The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Le Centre National de la  Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and the University of Hawaii (UH) announce that a collaborative agreement directed toward the construction of a  wide-field infrared imaging camera (WIRCAM) has been reached between the KAO  and the CFHT.

 A memorandum of understanding that covers a period of five years,  has been signed by Dr. W-B Lee, the Director of KAO and  Dr. Gregory Fahlman, Executive Director of the CFHT. Under the terms of this agreement, the CFHT Member  Agencies have agreed to assign a total of 27 nights to the KAO over the next  two years. The agreement is to be reviewed after two years and  it is anticipated that a proportionate allocation of time to the KAO  will be made in the subsequent three years. 

The KAO has entered this collaboration in order to provide Korean Astronomers  with access to a versatile international telescope facility  and to participate in the technical development of the WIRCAM project.  The goal of the KAO is to build a strong, internationally competitive  observational program of optical-infrared astronomy in Korea. 

The CFHT, in response to recommendations from the Scientific  Advisory Council (SAC) and the Board of Directors, has entered this collaboration as an important first step towards facilitating  the construction of WIRCAM, a proposed instrument to complement the CFHT  visible imaging  camera, MegaCam.  Scheduled for completion in late 2002,  MegaCam, with a one degree field of view, will be the most  powerful instrument of its kind in the world. The combination of wide-field optical and infrared imaging capability would ensure a highly competitive position for the CFHT among the emerging 8m-class telescopes. We continue  to seek the remaining resources necessary to bring WIRCAM to fruition.

The partnership between KAO and CFHT does not affect the terms of the  Tripartite Agreement between UH, CNRS and NRC governing the CFHT. It is  expected that the KAO will sponsor observers at the meetings of the CFHT SAC and Board, and will provide a visiting astronomer at the CFHT with a status  similar to that of a Member Agency sponsored Resident Astronomer.

This historic agreement is broadly consistent with the growth of  international collaborations to construct and operate  observational facilities. We welcome the KAO into the CFHT community and anticipate a fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration  in the coming years.