EDEN Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP)

1. Following the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Austria, EDEN will organise its 15th Annual Conference in 2006 in Vienna, under the patronage of the Austrian EU Presidency. A preparatory meeting with the participation of EDEN Secretary General, Andras Szucs and Office Manager, Anna Wagner further representatives of the Ministry, Christian Dorninger and Reinhold Hawle, and that of the Vienna University of Technology, Franz Reichl took place on the 22nd of February in Vienna. It was agreed that the dates of the conference will be 14-18 June 2006 and the working title of the event is: "e-Competences and Qualifications in Clusters of Innovation".

2. The Fourth Research Workshop of EDEN will take place in spring 2006. Professor Gabriel Ferraté, Rector of Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, in his recent letter informed the EDEN Executive Committee that "UOC would be glad and honoured to academically organise this important and successful event, offering Barcelona to be the follower of Prague, Hildesheim and Oldenburg", as being a co-organiser of the workshop would "fit with the efforts of the institute in developing a strong, well-articulated e-learning research policy".

3. The Policy Paper of the European Open and Distance Learning Committee titled "Distance Learning and eLearning in European Policy and Practice: The Vision and the Reality" can now be read in Spanish as well, at www.odl-liaison.org/pages.php?PN=policy-paper_2004_ES

4. We are pleased to draw your attention that EDEN is again participating in a number of newly approved European Union projects mostly having started early 2005, see: www.eden-online.org/eden.php?menuId=87. EDEN’s involvement, as usually, is focused on supporting the implementation through networking and the evaluation and dissemination of the project results. In some cases, however the character of the task may require specific expertise for which EDEN members may be invited. We would like therefore to encourage all NAP members to complete or update their field of professional interest at the NAP members’ area www.eden-online.org/nap, so that the Secretariat could approach those with appropriate expertise.

5. We are delighted to welcome the following new institutional members who joined EDEN since December 2004:

Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland
Universita' Telematica Guglielmo Marconi, Italy
In-Service Training Trust, Zambia
DOBA EPIS, Slovenia
ERGON KEK - Center of Vocational Training, Greece
LINK Group, Serbia and Montenegro
University of Gdansk, Poland
Limperts Academy of Design, Ireland
Skrivanek Language Solutions, Poland
AURIF - Association des Utilisateurs de Reseaux Informatiques en Ile-de-France, France

Because of non-payment of fees, the Executive Committee terminated the membership of IcoN (Italian Culture on the Net) Consortium, Italy and that of the London Metropolitan University, UK. The EDEN membership now counts 140 institutional members. Links with details on new institutions and individual members can be found at: www.eden-online.org/eden.php?menuId=207.

6. One of the newly approved projects, where EDEN is partner, SKY WATCH aims to introduce the European youth in the truly wonderous world of science and technology by engaging school and university students and young science amateurs in escalating, challenging and innovative multidisciplinary ‘Science Games’ combining creativity, intelligence and scientific quest. SKY WATCH introduces a pan-European Science Communication and Celebration Initiative, which will reach its peak during the European Science Week 2005, comprising two main interrelated events:

(1) A two-phase European Science Contest (concluding to a central European Exhibition and a Best Projects Award Ceremony), and

(2) series of popular science distance learning courses (16 'Science Days' overall).

To perform project activities young people will be given access to an existing global network of 5 remotely controlled robotic telescopes though this innovative web-based platform. The young participants will organize teams (school classes, groups of students, etc.) and design, develop and implement their science projects, comprising astronomical observations with the use of the telescopes and under the guidance and the continuous support of experts.

Further information about the project and the Science Contest can be seen at the project web site at www.sky-watch.org

7. We draw your attention on a new publication: "Distance Education and Languages: Evolution and Change", edited by Borje Holmberg, Monica Shelley and Cynthia White. For details, visit: www.multilingual-matters.com