It is human ingenuity that lies at the core of a scientific relationship between Brazil and the Netherlands, says Cristóvão de Albuquerque. De Albuquerque is the manager of research collaborations at the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). ‘Both countries have throughout their history heavily invested in the application of their ingenuity’, he says. ‘That is something that brings us together.’
Brazil and the Netherlands are more alike than you would think. Against the odds, both countries became agricultural powerhouses, he notes. The Dutch created land from the sea, giving birth to an artificial landscape. Brazil was able to move its agricultural frontier westward, while it had historically only thrived on the fertile soil in coastal areas. It is due to human effort that the agricultural frontier was extended to the west. This ingenuity has made both countries into agricultural powerhouses, De Albuquerque notes.
"It is human ingenuity that lies at the core of a scientific relationship between Brazil and the Netherlands". Cristóvão de Albuquerque – FAPESP
Fruitful collaboration
Although that is now history, the countries’ societal and scientific interests are still intertwined to this day – as are their challenges. This has led to a fruitful collaboration: it is now ten years since FAPESP officially joined forces with the Dutch Research Council (NWO), in recent years through the Merian Fund. The collaboration is focused on research that contributes to social and economic change. It is characterised by inter- and transdisciplinary research, involving civil society partners throughout the process. What brought these countries together so successfully?
‘Not only do we share an interest in science, but we also both like to work towards direct societal impact through our research programmes’, Eric Beerkens says. Beerkens is team leader in NWO’s WOTRO Science for Global Development department. ‘At NWO, we notice a mutual interest with FAPESP for designing a research programme to be impactful.’
For learning to translate new knowledge into practice, NWO has been particularly valuable, De Albuquerque says. ‘In a middle-income country such as Brazil, the connection between academic research and its economic consequences is complicated. NWO is much more experienced in this aspect, and has led us to introduce an advisory committee of end users in our most recent call. This will help scientists to design their research in such a way that there is a greater chance of realising actual economical change.’
"We can only truly understand the ecological processes affecting our biodiversity, if we conduct comparative studies in different ecosystems". Eric Beerkens – NWO
Scientific goals
Looking back on ten years of collaborative science, the many scientific interests shared by the two countries are clear to see. Take the Amazon rainforest, for example. One of the reasons why both the Brazilians and the Dutch aim to explore its secrets is obvious: it’s in everyone’s best interest to study preservation strategies for the ‘lungs of the planet’. The necessity of doing so transcends national borders. FAPESP has recently launched several multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects, designed to promote economic and human development in the Amazon while also preserving ecosystems.
But more than that, the scientific knowledge that emerges from these studies is directly applicable to local problems in the Netherlands. Although there is no rainforest in the lowlands, the country is tackling its own biodiversity-related challenges. ‘We can only truly understand the ecological processes affecting our biodiversity, if we conduct comparative studies in different ecosystems’, Beerkens notes.
Importantly, Beerkens also emphasises the very high standards of scientific research in Brazil. ‘The research done at some of their best universities and hospitals is world class. It goes without saying that we benefit from that. Meanwhile, we also bring a lot to the table. Most notably, the Netherlands provides top class scientists and facilities in social as well as natural sciences, in medical research and in technological fields.’
Lastly, there is a more fundamental success factor that lies underneath. De Albuquerque: ‘I get the impression that the interaction between Brazilians and the Dutch is generally easy. We get along well. That is something that facilitates connections, I think. There is a strong basis to build on, and that has been boosted strongly by directed efforts.’
Expanding the scope
The NWO-FAPESP collaboration is one to last, but what does the future hold? Beerkens: ‘I expect the collaboration with Brazil to continue focusing on current topics, but to intensify. At this point, we collaborate with countries based on the subjects they excel at. It is clear that Brazil is a very interesting partner for studying biodiversity, health and many other challenges.’
De Albuquerque hopes to expand and boost research through the Merian fund, while also widening the scope to include different sources. ‘This will not only allow extra funding, but also stimulate the interchange of researchers between countries. Furthering the integration of research cultures: that would really be the end game for us.’
A shorter version of this interview was published in the booklet celebrating ten years of collaboration between FAPESP and NWO.