Regional

Three Caucasus Nations Join European Research Network

The South Caucasus nations of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have joined Europe’s largest computer network for research and education. The EU-funded initiative links the countries and connects them to the high bandwidth, pan-European GÉANT network which already serves 30 million researchers.

The European Commission announced the network expansion in March. Researchers from the new member countries will be able to collaborate with researchers and students in 40 European countries by sharing large amounts of data over the network.

In a commission news release, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, said, “By investing EUR1.4 million (US$1.8 million) funding in this project, we will bridge a major digital divide by connecting scientists from the Black Sea region to the global research community, providing high speed internet connections to universities and research centers in the South Caucasus. I expect better collaboration with GÉANT’s 4,000 EU research institutions will lead to better research and better results in Europe and beyond.”

The commission’s Black Sea interconnection project replaces the NATO-funded “Virtual Silk Highway” which provided satellite connections for high speed and high capacity internet connection to GÉANT for the South Caucasus and Central Asia. But the system was unable to meet the ever-increasing connectivity and collaboration needs of the scientific community.

– Europa news release
March 17, 2009

Russia

Education Minister in Line for Top Job at Top University

The rector of Moscow State University turns 70 in April, and the speculation in the Russian media is that he will be forced to retire to make way for Education Minister Andrei Fursenko. Victor Sadovnichy has headed the elite Russian university since 1992 and heads the Union of Rectors. He enjoys close relations with top government figures but Russian employment law stipulates that rectors should retire at 65 with a five-year optional extension.

Business daily Kommersant, referring to unnamed sources, last week speculated that Education Minister Andrei Fursenko may replace Sadovnichy. Fursenko, who has been a cabinet member for five years, is likely to be replaced by Nikolai Kropachev, rector of St Petersburg State University in a government reshuffle planned by President Dmitry Medvedev.

– University World News
March 22, 2009