Vienna – Austria, from 22nd to 26th October 2012, ITS World Congress, From 22 to 26 October 2012, ERTICO – ITS EUROPE, in close co-operation with its counterpart regional organisations and the Host organisation, is organising the 19th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS) in Vienna, Austria.
The energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly transport policy using intelligent systems and services has continually proved to be of great importance in Europe and worldwide. Within the theme ′Smarter on the way′, the Vienna ITS World Congress is going to deal with innovative systems for the improvement of mobility..
Click here to read the full article and going to the main events calendar to see all forthcoming events
Istanbul-Turkey, from September 10th to 14th, 2012, Prof. Dr. Kerim Allahverdi, Fellow of Eurasc, will be a Symposium Chair of the International Symposium on High Power Laser Systems and Applications (HPLS&A Istanbul 2012).
Please, find in attached Files some information he addresses to Eurasc about the International Symposium on High Power Laser Systems and Applications (HPLS&A Istanbul 2012)
“Scientific Fraud: How it is done, why it is done, what can be done about it?” (11 rue D′Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels)
Registration
Participation is free of charge but registration is required by 23 November 2012. If you wish to attend, please click here to download registration form and return it as soon as possible, either by e-mail to FU.US@universityfoundation.be or to University Foundation, 11 rue d′Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 2 513 64 11.
Theme
There are few issues more important to universities than scientific fraud and its prevention. Integrity and truthfulness are the cornerstones of academic research. If universities are unable to guarantee honest, objective and accurate research, they lose their reason to exist. We would then be deprived of institutions in which research results are free of any commercial, political, religious or ideological manipulation. If integrity is so crucial to universities, why are researchers sometimes compelled to manipulate their data or plagiarize the work of their colleagues? What do we know about the scale of academic fraud in modern universities? Is it true that academic institutions are eager to combat plagiarism among their students but reluctant to do the same among their staff? Why do some academics feel compelled to cheat? Is achievement pressure detrimental? Do we need to lower academic achievement standards or can we mitigate potentially fraudulent tendencies by introducing more codes of conduct and regulations? Perhaps what we need most of all is a thorough change of mentality within our research communities?
Programme
Registration: 13.30
Part 1: 14.00 – 15.45
Welcome address by Prof. Jacques Willems, Chairman of the University Foundation
Introduction to the subject by Prof. Bart Pattyn, Coordinator of the Ethical Forum
Short keynote addresses:
Daniele Fanelli, University of Edinburgh: “How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research?”
Michelle Bergadaà, Genova University : “The Inertia of the Academic System towards Plagiarism”
Pieter Drenth, Hon. President ALLEA (All European Academies): “Scientific Integrity and Social Responsibility: The Role of Academies of Sciences”
Interpellations from the floor
Coffee break: 15.45-16.15
Part 2: 16.15 – 18.00
Panel discussion:
Ad Lagendijk (Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics AMOLF, Amsterdam)
Elisabeth Monard (Secretary General FWO)
Véronique Halloin (Secretary General FNRS)
Other panel members to be confirmed
General discussion concluded by Philippe Van Parijs, coordinator of the Ethical Forum
Reception: 18.00
Written interpellations from the floor are invited. They are to be submitted by 15 November. If you would like to make a short statement (no more than 3 minutes) to which the final panel will have to comment on, please send a short written formulation of it (about 10 lines) to Bart Pattyn . The organizing committee will select the interpellations to be included in the conference folder and presented verbally.
And – or forward this message to your colleagues and friends, who might be also interested.
>> 58 European pupils, delegated by their colleagues from Science Parliaments in 29 European cities, will discuss controversial issues of life sciences in the European Parliament;
>> 17 brand new presentations about modern, peer reviewed research projects in life sciences from 29 organisations of science festivals will be presented;
>> results of an impact study about all these activities will be shown.
We would be honoured to welcome you in Brussels at these EUSCEA 2WAYS Grand Finals.
Declaration that emerged after the “2010 Global Round Table” Event that was held on 5th November 2010 in Budapest. The document is dedicated to The President of the Republic of Hungary, H.E. Pál Schmitt and The Government of the Republic of Hungary, ensuring the Presidency of the Council of the European Union January through June 2011.
You may download or show the document by clicking this Link
Comments by Prof. Alajos Kálmán (Budapest) representing the European Academy of Sciences on the Global Round Table Meeting held on 4-5 November in Budapest.
Report of Prof. Alajos Kalman, fellow of Eurasc.
The participants of the GRT meeting equally felt that the future of the rapidly and uncontrollably increasing population scattered unevenly on the Blue Planet is in danger. This explains why the meaning of the word sustainability (of many things) was analyzed meticulously. Accordingly, its meaning for each of us depends on our cultural, economical, ecological and social background. Motivated by our background each speaker attempted to elucidate the “Limits of sustainability” from this aspect. To avoid an inevitable stalemate of the excellent but mechanically repeated adjectives (which form already a dictionary) participants tried to bear in mind that e.g. the ecological sustainability is primarily depends on the indoor and outdoor problems of disparity. Disparity, like a super polyp with thousand of arms cross-links developed, developing and under-developed communities starting from empires with billions of inhabitants down to larger and smaller ethnic groups which geographically should live together although separated by incompatible religions or traditions).
What can we do? To suggest improving steps against our environmental crisis (either in short or long terms) which can be domesticated bythe governments of nations, countries, etc. Of course, the good-will and/or wisdom should be applied in compromises. We must accept the fact that every government (even with an approval of the opposition) can support relevant steps in favor of sustainability, only without strong conflict(s) with local or global national interests. My proposals attempt to follow these rules.
1.) Beyond the rapidly decreasing fossil energy, its misuse e.g. in the worn diesel engines produce (mainly in the developing countries) million tons of very fine soot, which, by inhalation, may cause lung cancer. In addition, by the winds, it is continuously accumulated on the poles forming light-absorbing layers on the icebergs. This in long term is even more responsible of the global ice-melting than CO2 emanation. Solution, worn diesel engines should be removed from the traffic and/or enforce the users, by law, to repair their vehicles, or replace them, etc.
2.) Since the three Oceans form the largest ecosystem, governments of the countries which dominantly obtain their food from them, should minimize the currently applied forms of selective fishing (e.g. lobsters and other crustaceans), where the surplus (millions of living creatures) without any further selection and use, ruined and turned back into the water. Of course, such steps involve novel investments and improved technology in fishing on the high seas.
3.) The industrial tragedy happened in the last month in Western Hungary (around Ajka) where the sewage of the aluminium plant: the red dross (mainly iron-oxide diluted by strong caustic (NaOH) up to the lethal pH = 13) has been stored in large lakes surrounded by artificial walls made of enforced clinker (?). One of these storages with one million m3of red dross unexpectedly cracked and ruined three villages and the life in the adjoining brooks and rivers. Beyond the casualties (ten), thousands of people lost everything, since the red dross ruined everything, their houses, furniture, closes, cars, animals, and the whole rural area. Solution: The Hungarian Government unison with EU, should in general re-regulate the treatments (storage, or use) of all lethal byproducts, sewages of the industry, even at the expense of substantial investment and development of new technology. And these measures should be applied through Europe just in time!
