Canberra, Australia
CO-CHAIRS’ SUMMARY
| Photos from the Joint Strategic Dialogue |
1. The first Australia – Singapore Joint Strategic Dialogue on Innovation and Science was held on 26 August 2016 in Canberra, Australia.
2. The treaty-level Cultural Agreement Between Australia and Singapore (1975) promotes development of the bilateral relationship, including science and technology.
3. The dialogue also complements the broader Australian-Singaporean government agenda outlined in ‘Project 2025’ agreed at the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee in Singapore on 22 August 2014 and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore, announced on 29 June 2015.
4. The meeting was co chaired by Ms Glenys Beauchamp, Secretary, Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and Professor Low Teck Seng, Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation of Singapore. The meeting was attended by officials of innovation and science departments, agencies and institutions of Australia and Singapore. The agenda and the list of delegates are at Annex I and Annex II, respectively.
5. The Co-Chairs welcomed representatives and emphasised the strategic direction of Australia – Singapore science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation and the importance of enhancing this cooperation for national development and sustainable prosperity in Australia and Singapore.
6. Both sides reviewed recent developments in their STI policies, and the resulting opportunities for increased collaboration. Enabling greater collaboration through improved mobility and knowledge exchange was also discussed. This was followed by presentations and discussions on STI cooperation priorities in the mutually identified focus areas of data science, marine science, and research infrastructure.
7. Australia and Singapore identified other existing areas of innovation and science collaboration and proposed potential areas for future collaboration.
8. The First Joint Strategic Dialogue will be followed in 2016-17 by joint workshops on data science and marine science collaboration.
9. Both sides decided to convene the second Joint Australia – Singapore Joint Strategic Dialogue in Singapore in about two years. The venue and the time of the next meeting will be announced through diplomatic channels.
10. It is proposed that the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Innovation and Science will be signed during the Singaporean Prime Minister’s visit to Australia scheduled for late 2016.
Signed in Canberra on the twenty sixth of August of the year two thousand and sixteen (2016).
| For the Government of Australia (signed: Glenys Beauchamp) | For the Government of the Republic of Singapore (signed: Professor Low Teck Seng) |
Witnessed in Canberra on the twenty sixth of August of the year two thousand and sixteen (2016).
| For the Government of Australia (signed: Allaster Cox) | For the Government of the Republic of Singapore (signed: HE. Kwok Fook Seng) |
| 1ST AUSTRALIA-SINGAPORE JOINT STRATEGIC DIALOGUE ON INNOVATION AND SCIENCE 9.00 AM – 1.00 PM, Friday 26 August 2016 Shine Dome, Acton, Canberra | |||
| Item | Agenda Item | Time | Speakers |
| Coffee and tea on arrival | 9.00 - 9.10 | Co-Chairs introduction and private discussion | |
| 1 | Welcome and introduction by Co-Chairs | 9.10 - 9.20 | |
| 1.1 | Opening address (Australia) | 9.10 - 9.15 | Ms Glenys Beauchamp, Secretary of Industry, Innovation and Science |
| 1.2 | Opening address (Singapore) | 9.15 - 9.20 | Professor Low Teck Seng, CEO, National Research Foundation |
| 2 | Strategic direction of bilateral science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation | 9.20 - 9.50 | |
| 2.1 | Overall STI policy developments | ||
| 2.1.1 | Presentation: STI policy in Australia, Australia’s innovation and science landscape | 9.20 - 9.30 | Mr Gino Grassia, General Manager, Science Policy, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science |
| 2.1.2 | Presentation: STI policy in Singapore - RIE2020 | 9.30 - 9.40 | Professor Low |
| 2.1.3 | Questions and discussion | 9.40 - 9.50 |
|
| 2.2 | STI Cooperation Priorities | 9.50 - 11.35 | |
| 2.2.1 | a) Joint presentation on Data Science | 9.50 - 10.10 |
|
| b) Open discussion on Data Science | 10.10 - 10.20 |
| |
| Morning Tea | 10.20 - 10.35 | ||
| 2.2.2 | c) Presentations on Marine Science | 10.35 - 10.55 |
|
| d) Open discussion on Marine Science | 10.55 - 11.05 |
| |
| 2.2.3 | e) Presentation on Research Infrastructure | 11.05 - 11.25 |
|
| f) Open discussion on Research Infrastructure | 11.25 - 11.35 |
| |
| 3 | Innovation and Science Collaboration: Other Identified Areas | 11.35 - 12.00 | |
| 3.1 | Singapore's Proposals | 11.35 - 11.40 | Professor Low |
| 3.2 | Australia's Proposals | 11.40 - 11.45 | Secretary Beauchamp |
| 3.3 | Open discussion on other potential areas of collaborations | 11.45 - 12.00 |
|
| 4 | Closing remarks
| 12.00 - 12.10 | |
| 4.1 | Closing remarks (Australia) | 12.00 - 12.05 | Secretary Beauchamp |
| 4.2 | Closing remarks (Singapore) | 12.05 - 12.10 | Professor Low |
| Lunch | 12.10 - 1.00 | ||
ANNEX II - DELEGATIONS
Australian Delegation
Ms Glenys Beauchamp, Secretary, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Dr Gino Grassia, General Manager, Science Policy Branch, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Ms Sarah Brown, Manager, International Strategy Section, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Mr Andrew Ford, Assistant Manager, International Strategy Section, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Ms Jo Prasad, Senior Policy Officer, International Strategy Section, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Ms Rose Filipovic, Graduate, International Strategy Section, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Dr Will Howard, Assistant Manager, Office of the Chief Scientist
Mr Allaster Cox, First Assistant Secretary, South-East Asia Maritime Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ms Yvonne Green, Assistant Director, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ms Philippa Dawson, General Manager, Trade, Austrade
Ms Ditta Zizi, Branch Manager, Research and Higher Education Infrastructure, Research and Economic Group, Department of Education and Training
Mr Justin Withers, Director, Policy and Integrity, Australian Research Council
Dr Tony Willis, Executive Director, Research Programs, National Health and Medical Research Council
Professor Peter Steinberg, Director and CEO, Sydney Institute of Marine Science
Ms Cheryl George, Group Leader, Government and Stakeholder Relationships, Data61, CSIRO
Mr Nigel Warren, General Manager GLOBAL, CSIRO
Ms Juliet Bell, Executive Manager, International, CSIRO
Ms Emma Luke, International Partnerships Advisor, Australian Institute of Marine Science
Ms Nancy Pritchard, Director, International Programs and Awards, Australian Academy of Science
Dr Margaret Hartley, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering
Dr John Wellard, Policy Director, Research and Innovation, Universities Australia
Dr Tony Peacock, Chief Executive Officer, Cooperative Research Centres Association
Singaporean Delegation
Professor Low Teck Seng, CEO, National Research Foundation
His Excellency Mr Kwok Fook Seng, High Commissioner of Singapore to Australia
Mr Tang Weylin, Deputy Director (Programmes), National Research Foundation
Professor Tim White, Research Director, President's Office, Nanyang Technological University
Professor Russell Gruen, Vice-Dean, Research and Professor of Surgery, Nanyang Technological University
Associate Professor Sun Aixin, Assistant Chair (Admissions and Outreach), School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
Dr Kristen Sadler, Research Director (Strategy and Biosciences), Nanyang Technological University
Professor Philip Liu, Vice President (Research and Technology), National University of Singapore
Professor Wong Sek Man, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore
Associate Professor Dong Jin-Song, School of Computing, National University of Singapore
Dr Serena Lay-Ming Teo, Deputy Director (Research), Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore
Mr Nicolas Ang, Centre Director (Australia and New Zealand) Global Operations, Economic Development Board
Ms Charlene Chan, Second Secretary (Political), High Commission of Singapore in Australia
