Visit by the Royal Society of Edinburgh to Lower Saxony: two regions of science shaping a shared future

Scientific Cooperation between Scotland and Lower Saxony

Scientific cooperation between Scotland and Lower Saxony has developed in recent years into a model of international, region-based research collaboration. This is highlighted as an exemplary case in the German-British Friendship Treaty (‘Kensington Treaty’, 2025). The joint funding programme, the ‘Lower Saxony–Scotland Research and Innovation Scheme’ (RIS), brings together researchers, universities and innovation stakeholders from both regions. The initiative is sponsored by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation; coordination support is provided by the European Centre for Advanced Studies (ECAS) at Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Leuphana).
 

Visit to Hannover Medical School (MHH)

The visit to Hannover Medical School provided insights into the university’s Strategy for Excellence, as well as into funding structures specifically designed at MHH to support talented individuals from school graduation right through to an independent academic career – an approach that also met with great interest in the context of Lower Saxony–Scotland cooperation.

The focus was on the project “BRIDGE Clinician Scientists – Developing a Cross-Border Training Programme for Clinician Scientists”, which is funded under the RIS Development Track. The project strengthens the training of clinician scientists and addresses common challenges at the interface between research and clinical practice. In addition, the MHH presented further collaboration initiatives with Scottish partners, including ‘HAGIS – Building Collaborative Excellence in Infection and Immunity Research’, which is already funded under the RIS, and ‘Advancing Innovative Gene and Cell-Based Therapies From Research Towards Clinical Application’, a field of research with potential for future collaboration.

Visit to Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)

At Leibniz University Hannover, the delegation held discussions with RIS grant recipients and representatives from the research and internationalisation departments of Lower Saxony’s universities during the panel discussion ‘Connecting Lower Saxony and Scotland – Pathways for Transregional Research Collaboration’.

LUH President Prof. Dr Volker Epping emphasised the role of committed researchers as the foundation of sustainable cooperation. State Secretary Prof. Dr Joachim Schachtner subsequently stressed that successful international partnerships are based on shared scientific values, mutual trust and long-term commitment.

Prof. Dr Angela Ittel, HRK Vice-President for International Affairs and President of the Technical University of Braunschweig, praised the success of the RIS funding programme and called for greater integration of perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, as well as ethical considerations, into scientific and technological research, particularly in relation to artificial intelligence. Prof. Dr Barbara Schaff, Professor of English Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Göttingen, called for value-led, democratically grounded partnerships. Nick Leake, Deputy Director for EU Affairs at the Scottish Government in Brussels, emphasised the importance of international cooperation in the wake of Brexit. Given the loss of numerous personal networks, the expansion of existing and new partnerships is more important than ever – not least with regard to the United Kingdom’s renewed participation in Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.

In the afternoon, the delegation gained insights into further activities at LUH, including the RIS Excellence Track project ‘Enhancing Atomic Spectroscopy with Optical Angular Momentum’. This joint project between LUH and the University of Glasgow illustrates the impact of Lower Saxony–Scottish research funding: contacts made through the ECAS Tandem Fellowship Programme (2021–2024) have led to a successful RIS collaboration.

Reception at the Lower Saxony State Government’s guest house

At the reception held at the Lower Saxony State Government’s guest house, State Secretary Prof. Dr Joachim Schachtner emphasised the great importance of the collaboration for the state of Lower Saxony. Among those taking part in the discussions were Melanie Walter, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Europe and Regional Development; Prof. Dr Jutta Allmendinger, Chair of the Lower Saxony Scientific Commission; representatives from Lower Saxony’s universities; and Nick Leake.

Visit to Leuphana University Lüneburg (LUL)

To round off the programme – which Prof. Dr Markus Reihlen, Vice-President for Internationalisation and ECAS Academic Director, described as a “flame of inspiration” – the RSE delegation visited Leuphana University Lüneburg.

Prof. Dr Roman Trötschel, Vice-President for Research, Dr Anke Gründel, Academic Coordinator of the Leuphana Transformation Lab, and Anke Zerm, Head of Research Services, provided the delegation with insights into Leuphana’s current research developments in the field of transformation research, as well as the funding opportunities available to support academic careers.

During the visit, new approaches to fostering scientific talent, the expansion of joint research and study programmes, and future topics of societal relevance (artificial intelligence, education, security and defence research) emerged in particular as shared prospects for the future.

It became clear that scientific cooperation between Lower Saxony and Scotland already extends far beyond individual research grants, as it specifically brings together researchers, universities and institutions from both regions, thereby establishing new (knowledge) spaces for joint research, the promotion of early-career researchers and innovation. The multitude of existing and emerging collaborations demonstrates that the partnership has developed into a vibrant scientific network and continues to offer great potential for the coming years.