International Congress on Sustainability "Challenges of Sustainable Development"
Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
22 - 25 August 1996
The International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) announces the international congress "Challenges of sustainable development" to be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 22 - 25 August 1996.
The congress will address scientists and engineers as well as policy-makers, development and environmental experts, and economic practitioners. In plenary sessions, speakers from a wide range of countries will discuss problems of global sustainability. In addition, there will be twenty parallel workshop meetings, where the ethical, economic, technical, political and security dimensions of sustainability will be treated in detail. The goal of the congress is to clarify the possibilities of, and the obstacles to, achieving sustainability of development in all parts of the world.
For further information, please contact
Mr. Reiner Braun
P.O. Box 10 17 07
D-44017 Dortmund, Germany
Tel.: + 49 231 103825-26
Fax: + 49 231 103869
E-mail: uphc01@ux1.hrz.uni-dortmund.de
Detailed information about the program of the congress and about participation is contained in the WWW-page: http://www.frt.fy.chalmers.se/amsterdam
European Liquid Biofuels Forum
Graz, Austria, 22 - 25 September 1996
The second European Liquid Biofuels Forum will take place in Graz, Austria, on 22 - 25 September 1996. The forum is being organized by JOANNEUM RESEARCH at the initiative of the European Commission's specific RTD programme for the promotion of renewable energy sources in the Community (ALTENER).
The first Motor Biofuels European Forum took place in Tours, France, in May 1994. Since then, significant developments have been made in the use of biodiesel in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Austria, and productions have started in Ireland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In addition, bioethanol entered the gasoline markets through the ETBE-line as produced and distributed in France by three companies, while research on production from lignocellulosis progressed in Sweden.
Community policy for the next decade
The present event is designed to offer a forum for the coordination, explanation and display of Community policy concerning liquid biofuels for the next decade. Each area of liquid biofuels policy will be addressed over the three days of the Forum, from raw material to production and marketing.
In particular, a number of technical and non-technical barriers remain to be addressed in the fields of:
- Assured supply of large volumes of cheap raw materials (Blair House limitations);
- Sufficient demonstration of the advantages of complex products in a macro-economic context;
- Enhanced collaborative links with industry;
- Awareness of the advantages of biofuels to policy-makers at the international and the national level.
Sessions will include:
- A progress report on the past two years;
- The production of biofuels: feedstocks and conversion technologies;
- Specificity of biofuels;
- Need for joint industry/government collaboration towards implementation;
- Conclusions and commitments for the future.
The Forum will also include an exhibition of operations being carried out in the area of biofuels and large exhibition spaces may be reserved within the City of Graz itself.
Conference languages will be English, German, French and Italian.
(Source: CORDIS focus)
For further information, please contact
Joanneum Research
Second European Biofuels Forum
Mrs. Doris Florian
Elisabethstraße 11
A-8010 Graz
Tel. + 43 316 876335
Fax: + 43 316 876320
E-mail: biofuels@pbox.joanneum.ac.at
Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 26 - 28 September 1996
Objectives and main themes of the conference
Having discovered itself again as a single continent, Europe faces the difficult challenge of building up an European "Common House". This presupposes research and definition of an integrated approach towards safety, environmental and development issues, and equal cooperation among Central, Eastern, and Western European countries.
The theme of this conference "New Europe - Transformation and Environmental Issues" is articulated in three different aspects which will be studied during the meeting:
- the concept of transformation and the change process on the European continent after 1989;
- the perspective of sustainable development in the new European situation, with the aim of verifying the meaning of "sustainability" and of finding ways of fulfilment;
- the reform of consumption patterns and of ways of life which have strong environmental impacts. Examples will be presented on the different experiences and perspectives in Eastern and Western European countries .
Workshops will be organized on
1. Environmental Ethics and Policies
2. Environmental Ethics and the Economy
3. Environmental Ethics and Socio-Cultural Aspects.
The goals of this conference are, first, to work out ethical strategies able to influence environmental policy choices; second, to achieve cooperation and communication between independent institutions such as centres of training and research, grass-roots movements, the churches, local and regional institutions working on environmental issues in Central, Eastern and Western European countries.
Who should attend?
The Conference is addressed at scholars and specialists of universities and Centers of Research, teachers and people of education, activists and leaders of NGO's, local political an economical decisionmakers and authorities, civil servants of European International Organizations, journalists and information operators.
The number of participants will not exceed 150 and an equal presence from Eastern and Western people will be assured.
Call for papers
Persons interested to propose a paper on one topic of the Conference should send a Synopsis (minimum one page, maximum ten pages, with 2000 characters, in English or in another language with an English summary) to the Scientific secretariat of the Conference not later than April 30,1996.
Registration fee
US$ 50. Including Conference services and documentation. For the people coming from Central and Eastern European Countries a support for travel and accomodation expenses will be assured.
Official languages
English and Slovak. Simultaneous translation services are provided only during the plenary sessions.
For further information, please contact
Scientific Secretariat
Dr. Matteo Mascia
Fondazione Lanza
via Dante, 55
35139 Padova, Italy
Tel.: +39 49 875 6788
Fax: +39 49 875 6788
E-mail: lanza@ipdunidx.unipd.it
or
Organizing Secretariat
Dr. Martina Vagacová
Academia Istropolitana
Hanulova, 5/B
840 02 Bratislava 42
Slovac Republic
Tel.: +42 7 785 671
Fax: +42 7 785 341
E-mail: envir@acadistr.sk
Second International Conference and Bi-Annual Meeting of the International
Association for Technology Assessment and Forecasting Institutions
(IATAFI)
Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 October 1996
Programme and Preliminary Themes of the IATAFI '96 Conference
Sustainable development is today high on several agendas, including those of scientists and engineers. Since the Rio Conference in 1992 and the adoption of the Agenda 21 action programme, the awareness has been rising that global sustainable solutions to todays many problems that challenge the future of the Earth and its population, will only be possible when based on specific science and technology policies.
Indeed, one of the main issues in Agenda 21 is the role of technologies and technology policies. It has been stressed that making the right choices in technology will be crucial and that environmentally sound technologies have to be developed. This urges to inquire on how Technology Assessment can be used in linking technology policies with the societal needs as expressed in Agenda 21.
Also, a critical mass of scientists and engineers is needed - especially in developing countries - for contributing to the fabrication of environmentally sound technologies. Science is today undoubtedly the basis for agricultural and industrial development, as well as for meeting the world's increasing energy demand, all this in a social, economical and political context. This will imply science foresight approaches for establishing priorities in research that are likely to yield 'sustainable' benefits and for translating those priorities into research initiatives.
The IATAFI '96 Conference will focus on both the past and future of the role of technology assessment and science forecasting as tools for implementing sustainable development policies. The main objectives of the conference are:
1. to make the link between science and technology policies and sustainable development;
2. to clarify the concepts and methods of the tools of technology assessment and science forecasting as applied to the issue of sustainable development;
3. to illustrate the main challenges in technological developments in areas such as: nuclear developments, space developments, energy/environmental technologies and basic need technologies (biodiversity, collective vs. individual needs);
4. to discuss the cultural, democratic challenges and the ethical aspects related to technological developments.
Contributions and invited speakers will cover the above programm. At the time being, the following structure for the conference is put forward:
I. The role of forecasting in achieving sustainable development:
- the nature and organisation of research and technology forecasting and the challenge of sustainable development;
- case studies;
- instruments for forecasting applied to sustainable development issues.
II. The role of TA in achieving sustainable development:
- the nature and organisation of technology assessment and the challenge of sustainable development;
- case studies;
- instruments for TA applied to sustainable development issues.
III. Institutional actors and the challenge of using TA and forecasting in building sustainable development capacities :
- the role of the international governmental and non-governmental organisations;
- the role of industry;
- the role of local and national public authorities.
The Conference Organizing Committee:
President: Prof. Dr. Luk Van Langenhove, Deputy Secretary General,
Belgian Science Policy Office.
Local Organizing Committee: Prof. Jacques Berleur, N.D. de la
Paix, Namur; Prof. Dr. Eggermont, Vrije Universiteit Brussel;
Dr. Walter Hecq, Universite Libre de Bruxelles; Dr. Dirk Holemans,
Universiteit Gent; Prof. Dr. Marc Mormont, Fondation Universitaire
Luxembourgeoise; Mr. Jean Moulin, Belgian Science Policy Office;
Ms. Catherine Orfinger, Belgian Science Policy Office; Dr. Gerard
Valenduc, Fondation Travail - Université Namur; Dr. F. Picheault,
Université de Liége.
Official language:
The official language of the Conference is English. Simultaneous translation will not be provided.
IATAFI '96 Submission Information:
Those proposing to submit a paper or poster for the IATAFI '96 Conference are requested to complete the "Registration Form" available from the Secretariat. By 15 May 1996 an abstract in English of your paper, 200 - 400 words, on diskette and paper should be submitted also to the Secretariat in Bergen. The papers presented will be published as IATAFI Conference Proceedings Vol. II. Inclusion in the final programme is contingent upon payment of registration fee, date 30 June 1996.
Correspondence:
All correspondence concerning scientific activities and programme information should be sent to the Conference Secretariat.
(Source: First Announcement)
For details of payment and registration, please contact
IATAFI '96 Secretariat
c/o Statoil
5020 Bergen, Norway
Tel.: + 47 5599 2474
Fax: + 47 5599 2051
E-mail: iatafi@iatafi.no
FID Congress "Globalization of Information: The Networking Society"
Graz, Austria, 21 - 25 October 1996
The 48th FID (International Federation for Information and Documentation) conference and congress on "The globalization of information - the networking society" will be held in Graz, Austria, on 21 - 25 October 1996.
The FID congresses are held every two years. They constitute an important international forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences on recent advances in the field. This year's conference will focus on five specific areas within the overall conference theme:
_ Leading edge-technologies;
_ A regional perspective on information issues;
_ The role of information professionals;
_ Business and industrial information;
_ The impact of the networked Information Society.
The conference language is English.
(Source: CORDIS focus)
For further information, please contact
Joanneum Research
FID 1996
Elisabethstraße 11
A-8010 Graz
Tel.: + 43 316 876334/5
Fax: + 43 316 876320
E-mail: fid@pbox.joanneum.ac.at
or
FID Secretariat
P.O. Box 90402
NL-2509 LK The Hague
Tel.: + 31 70 314067
Fax: + 31 70 314067-1
E-Mail: secretariat@fid.nl
12. Internationale Fachtagung "Innovative Technologien"
Mittweida,13 - 15 November 1996
Die Mittweidaer Fachtagung hat das Ziel, durch kreative Denkanstöße, produktfördernde Entwicklungs- und Konstruktionsmechanismen sowie produktionsfördernde Techniken und Technologien, aber auch wirtschaftsfördernde Organisationsinstrumente, Wissenschaftler und Praktiker zusammenzuführen.
Eine der Tagungsgruppen heißt: "Die Ausbildung von Ingenieuren - Erfahrungen - Probleme - Prognosen". Dieser Arbeitskreis wird sich den Anforderungen an eine moderne Ingenieurausbildung widmen. Sowohl die Diskussion um die Vermittlung innovativer Technologien als pädagogisch-rezeptiver Problemstellung als auch eine Erörterung der Wirkungen innovativer Technologien auf den Prozeß der Ingenieurausbildung sollen wesentliche Inhalte sein.
Weitere Informationen über
Hochschule für Technik und
Wirtschaft Mittweida (FH)
Technikumplatz 17
D-09648 Mittweida
Tel.: + 49 (0) 3727 580/581220
E-mail: wtotzaue@htwm.de