Accompanied by assistant S&T counselor of the Netherlands Embassy in China, Ms Marjolein J.H.van Griethuysen, the director of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) visited CECO on March 3rd, 2009. CECO expressed its warm welcome to Ms Marjolein’s visit; then both sides exchanged views on how to jointly enhance EUR’s R&D cooperation with its Chinese counterparts within FP7.

EUR, established in 1913, is a worldly-renowned comprehensive university, famous for its application-oriented academic and R&D strengths. It is the curdle of many outstanding governmental figures and senior administrators in Neterhland. Ms Marjolein, during the meeting, further introduced CECO to excellent research capability of EUR, and expressing the strong willingness to team up with Chinese counterparts in the areas of biotechnology, clinic trials, water governance, medicine and pharmaceutics and health for FP7 funding. She hoped to jointly work with CECO so that CECO can help identify appropriate Chinese researchers or Chinese universities for EUR’s  project ideas.

CECO briefed Ms Marjolein on mandates and business scope of CECO and CSTEC as well, the organization CECO belongs to, and highlighted its nature as an non-profit organization, jointly sponsored by MoST and EC to serve China-EU cooperation and specifically to serve. the interests of researchers from both sides. As to the director’s expectation on CECO, CECO responded by stating its commitment to bridging EUR with their Chinese counterparts through providing information and consultation especially when EUR and Chinese researchers join hands for FP7 funding.

The meeting was proceeding productively. As a follow-up, detailed EUR project ideas and resumes of high-caliber EUR research staff will be delivered to CECO. CECO will accordingly identify Chinese researchers to crystallize substantive joint work between EUR and Chinese universities and researchers.