Illustration par défaut

Signature of a basic agreement for Franco-Australian cooperation

16 mars 2017

The Research University Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) and the Australian National University (ANU) signed in Canberra, on March 2nd 2017 signed a basic agreement for cooperation, in the presence of Jean-Marc Ayrault, French minister for foreign affaire and international development. A member of the PSL delegation, Claude Catala, President of the Paris Observatory, reported on the solid relationships which have existed for many years in the astrophysical domain.

The signing of this basic agreement is part of the reinforced strategic partnership established between the French and Australian governments.

Signature à Cambera le 2 mars 2017 de l’accord-cadre entre l’AMU et PSL en présence de Jean-Marc Ayrault, ministre français des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international.
© Christopher Cripps, PSL

With the purpose of creating a collaborative plan for science and technology, the agreement involves the new French research universities such as Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)and the main Australian research universities.

« /Higher education and research are at the heart of the new strategic partnership ; the agreement between the ANU and PSL illustrates the role that first rate universities should play in an increasingly world wide system/ », declared Professor Brian Schmidt, vice-chancellor of the ANU and a Physics Nobel Prize winner.

Astronomy, a fertile terrain for cooperation

During a three day visit to the ANU, astronomy was quoted as an example where the franco-ausrtalian scientific collaboration is current and fruitful.

And in particular, exoplanet research and the search for the origin of life are a particulrly fruitful terrain for cooperation, emphasized Claude Catala, President of the Paris Observagtory, founding member of the PSL and Matthew Colless, director of the Research School in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) of the ANU.

De gauche à droite : Stéphane Mazevet, Directeur du département LUTH de l’Observatoire de Paris et porteur de l’IRIS OCAV de PSL, François Rigaut, chercheur à la RSAA, Piercarlo Bonifacio, Directeur du département GEPI de l’Observatoire de Paris, Claude Catala, Président de l’Observatoire de Paris, Michael Ireland, chercheur à la RSAA, Matthew Colless, directeur de la RSAA, Thierry Coulhon, Président de Paris Sciences et Lettres.
© Christopher Cripps, PSL

Not less than 100 scientific articles signed by the Paris Observatory and the RSAA published during the last three years have been noted, thanks to a detailed bibliometric study carried out by Daniel Egret,emeritus astronomer at the Paris Observator and responsible for the reference and evaluation mission for the PSL.

« /The ANU and the PSL are already working on a range of collaborative activities, and notable on advanced technology instrument for space exploration ; this collaborative plan is reinforced still farther by our increasing links with industry, as for example with our collaboration with Airbus on the use of satellite imagery and the technology of
instruments/ » reiterated Thierry Coulhon, President of the PSL.

Numerous start-ups related to this framework agreement concern astrophysics, and in particular the subject of galactic archeology, the search for exoplanets, the origins of life, and high angular resolution astronomy. .