EDUCAUSE | International

CNI Podcast: An Interview with Birte Christensen-Dalsgaard, Director of Development at the State and University Library, Denmark

gbayne — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:26:54 -0600

In this 15 minute podcast we feature an interview with Birte Christensen-Dalsgaard, Director of Development at the State and University Library in Aarhus, Denmark. She spoke at the CNI Fall 2007 Task Force Meeting, where she was co-presenting two sessions- "Explorative Search and the Library Catalog" and "International Digitial Preservation".

Summa, the search system of the State and University Library in Aarhus, Denmark, addresses many of the issues raised in a number of recently published studies, including the observation that the traditional library catalog cannot compete with other services when it comes to explorative search, as well as the realization that the catalog is only suitable as a localization tool for known items. The challenge is to develop an application which will satisfy the users’ expectations for a modern search system.

Summa is an open source system implementing modular, service-based architecture. It is based on the fundamental idea "free the content from the proprietary library systems," where the discovery layer is separated from the business layer. In doing so, any Internet technology can be used without the limitations traditionally set by proprietary library systems, and there is the flexibility to integrate or to be integrated into other systems. A first version of a Fedora - Summa integration has been developed.

This interview is provided courtesy of CNI and was recorded at their 2007 Fall Task Force Meeting. The Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) is an organization dedicated to supporting the transformative promise of networked information technology for the advancement of scholarly communication and the enrichment of intellectual productivity. You can learn more about CNI at their web site, http://www.cni.org

CNI Podcast: An Interview with Cathrine Harboe-Ree, University Librarian at Monash University

gbayne — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:07:24 -0600

In this 11 minute podcast, we feature an interview with Cathrine Harboe-Ree recorded at the Coalition for Networked Information 2007 Fall Task Force Meeting.

Cathrine Harboe-Ree is the Monash University Librarian. She is a member of the CAUL (Council of Australian University Librarians) Executive and a faculty member of the CAUDIT-EDUCAUSE Institute. She was the CAUL representative on the Australian Government's eResearch Coordinating Committee in 2005 and 2006 and is currently a member of AeRIC (the Australian e-Research Infrastructure Council). She has established an electronic press for Monash University, is the project leader of the national institutional repository project, ARROW and is a member of Monash's Research Committee and e-Research Steering Committee.

CNI Podcast: An Interview with Timo Hannay, Publishing Director for Nature.com

gbayne — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:39:32 -0600

In this 14 minute podcast, we feature an interview with Timo Hannay, Publishing Director for Nature.com at the Nature Publishing Group. The Nature Publishing Group are publishers of Nature and over seventy other scientific journals, plus numerous online resources for scientists and those interested in science. One of Hannay's areas of responsibility is new online initiatives in social software, databases and audio-visual content. Timo trained as a neurophysiologist at the University of Oxford and worked as a journalist (The Economist, Nature Medicine) and a management consultant (McKinsey & Co.) before becoming a publisher. His blog can be found here.

Background on visit to China

dianao — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:03:49 -0500

It is too good an experience to not share with others, so I am writing to share what I’m learning while in China.

I’m part of a joint delegation from North Carolina to China. The delegation has three sub-groups: individuals from North Carolina State University, the Research Triangle Park and Wake County North Carolina, and EDUCAUSE.

There was a clear plan for the groups to come together the synergy between universities, business, and economic development and the key role of information technology globalization, and making rapid advances possible. Each group had a goal of exploring relationships in their own respective communities universities, IT, and business. But many activities were joint, reflecting the key role the Triangle research universities (NC State University, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and Duke University) have in fostering business and economic development in North Carolina, particularly the Research Triangle Park area. As we are learning, the Research Triangle Park model as well as the university’s role in fostering innovation and economic development is replicated in China.

For example, our first visit was to Tsinghua University Science Park (TUSP), considered the “Silicon Valley of China. TUSP is a collaboration of Tsinghua University with a number of businesses, such as Google, Microsoft, Sun, NEC and others. Four hundred research and development facilities are housed there. Tsinghua University is considered the MIT of China. Another day we visited the Suzhou Industrial Park in which you also find the Suzhou Higher Education Town and the Suzhou Science Park. More that 10 Chinese universities are involved with Suzhou, on-site.

In some locations, joint agreements were signed; in others organizations explored mutual interests and established stronger relationships. And, at each stop we have all been pondering what we’ve learned means to our organizations and what form of collaboration will allow all parties to benefit.

Individuals from NC State involved in the trip include Chancellor James Oblinger; Dean of the Graduate School, Terri Lomax; Dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Dan Solomon; Dean of the College of Engineering, Louis Martin-Vega; Associate Provost for International Affairs, Bailian Li; and the Program Manager for International Affairs and Co-Director of the Confucius Institute, Sarah Cao.

The delegation from RTP includes the President of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, Charles Hayes (also a member of the University of North Carolina (system) Board of Governors; Jeff Stocks, President and CEO, Manpower; Jack Clayton, Regional President, Wachovia Bank; Rick Weddle, President and CEO of the Research Triangle Park; Tony Gurley, Chair, Wake County Board of Commissioners; Ron Wainright, Managing Director, RSM McGladdrey, Inc.; Bill Atkinson, President and CEO of Wake Medical Health and Hospitals; Zack Clayton, President, New Media Campaigns; Harvey Schmidt, President and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce; John Atkins, Chairman and CEO of O’Brien/Atkins Associates, PA; Richard Barnhart, Partner, Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn, Co.; Steve Scott, President, Wake Technical Community College; and Doug Aitkin, Vice President, Global Strategy, World Trade Center of North Carolina.

Visit to China: Innovation

dianao — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:08:09 -0500

Many times we tell ourselves that the key to US competitiveness is innovation. Visiting China makes one realize that we aren’t the only society focused on innovation.

For example, at a session held at Tsinghua Science Park we learned that China has 42.8 million people involved in science and technology with R&D expenditures approaching $200 billion RMB; 2.5% of GNP is invested in science and technology. As they explained their science and technology approach we learned that their goal is to create an innovative nation and increase proprietary innovations, leapfrogging developments in key fields. To do that they are investing in both basic and applied research and facilitating business-university partnerships.

In China there massive programs for high technology research and basic research. In addition to research and development they are creating the capacity for science and technology commercialization, including the promotion of small and medium sized businesses. In addition, multinational corporations had over 750 R&D units in China in 2005, 90% of which are in either Beijing or Shanghai.

The goal is to reduce dependence on foreign science and technology by 30% and to make China first in the world in science and technology innovation. To achieve that goal they are developing a national innovation system involving the development of science parks, for example. The Ministry of Science and Technology has invested in the creation of science and technology innovation programs (STIPs) or high-tech industry development zones and technology-business incubators. Forty-three percent of national R&D investment goes into the 54 STIPs. The current estimate is that 10% of industrial growth is due to STIPs.

Another tool for stimulating innovation and economic development are Technology Business Incubators (TBIs). Their mission is to nurture “technopreneurs” and technology-based startups. There are over 500 TBIs that employ over 700,000 employees. An incubation service system is provided to support the success of the incubators (e.g., infrastructure, planning, consulting services, etc.). There are 58 university related incubators, 9 international business incubators to accommodate foreign start-ups and over 100 incubators for returned overseas scholars. The investments target specific industrial clusters, such as IT, biotechnology, medicine, material science, energy and others.

Their strategies appear to be working. We were told that it took China 50 years to receive 1 million patents, 4 years to reach 2 million and only two more to reach 3 million patents.

One additional factor having an impact on China’s development is the return of the “sea turtles,” the phrase used to describe returning Chinese scientists and entrepreneurs. With their experience in countries like the US, the “sea turtles” are able to quickly start up research labs and businesses, making a rapid impact. In addition, the number of returning Chinese students has increased. In 204, 247,000 overseas Chinese students returned, influencing the science and technology workforce.

Chinese Internet Users

blaha — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:18:20 -0600

Not all that different from US users, except the reluctance to purchase online:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1323453&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
NEW YORK Nov 17, 2005 — A typical Chinese Internet user is a young male who prefers instant messaging to e-mail, rarely makes online purchases and favors news, music and games sites, according to a new study.