McMaster is hosting a unique event that is attracting high-profile decision makers from
around the world to discuss international collaboration in research and development.

The International Forum on R&D is taking place Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 12 and 13)
at LIUNA Station in downtown Hamilton.

It's the first event of its kind to be organized by a Canadian university, and brings
together academic, business and government leaders to discuss the impact and
potential of research partnerships in a global context, emphasizing the role of
universities in responding to global concerns.

The forum's objectives are to explore the role of universities and other stakeholders in
governments, businesses and NGOs in the context of R&D; to stimulate the creation of
new R&D clusters; to identify best practices for fostering R&D in a global economy; and
to influence public policy.

McMaster's Mo Elbestawi, vice-president research and international affairs, and Luke
Chan, associate vice-president international affairs, are co-chairs of the event.

“Research universities must position themselves to seize the opportunities and respond
to the challenges related to internationalization and globalization,” Elbestawi said. “They
must increase their market share of international R&D projects, to promote economic
development and to help their countries meet their human resource needs in a
knowledge-based society.”

About 200 delegates are expected from 11 countries, including Canada, the US, China,
India, France, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Britain, Chile and Saudi Arabia.

The event includes 10 sessions covering topics such as international partnerships,
collaboration, Canada's role, and the roles of students, governments and the private
sector.

A panel on Canada's global role in R&D features former Prime Minister of Canada Paul
Martin, McMaster Chancellor Lynton “Red” Wilson and McMaster President Patrick Deane.

Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, is to deliver the forum's
keynote address Monday.

Participants in the forum include the presidents of Canada's public research funders, the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council and the Canada Foundation for Innovation and major international
institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, the (US) National Institutes of
Health, the German Research Foundation and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Industry participants include McMaster research partners such as IBM Canada, Xerox
Canada, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Pfizer, Hitachi Canada,
GM Canada, Chrysler Canada and SNC-Lavalin.