They are very similar. I think technically there is a subtle difference: - Collaborate: work together towards a common goal. - Cooperate: work together to achieve individual goals. A collaboration brings together different people, probably with different skills, to achieve something. Cooperation between different people allows the collaboration to work. - A collaboration between Russia and the US allows the space station to be maintained. It requires the astronauts to cooperate (work together) well.

Both words mean to work with others towards a goal ; cooperate means to work with someone as professional and proficient as you but collaborate means to work with someone more professional and proficient than you.