by Erszébet Csuhaj-Varjú
The Computer and Automation Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, SZTAKI, hosted a series of meetings and events related to ERCIM activities from 6-10 November 1995. The ERCIM institutes were represented by about 80 attendants: Directors, researchers and members of different ERCIM committees.
The series of meetings started by two technical events: the Systems and Control Workshop and the Meetings of the Librarians and Digital Libraries Group.
The Systems and Control Workshop provided an inspiring atmosphere for exchanging information about the latest results and new ideas in the field (see article "ERCIM Workshop on Systems and Control). An ERCIM Working Group on Systems and Control was established at the meeting (see see article "ERCIM Working Group on Control and System Theory").
The librarians and the members of the Digital Libraries Group exchanged views on their experience and future plans concerning steps towards digitalization for the libraries of their institutes. They also discussed possibilities of intensifying co-operation among libraries of the ERCIM institutes. (see article "First ERCIM Librarians Meeting")
The Workshops and Meetings participants were welcomed at the Familiarization Day of SZTAKI on 9th of November. The day included presentations about the research and developmental policy, international contacts, information and communication infrastructure of the institute and about the state-of-the-art of research in mathematics and information technologies in Hungary. SZTAKI is the second largest institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, with a staff of 350. Its clients and cooperation partners are both Hungarian and foreign industrial and service companies; state administration; universities and research institutes. It performs research and development in the fields of intelligent engineering systems and applications, operations research, informatics and computer science, integrated design, control systems and information management systems.
In the afternoon Prof. G. Metakides, Director of the European Commission's DG III-F, was invited to take part in a Panel Discussion on European R&D cooperation in the IT field. The discussion focused on the present status of IT-specific programmes within the Fourth Framework Programme, the programme of the Global Information Society and the building of the European info highway. All this was discussed in relation to ERCIM's strategy (see article "ERCIM - EU Panel Discussion"). Specific emphasis was given to ERCIM's initiative on Digital Document Repositories in view of a forthcoming ESPIRIT proposal (see article "EU endorses EU endorses ERCIM Digital Document Initiative).
Professor Erwin Engeler of the ETH Zurich, the President of the Swiss Society for the Development of Informatic and its Applications (SGFI), formally signed the ERCIM membership contract for his instiute. (see article "SGFI signs Swiss ERCIM Membership")
Christer Samuelsson was awarded with the 1000 ECU Cor Baayen Fellowship award. The award is given every year to a promising researcher from one of the ERCIM institutes. (see article Christer Samuelsson awarded Cor Baayen Fellowship)
On Friday morning a separate event, called "ESPRIT Info Day", dealt with specific EU-CCEE problems. This was organized in Budapest in parallel to the ERCIM meetings with participants from both DG III and DG XIII of CEC.
