Euromath Network and Services for the New Independent
States,
Phase II
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Euromath Network and Services for the New Independent
States,
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Devised 1994/96.
The contract lasts 36 months, from June 01,1995 until May 31,1998.
During the first phase of the project, a prototype of an information system and a base for electronic publishing will be created.
The project is not networking activity and is therefore dependent on regional networking activity. Equipment for basic networking willnot be provided within the framework of the project.
Several activities are distinguished within the project.
Networking Environment.
One of the main topics of the project is to provide or upgrade the networking environment within and between the sites. At the sites i the NIS, and financed by the participants, the capabilities will provide a description of the current situation and future plans.
EmNet Primer. The EmNet Primer is a concept under evaluation. It is a volatile hypertext based distributed document which will assist all participants in setting up proper services. It will be accessible to all participants through the world-wide-web.
Information services.
A recognised problem is the quality of the information obtainable over the net. Based on previous work and based on contacts with organisations in the NIS, the project will provide information, including
- a list of contents of all mathematical publications (journals as well as monographs and proseedings from in all of the NIS, in both Russian and English);
- local information provided by all participants in the NIS, including participant profiles, announcement of meetings, abstracts or full texts of various loocal publications, including pre-prints);
- an overview of current mathematical activities in the NIS
It is expected that the EMIR system, developed by the Euromath Center will be adapted to the needs of the NIS partners and installed at all, or allmost all, premises of the NIS partners.
Through EMIR, directory services are also provided.
Directory services.
Two directories will be provided as a result of the project:
- a directory of mathematicians in the NIS and
- a directory of mathematical organisations.
Both directories will be important for the daily work of mathematicians as well as in researching possible services that may be available to external parties.
Electronic publishing.
With regard to electronic publishing, two aspects will be considered: providing the technical and organisational base and the actual electronic publishing. The publishing activity will be divided into less formal publishing (pre-prints, lecture notes) and formal publishing of journals.The project will contribute to a sensible structure, maintaining the high quality and enhance the possibilities when compared with traditional publications (e.g. by hypertext techniques).
User support
Often the ordinary, less tecnically minded user does not have access to the help needed in order to obtain maximal benefit from the computer and networking services available. And often the situation may be much improved by simple means such as the writing of manuals or the production of reference sheets pertaining to the various services. The project will address the problems using modern guidelines and techniques. The issue is also connected with the production of the EmNet Primer.
Creation of Centres
Several centres, ideally one at each site of the partners in the NIS, will be established. They will provide the following support and services:
- to be source of information,
- to provide services, such as electronic access to pre-prints (abstracts, possible full text) and access to other relevant information,
- to adapt to common guidelines of usage (non-hacking, polite behaviour),
- to prepare for selling the build-up knowledge and service to non-university customers,
- to keep track of the equipment received (must not be removed and sold) and ensure that piracy (illegal copying of software) does not take place.
Mobility
The project will strive for a mobility plan. Mobility outside of NIS can
be divided into shorter and longer stays. Mobility sites include CAM
(Helsinki),
EmC (Copenhagen) and universities in Torun, Prague, Budapest, Sophia, Bratislava and Canterbury (UK).
Publicity
Press releases will be sent out at appropriate times. A presentation of the project,
in collaboration with other EmNet projects, will be made at the second European Congress of Mathematicians (Budapest, August 1996).
European Mathematical Trust, Canterbury, England
(Scientific official responsible for the projekt: Prof.J.B.Slater) will:
- provide contacts and give advice reflecting the wide work already done by this partner in building a modern research infrastructure,
- give advice regarding the Euromath System,
- give advice regarding Document Type Definitions for document handling.
The Laboratory of Computer Aided Mathematics, University of Helsinki, Finland
(Scientific official responsible for the projekt: Prof.M.Seppala) will:
- provide access to the specific scientific oriented work and knowledge of this partner in the field of Computer Aided Mathematics,
- provide facilities for mobility,
- provide specific information e.g. on LINUX which may play a major role in the project.
The University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
(Scientific official responsible for the projekt: G.Tardivel) will:
- advise as needed regarding all aspects of computer networking,
- advise with a view of establishing electronic publishing services,
- provide facilities for mobility,
- give advice regarding equipment to be acquired.
The Information and Publishing Department, Steklov Mathematical Institute, Moscow, Russia
(Scientific official responsible for the projekt: N.N.Repin) will:
- participate actively in planning acquisition of equipment,
- provide one of the technical co-ordinators,
- resume special responsibility for cross-regional activities on radiation of results in NIS countries,
- implement central information, directory and publication services.
The NIS partners will:
- provide a regional co-ordinator,
- co-ordinate regional activities,
- ensure services at the regional level in collaboration with the sites in question,
- assist in the selection of hardware and software based solutions,
- co-ordinate mobility and work out a mobility plan for research from the NIS.
All NIS organisations will:
- provide a description of the local sites in order to upgrade these sites to the required standard for EmNet centres,
- upgrade the networking environment within and between the centres,
- establish local EmNet centres with tasks such as being a resource of information, providing services for the users (access to information, pre-prints) and adaption of common guidlines for users and/or provide links to regional key-centres as a subtitute for a local EmNet Center,
- install and operate the equipment and services,
- take part in mobility actions.