29.1.16 | A two-day conference on Bali brought the bilateral research programme SPICE (Science for the Protection of the Indonesian Coastal Marine Ecosystems) to a close. The meeting drew a temporary line under a very successful German-Indonesian cooperation in research and education within the marine sciences, which started in 2003. During the conference the programme partners already discussed further opportunities for continued collaboration and joint research.

Scientists from 14 German and 12 Indonesian research institutions met at the Udayana University in Denpasar. The 150 conference participants were welcomed by Prof. Wayan Arthana, Dean of Faculty Ocean and Fisheries, and Prof. Made Damriyasa, Rector of the Udayana University.

On behalf of the Germany’s Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) Andrea Heyn, Deputy Head of Division725 “System Earth”, summarised the development of the BMBF-funded research programme.

Prof. Indryono Soesilo, one of the founders of SPICE, reflected on the programme’s success and looked out on future research topics.

During the conference’s four plenaries and five parallel sessions the scientific results from 12 years of successful bilateral SPICE cooperation were presented and discussed.

Following the meeting, which was very positively received by the parties involved, a group of scientists and stakeholders from Germany and Indonesia gathered to present their ideas for future joint research activities in the marine sciences.

Dr. Claudia Schultz, SPICE programme coordinator said about the conference:
“It was very important for us to bring the ZMT-coordinated SPICE programme to a successful end, but to also continue the good collaboration which has developed over the course of the many joint research projects. We have already come up with some promising starting points which are now in discussion.”

Website of the SPICE research programme
more ...