International

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

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.