Washington, DC -- September 29, 1998 -- University presidents and other senior academic administrators will meet with key figures in the development of the Internet to discuss opportunities for small research institutions to plug into increasingly more complex and expensive network systems.
Many large and urban research universities are already key players in the development of the Next Generation Internet, the powerful new network that will be more than one hundred times faster than the current Internet. This conference will concentrate on ways in which smaller and rural universities can take advantage of this quickly developing U.S. information infrastructure.
Event: Making the Net Work for Research and Higher Education
When: October 8-9, 1998
Where: The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), on the campus of the University of California, San Diego
The participants will include thirty presidents, deans, and research directors from Mississippi State University, University of Montana, Oklahoma State University, and other universities in states that historically have not received substantial federal funding for research. They will discuss the technology needs and financial constraints specific to smaller universities and develop guidelines for insuring that evolving networks will be accessible by the entire university community.
The event is sponsored by AAAS under a grant from the National Science Foundation, and will be hosted by the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). In addition to meetings with policymakers from Congress, the White House, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies, the university representatives will get an up-close look at the types of research made possible by advanced high-speed Internet connections. Demonstrations by the SDSC will include the remote control of the 400,000-volt microscope at UC San Diego; the earthbound control of a camera that will be used aboard the space shuttle; the building of paper and plastic models remotely, from computer-generated inputs; and a project that links thirty public, private, and non-profit agencies together to help regulate the use of the San Diego Bay.
Editor's Note: Reporters must register to attend the conference by contacting Dave Amber (202-326-6434, damber@aaas.org) or Ellen Cooper (202-326-6431, ecooper@aaas.org).