Vespucci Summer Institute 2012 Programme
Week 1: June 3 to 9, 2012 "Interoperability 360" Facilitators: Interoperability 360 intends to discuss the theoretical and practical aspects of the interoperability of systems, services, data, organisations, people, and disciplines from a holistic perspective. Traditional notions of syntactic and semantic interoperability offer only a limited view of what is needed in practice, and do not prepare you for applications in the real world. To fill this gap, the week draws on real-life experience in a global setting, contrasting an approach backed by legislation (INSPIRE), with one based on voluntary contributions (the Global Earth Observatons System of Systems or GEOSS). INSPIRE is the single largest endevour in the world to develop a distributed spatial data infrastructure in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual context, and the lessons from practical implementation across 27 countries and 22 languages shows the limits of existing standards even in a framework backed by the force of law. GEOSS is an endeavour to link earth observing systems at a global scale through interoperability to address sceintific and societal issues. Its voluntary approach puts particular emphasis on the notion of legal interoperability, which will be addressed during the week, while the collaborations from multiple disciplines needed to address the key scientific questions of our time require to extend the boundaries of interoperability from data and services, to encompass also models, theories, and engagement with the public. Participants in the week will leave with a much greater understanding of the multiple facets of interoperability, prepared to challenge the perceived wisdom of interoperability through standards.
Week 2: July 1 to 7, 2012 "Spatial Information in Science and Society" (10th Anniversary Conference) Facilitators: After ten successful years of Vespucci Institutes, we invite all alumni for free and newcomers with a 50% discount on the regular rate to join us in exploring the growing role of spatial information in the sciences and in society at large. Please apply by submitting a short position paper (max. 2 pages) on where you see the biggest potential for spatial data and models, what the role of spatial information is in your own work, and how your participation at one or more Vespucci Institutes has influenced your career. The week will consist of keynote addresses by invited speakers (to be announced), short presentations from participants, and ample discussion time. We are targeting a special issue of an international journal or a book as an archival outcome and "guide" for the next decade of Vespucci. You can find information about last year's programmes in the history section. |
