Since 1999, the Center for Advanced Friction Studies at Southern Illinois University (EEC-9523372) has partnered with the Central Analytical Laboratory of VSB - Technical University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic to engage in a cooperative research program. The Czech Academy of Sciences provided funding for the program on the Czech side. An important aspect of the collaboration is the exchanges of individual researchers and research assistants between the two institutions, as is joint faculty advisement of students. Another unique factor crucial to the success of the program is the training on the use of facilities not common to both institutions. This is critical to the development of a closely-knit, joint research program. The visiting faculty also offer seminars dealing with additional areas of research.