Dear list members,
Below you will find an invitation to the
16TH EUROPEAN JUNIOR SCIENTIST WORKSHOP
on: Real Time Control of Urban Drainage Systems
7-10 November 2002
Milo volcano cottages / Etna Mountain, Catania, Italy
As you will see from the text below, this Junior Scientist Workshop
is aimed at "junior researchers" (e.g. about on the level of PhD
students) - see
below. This workshop is supported by IWA..
Best regards
Manfred Schuetze
Co-owner "urban-drainage" list
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16TH EUROPEAN JUNIOR SCIENTIST WORKSHOP
on: Real Time Control of Urban Drainage Systems
The potential for real time control of urban drainage systems has been
assessed in many places, experiments have been made and some
applications have been realised with varied success. The interest in RTC
seems to be a result of the conjunction of new wet weather management
policies and the technological leap forward in information technology in
the last two decades. New applications are starting to operate or are
under development.
The idea of the European Junior Scientist Workshop is to establish an
opportunity for young researchers and practicing engineers interested in
research to have, at low costs, some days of intensive professional
discussion on the topic of real time control of urban drainage systems.
The typical participant is engaged in research work around MSc or PhD
levels, is actively participating, and presents some of his/her
scientific ideas, results and/or problems.
The topic covers real time control in all its aspects, such as hardware
and software, simulation, optimisation, implementation, administration,
etc.
The organisation of this workshop follows the proven settings of
previous events within this series (see enclosed information on European
Junior Scientist Workshops).
The work activity will be complemented with hikes through the
breathtaking nature of the Etna mountain.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
Thursday, 7 November:
until 11 h participants will be picked up at Catania Airport
12 h arrival of participants in Milo, Etna mountain
12-15 h welcome, introduction to workshop concept and lunch
15-18 h session 1
18-22 h dinner
Friday, 8 November:
9-12 session 2
12-14 lunch
14-16 session 3
18-20 session 4
20 dinner
Saturday, 9 November:
9-12 excursions to Etna craters
12-14 lunch
14-16 session 5
16-19 session 6
20 dinner
Sunday, 10 November:
9-12 session 7
12 Adjourn, departure of participants from Milo
REGISTRATION
Participation to the workshop is free. A deposit of € 100 shall be
transferred to CREDITO EMILIANO bank account IT 26 B030 3216 9000 1000
0002 297, and will be refunded to each registered participant upon
arrival (no refund for no-shows).
Maximum number of participants is fixed to 20. Registration includes
your complete co-ordinates (incl. email), the preliminary title of your
presentation, and a 1/2-page abstract due until 30 April 2002.
For inquiries and registration contact:
Alberto Campisano
University of Catania, Italy
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel. +39 (0)95 7382711; Fax. +39 (0)95 7382748
More about EUROPEAN JUNIOR SCIENTIST WORKSHOPS
European Junior Scientist Workshops shall provide an opportunity for
young colleagues to present ideas, plans, and preliminary results of
their own research in an inspiring, friendly, co-operative, and
non-competitive environment. They shall fit the professional and
personal needs of the participants. The idea is not only to listen and
to watch, neither only to talk and to dominate, but to learn from and
help each other in solving scientific problems.
EJSW are informal, international and inexpensive, but no compromise with
respect to professional efficiency is made. Obligations are to be
fulfilled, and active participation is a must. The typical participant
would present his or her research project, the approach and the
preliminary results, and would expect a critical but constructive
discussion with the audience. There are always some other participants
who deal with similar problems. The optimum outcome might be a revised
concept for the own project plus a network of international colleagues
that continues to function much longer.
EJSW have a specific topic that is research-oriented. Participants must
have a project that is related to that topic. However they do not need
to have final results. It can also be quite interesting to present and
discuss a project plan, hypotheses, preliminary results, etc. It can be
even more interesting to discuss a problematic project where unexpected
results are causing headaches.
EJSW are informal, but sincere and professional. Although the venue
might be as simple as a mountain cottage a complete professional
infrastructure is available, e.g. computer, printer, copy-machine,
overhead and slide projectors, and flipchart, even mobile phone and
internet connections.
EJSW last four days, i.e. either Thursday through Sunday or Saturday
through Tuesday. The reason is that participants can profit from the
"Saturday night rule" and do not need to buy expensive full fare air
tickets. Another important reason is that the junior is investing a
weekend that would otherwise be free time. This is a good argument in
order to get permission from the superior to participate on the two
other workdays. This argument has repeatedly proven to be valuable
especially for young colleagues from private companies.
There are three working sessions per day, e.g. morning, afternoon, and
evening. However, the programme is flexible such that an excursion can
be made whenever weather conditions are favourable. The net working time
will then typically be 7-8 sessions, i.e. 2, 3, 3, and 1 on the
consecutive days minus 1-2 for excursions.
EJSW should not have more than 20 participants. Any number above 20
would increase the administrative burden, make it difficult to find a
suitable venue and, most importantly, prevent the participants to get
acquainted with each other.
EJSW must be held at a remote, non-urban location, preferably in a nice
surrounding. The exotic location raises expectations, and the contrast
of a picturesque location and serious work is inspiring. An important
aspect is also that nobody can run away and thereby disturb the
development of a group identity.
Every participant must give a presentation about his or her ongoing
project. Since nobody is able to present the final results, a mutual
understanding is created that research is not easy and that the problems
of others are similar to the own problems. Presentations about
non-finished projects and unsolved problems can provoke a discussion
that can be far more constructive than discussing results of a finished
project.
The EJSW is a multiple language event. Presentations and discussions are
in English, though. Participants are encouraged to use any other
language outside of the technical sessions. Thereby, the cultural
identity of participants is acknowledged and other cultural
contributions or activity might be stimulated (e.g. meals, performances,
music).
Each participant must submit a paper in English well before the workshop
takes place. All papers are circulated beforehand by email such that the
participants know what to expect. Experience shows that most
participants do read the material beforehand.
After the workshop, the papers are internally reviewed by rotation, and
a set of proceedings is compiled and sent to every participant. Further
circulation is depending upon agreement of all participants. For some
participants this is the first "publication" and as such, both, a
challenge and a good exercise. However, it is obvious that the quality
of the contents cannot match internationally accepted scientific
standards in all cases.
Participants also share the organisational tasks of which there are
three types: A chairman leads through a session, and tries to make
his/her session as inspiring, interesting and smooth-going as possible.
A reporter tracks the discussions and conclusions. He or she summarises
them, both, in writing (to be included in the proceedings) and orally,
i.e. presented before the next day starts. This task is demanding but
also rewarding. It is always advisable to have reporters, but it is
simply a necessity if work in groups needs to be co-ordinated. The third
task is the function of an "advocatus diaboli", i.e. a person who
triggers the discussion after a presentation or after a session.
Experience shows that this function is least important, though, simply
because discussion usually kicks off without delays. All three functions
are assigned beforehand, involve all participants and can rotate.
The venue should have simple comfort ("backpack and sleeping bags").
Luxury accommodation in single hotel rooms is expensive and also
counter-productive for the social process. Whenever possible, the
participants should do the cooking by themselves ("bring your own
recipe!"). It is striking how fast participants get acquainted with each
other when they stand in the kitchen, prepare and cook a meal together,
and do the dishes afterwards. Needless to say, that the social function
of a meal featuring "home-made" specialities outperforms whatever might
happen in a restaurant (mobbing is great fun). The shopping needs to be
done by somebody else, though. For this purpose it is most practical to
engage a graduate student who likes to get an idea of what postgraduate
research looks like.
So far, any participation fee for EJSW could be avoided. The direct
costs for the participants are for the trip to and from the venue and
for the food for which cash is collected during the meeting. Other
expenses should either be avoided or the organiser should find a
sponsor. Obviously, sponsors are necessary, but the budget requirements
are so low and the required personal initiative and input so high that
it should not be difficult to persuade a potential sponsor from giving a
very limited amount of money to cover unavoidable direct costs.
A final recommendation to the seniors: Keep out, or at least, keep
silent! Assume a role as the godfather and the one person who collected
the funds that were necessary to stage the EJSW but, by all means, do
not scare the participants by dominating the discussions, and do not
defend "your" student when the going gets tough.
(excerpts from: Schilling. W., "The European Junior Scientist Workshops
- A flying start for a fresh Ph.D. student", First European Seminar on
Environmental Engineering Education, Zurich, Switzerland , 22-24 August
1999)
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Dr. Manfred Schuetze
ifak - Institut fuer Automation und Kommunikation e.V. Magdeburg
Steinfeldstr. 3, D-39179 Barleben, Germany
Tel.: +49-39203-81045 FAX: +49-39203-81100 E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Web: www.ifak.fhg.de
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