[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6722\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJordan joins Mediterranean research effort to tackle water, food insecurity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement was signed in a ceremony at the World Science Forum in Jordan on 10 November. Once it is ratified by Jordan and the EU, the country will join a list of partners including Israel, Algeria, Tunisia\u0026nbsp;and Turkey, who have agreed to work together to develop ways to meet the growing challenges of climate change, population growth and urbanisation in the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, who attended the EU-Jordan signing ceremony, called the initiative \u2018the most ambitious joint research and innovation programme ever to be undertaken by countries across the Mediterranean.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 10-year partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area, known as \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.prima4med.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EPRIMA\u003C\/a\u003E and due to start in 2018, will develop scientific research into water and sustainable food production, topics of pressing concern to the countries of the Mediterranean region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will be financed with funding of EUR 274 million from the participant countries, backed by EUR 220 million from the EU\u2019s Horizon 2020 research funding programme.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiplomacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a keynote speech on the final day of the World Science Forum, the theme of which was science for peace, Commissioner Moedas said that initiatives like PRIMA show that sometimes science can be the best tool for diplomacy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the broader Middle East region is rife with conflicting political viewpoints, he pointed out that there is common ground in scientific research, and nations that open up to science and innovation can progress their own wellbeing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027This message of international cooperation is powerful,\u0027 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommissioner Moedas said the extent to which scientific cooperation can overcome political tensions is illustrated by an iconic photograph from 1975, depicting Soviet and US astronauts greeting each other in space despite the severe Cold War tensions between the two countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027The two men are floating in zero gravity, reaching across a hatch from an American spaceship to a Russian one, grasping their hands and turning their faces to smile at the camera,\u0027 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022American and Soviet astronauts met in space in 1975, despite the tensions of the Cold War. Image credit - NASA\u0022 height=\u00221105\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/Astronauts%20meeting%20in%20space.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022American and Soviet astronauts met in space in 1975, despite the tensions of the Cold War. Image credit - NASA\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EAmerican and Soviet astronauts met in space in 1975, despite the tensions of the Cold War. Image credit - NASA\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOvercoming the technical challenges of forming a rendezvous in space between two incompatible spacecraft required a great deal of cooperation between the scientists and engineers of both countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven at the lowest point of their political relationships, Soviet and American scientists found grounds to work together, and this is because science is the universal language, said the Commissioner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027It does not care about capitalism, or communism. Or religious creed. Science does not take sides. But it can improve the lives of many, no matter what they believe,\u0027 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECooperation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Middle East already has an example of scientific cooperation helping open channels of communication between political rivals in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/sesame.org.jo\/sesame\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ESESAME\u003C\/a\u003E, a high-energy physics research centre hosted in Jordan with partners including Israel, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESESAME, which is funded partly by the EU, creates benefits beyond scientific achievements, according to Commissioner Moedas, who said of the endeavour: \u2018That generates mutual respect and admiration. That moves people\u0027s hearts, as well as their minds.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Science does not take sides. But it can improve the lives of many, no matter what they believe.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ECarlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, he made the point that while scientific research keeps the door open to positive dialogue, developing an open research system also means the science gets better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently published \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/news\/scientists-have-most-impact-when-they-re-free-to-move-1.22730\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eresearch\u003C\/a\u003E has concluded that scientists have most impact when they\u2019re free to move. Another \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1609.06499\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E found that international mobility can bolster innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I would go further than this,\u2019 said Commissioner Moedas. \u2018International science is also the best thing for our world.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn 27 October, the European Commission announced that they would spend more than EUR 1 billion over the next three years on 30 flagship initiatives that promote international cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/newsalertsignup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class src=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 alt width=\u0022983\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese will include working with Canada on personalised medicine, Africa on sustainable agriculture, and Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan on 5G technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also plans to cooperate with Russia on research infrastructures, a development that comes despite political tensions. \u2018Russia is still a welcome partner in Horizon 2020,\u2019 said Commissioner Moedas, as joint research on areas of mutual concern continues to enable a \u2018precious link through the common language and ideals of science.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said that the successor funding programme to Horizon 2020 should also support open science by enabling mobility for scientists,\u0026nbsp;collaborating with non-EU partners and doing more to address global challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-8x7dcaozfpbv-4ib9cwbwnqpnl7z71eyj-oztprtkcm\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-8X7DcAoZFPBV-4IB9CwbWNqPnL7Z71EYj-OZTprtKCM\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]