thesis co-supervisions. 
 
Soon the students from Bordeaux University should be able to pursue their Plant Master study in Santiago at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. The Plant Pedagogic team is working hard on the implementation of a double degree Master in Plant Biology. The two teams are working on a common model for the study program as well as the mobility procedures for students following the double degree.