Collaborate always means to work together, to join forces or to work in partnership Cooperate, although it can mean the same as collaborate, it often means that you just agree to do something or permit something to happen or you simply do what is asked of you or is required.

"Collaboration" requires leadership and is done with an enemy country. i.e.: ~~They collaborated with the enemy => Enemy country ~~They collaborated on the project => Leadership in teaming up whereas … "Cooperation" is only the process of working or acting together. ~~They cooperate with our organisation => Work/Assist

Collaborate: USA and Russia collaborated to build the International Space Station. Here the ultimate goal is common for all parties involved. Cooperate: Japan and France cooperate on improving safety of nuclear power stations. Here both sides will benefit from their co-operation but each for their own good.

Oh when i hear collaboration, I always think of the second World War when the whites and the blacks, and they were collaborating with the German occupiers. There were called collaborators. To cooperate on the other hand makes me think of my studies of development cooperation, where lots of countries belonging to the so-called first world, are putting the hands together to help the so-called third world countries. Always made me think where the second world countries the are lol!