IFIP NEWSLETTER
September 1996

CONTENTS


WELCOME TO IFIP CONGRESS '96 FROM PRESIDENT BAUKNECHT

The most important single event in the IFIP program of activities is the World Computer Congress, currently held every two years. So far, 14 such Congresses have been organized by IFIP. The 13th was held in Hamburg in September 1994, the 15th is scheduled to take place in Vienna and Budapest in August and September 1998 (the 8th Congress, in 1980, was also held in two countries -- Japan and Australia), and the venue of Congress 2000 will be Beijing. IFIP is delighted to return to Australia, in part to express our appreciation and recognition of the contributions Australia and the other countries of the Pacific region have made to the development of information processing.

IFIP Congress '96 and its three specialized conferences are focused on the latest developments in multimedia, information highways, intelligent systems, mobile communications, and the use of computer and communication technologies in teaching and learning. The Congress format offers a unique opportunity to all participants to discuss and contribute to subject areas having a critical impact on the use and application of information technology in the future.

The organization of an IFIP Congress is not an easy task. Since 1991, when the IFIP General Assembly selected Canberra as the site for Congress '96, preparations have been under way, with contributions from many IFIP volunteers and Technical Committees, and from IFIP as a whole. We are convinced that these efforts will result in a very successful Congress.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to the organization of Congress '96. In particular, I express IFIP's grateful thanks to the International Program Committee and the hosting organization, the Australian Computer Society. Last, but not least, I extend IFIP's thanks to all Congress '96 participants, wishing them an enjoyable and professionally successful stay in Canberra and hoping to see many of them in Vienna and Budapest in 1998.

Prof. Kurt Bauknecht

President of IFIP


WELCOME FROM THE AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) was established in 1966 and boasts a membership of over 16,000. The principal object of the ACS is to advance professional excellence in information technology. The ACS engages in a wide range of activities, both at the branch and national levels, giving members the opportunity to participate (at reduced rates) in conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, and other activities, enhance their knowledge, exchange information, and hear from leading figures in the information technology (IT) sector.

The ACS also conducts a certification program, which gives professional members of the Society the opportunity to test their professional knowledge against a defined benchmark and, if successful, to have their achievement recognized.

Each member receives a monthly magazine, providing information on the latest developments in IT, and the quarterly Australian Computer Journal, an archival journal of research papers. Members also receive the publications of their local branches. Members have access to professional-indemnity and income-protection insurance plans specially tailored to IT professionals and can join a credit card rewards program offered by a major bank.

In 1994, the ACS introduced Internet access to its members at a reasonable charge. Two major Internet service providers are available.

The ACS recognizes that one of the benefits of IFIP membership to ACS members is the opportunity it gives the ACS to attract professional development events; thus, the Society is looking forward to hosting the 1996 IFIP Congress in Canberra, as well as the IFIP General Assembly that will follow.


PLANS UNDER WAY FOR 15TH AND 16TH IFIP WORLD COMPUTER CONGRESSES

IFIP Congress '98 in Vienna and Budapest

The 15th IFIP World Computer Congress, in 1998, marks the first time that an IFIP World Computer Congress will be jointly organized by the computer societies of two Central European countries: the Austrian Computer Society together with the Hungarian John von Neumann Computer Society. The event will take place in the capitals of the host countries -- Vienna and Budapest, well known for their style and for being cultural centers of the Central European region. They are also centers for research and development in information technology.

Keeping in mind that information technology is not a technology of the past but one of the future, the Congress organizers have entitled it "The Global Information Society on the way to the next millennium," and the major part will cover technical, legal, and social areas important for the Information Society of the future, rather than dwelling on history.

The Congress will consist of the following seven carefully selected conferences, which will give an excellent outlook of what we can expect in the future:

The conferences will be organized in close cooperation with the Technical Committees and Working Groups of IFIP involved in these topics.

For further information, please contact

Austrian Computer Society
Wollzeile 1-3,
A-1010 Vienna, Austria
tel: +43/1/512 02 35, fax: +43/1/512 02 359
e-mail: ifip98@ocg.or.at
WWW: http://www.ocg.or.at/ifip98.html

   

Congress 2000 in Beijing

IFIP Congress 2000 will be held at the turn of the millennium, in September 2000, in Beijing, China -- an ancient and modern city. For more information, please contact

Mr. Mengqi Zhou
Secretariat, WCC 2000
P.O.Box 165
Beijing 100036, China
fax: 86-10-68283458, tel: 86-10-68283463
e-mail: mqzhou@public.bta.net.cn
           or shaz@sun.ihep.ac.cn
 
 


PROFESSOR LUBOMIR ILIEV TO RECEIVE THE SECOND ISAAC L. AUERBACH AWARD AT IFIP CONGRESS '96

The second IFIP Isaac L. Auerbach Award, commemorating our founding president, will be presented to Prof. Dr. Lubomir Iliev (BG) or his representative at the closing ceremony of IFIP Congress '96 in Canberra, Australia, on 6 September. The Award is presented every other year "to the individuals whose service in support of IFIP in its mission is deemed by their peers to be extraordinary." The recipients are nominated by Member societies of IFIP, and the selection is made by the IFIP Executive Board. A medallion and cash award are conferred.

Prof. Iliev is one of the founders of contemporary Bulgarian Mathematical Science. He played a leading role in the development of major areas of contemporary abstract mathematics: computational mathematics, software, cybernetics, mathematical modeling, numerical methods, probability theory and mathematical statistics, optimization, etc.

Academician Iliev was born in the town of Veliko Tarnovo in 1913. He graduated in Mathematics from the University of Sofia in 1934, where he received his Ph.D. in 1938. He later studied in Munich. Returning to Sofia University, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Complex Analysis in 1947 and Professor in 1952. He was also elected head of the Department of Mathematics and held the post of Vice-Rector from 1951 to 1960. He served as General Scientific Secretary of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1961 to 1968, after which he was vice-president of that institution.

Acad. Iliev was a pioneer of Bulgarian computer science. Because of his perseverance and influence, cybernetics was officially recognized as a science in Bulgaria, and in 1961 the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences established the first computing center in Bulgaria, as part of the Institute of Mathematics at the Academy. Acad. Iliev was assigned the major role of first director of this center. A particularly important activity was the creation of the first Bulgarian computer. He established a team of young Bulgarian experts whose product was the first Bulgarian computer, "Vitosha."

He organized the chair of Computational Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics of Sofia University and proved the necessity of computer science and technology in education.

Acad. Iliev contributed to the introduction of Bulgaria to the international computer science community. In 1955 and 1956, thanks to his efforts, Bulgaria became part of the informal cooperation of several COMMECON countries in the field of computer science. He was the first official representative of Bulgaria to IFIP, from 1965 to 1982, and he was President of the Bulgarian National IFIP Committee from 1970 to 1982. During those years, he nominated Bulgarian Technical Committee representatives to IFIP. Acad. Iliev also actively helped in the work of the TCs. Under his auspices and IFIP sponsorship, a number of workshops, symposia, and conferences were organized in Bulgaria. He was an IFIP vice-president from 1974 to 1977 and was awarded the IFIP Silver Core for his service.

Prof. Iliev is a full member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of other European academies, and an honorary doctor of many universities. He has been a member of the governing bodies of various scientific organizations: President of the Balkan Mathematical Union (1974-77), President of the Scientific Committee of the "S. Banah" International Center in Warsaw (1972-1977), and a member of the International Institute on Applied System Analysis governing body in Vienna (1972-1975).

IFIP is pleased to confer the second Isaac L. Auerbach Award to a notable scientist who has served IFIP with distinction.


NEWS FROM THE WORKING GROUP ON SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

In January, Dr. Chrisanthi Avgerau (GB) assumed the chair of the IFIP Working Group on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries (WG9.4). In recent WG9.4 Newsletters, she has addressed the challenges facing WG9.4. Because of the significant commitment of IFIP to developing countries, we include some of her thoughts here:

WG9.4 is now well established, with a large membership and ongoing communication channels through our email list and the Newsletter. The three conferences we have held so far brought together academics, practitioners, and development agencies, and fostered stimulating discussions on the relationship of information technology (IT) and development. I begin my term as chairperson with the following ambitions: to find sources of funding in order to subsidize participation of people from poor countries in our international conferences; to promote recognition of the issues of IT and Development as a multidisciplinary area of academic studies and as a professional practice; and to increase the value of the WG9.4 conferences.

Without being able to cover the expenses of participants from developing countries who cannot pay, our conferences cannot reach the audience they are intended to reach. Despite the frustration of poor response to fund-raising efforts, we have to continue.

IT and Development as an Academic Discipline

My second ambition is to raise the profile of IT and Development as a distinct field of research, teaching, and practice. Despite the increasing amount of money spent on IT and telecommunications in developing countries, few institutions recognize the need to study the process of utilizing these powerful technologies in the diverse developing world. The literature on "good practice" and expected outcomes of applying IT and networking is based almost exclusively on research in a few industrialized countries. The trend of "globalisation" is often interpreted as a pressure to developing countries to adopt the technologies and organizational practices that prevail in the corporations of industrialized countries. This runs the risk of imitating inappropriate solutions that retard rather than promote development.

WG9.4 can raise awareness that studies on IT in developing countries is not an esoteric, obscure pastime or an eccentric topic of conversation that contributes fancy rhetoric to ministerial speeches and footnotes to mainstream official reports. The issues studied in our conferences and publications merit as much attention as those concerning the business enterprises of industrialized countries.

Finally, the organization of conferences that deliver value is the most immediate of the tasks I set out. Our past conferences attracted academics, practitioners, aid agency representatives and government officials. We must continue to provide value for all these categories of participants. Therefore, we need a mixture of high-quality academic and practical sessions. It will be useful to have some sessions dedicated to academic concerns run in parallel with sessions covering practice. However, I think most sessions should continue to address a mixed audience, aiming at cross-fertilizing ideas and experiences from research and practice.

The presentation of empirical research results and analytical papers contributing arguments relevant to the theme of the conference will probably continue to be at the heart of our conferences, although I think we should try to improve their value. Case studies have proven an excellent way of communicating research and development experience and of stimulating debate, and I believe we must encourage well thought-out presentation and analysis of cases. Moreover, I would like to introduce new types of sessions in our conferences: tutorials, invited presentations of significant projects or initiatives taken by institutions in developing countries, and poster presentations.

High-Quality Conferences

But the most important aspect of a fruitful conference is the quality of the presentations it includes. Too much emphasis on methodical rigor may stifle interesting studies, while an "anything goes" attitude can alienate participants by unconvincing "facts," interpretations, and speculations. Moreover, many of the authors of the WG9.4 conferences come from countries that do not have a well-established tradition of studies regarding technology and society. It is important that our conferences do not lose the spontaneity of expressing issues and perspectives seen valid in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, if such expressions are to be worthy of being communicated to an international audience, they must be presented in a convincing way. I believe we must make an explicit effort to improve our capacity to present convincing work in our conferences. To some extent, improving the quality -- and therefore increasing the impact -- of our conferences can be achieved by adopting more specific themes.

Also, the quality of our conferences can be improved if organizers and reviewers make an effort to facilitate the writing of papers. Guidelines for writing conference papers will be available on demand to authors. However, reviewers will be asked to contribute value-adding reviews for the organizers and, more importantly, for the authors.

All of these will be put to test in the organization of the next conference, which is planned to be held towards the end of 1997 on the theme of implementation and evaluation of information systems in developing countries.

Enormous WG9.4 Membership

The recent meeting of the IFIP Technical Committee on Relationship between Computers and Society (TC9) in Israel (16-17 March) discussed the "problem" of our membership. Clearly, we are an odd group, with too many rather inactive members, and a long list of applicants for membership, without adequate plans for activities in which they can be involved. (The WG9.4 membership is currently 148, with 92 applications for membership pending.) TC9 recognized, of course, the success of our past conferences, the Newsletter, and the lively use of our electronic mailing forum. Still, no new members were approved, and we were advised to reconsider our membership.

I feel that for a group of our size as well as geographic and thematic breadth, we can do more. Of course, the nature of our members around the globe makes it difficult to organize frequent working meetings as the means of elaborating on specific areas of IT and development. But the vastness of our "catchment area" may require regional activities, and we can make use of new technology to overcome distance.

I suggest organizing three regional sub-groups: a) Americas, b) Africa, Middle East, and Europe, and c) Asia and Australia. Each of the three should set up its own activities, such as regional conferences, and projects to study topics that are meaningful in the local context. To avoid isolation, each sub-group should contribute to the "global" conferences, the plenary WG meetings (which usually take place during the global conferences), and the Newsletter.

We can also set up special-interest sub-groups (SIGs) to elaborate on particular topics. The SIGs should also contribute to the "global" events with well-thought-out reports and proposals. As for using communication technologies to overcome the barriers of distance, our group has already an excellent record doing so for the unstructured and spontaneous exchange of views, which many find particularly useful. The same technology can be used as the means for more focused, and perhaps more structured, work of a SIG. However, we do still need to allow for conventional communication channels as well, as not all members use, or want to use, new communication technology.


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: SUPPORTING CHANGE THROUGH TEACHER EDUCATION

by Mr. Brian Samways (GB)*

At the end of June, in Kiryat Anavim, west of Jerusalem, the IFIP Working Groups on Elementary and Secondary Education (WGs 3.1 and 3.5) held a joint conference entitled Information Technology: Supporting Change through Teacher Education. This was the first time these WGs have met in the Middle East. David Benzie (GB) was chair of the International Program Committee and Yaacov Katz (IL) of the Organizing Committee. The 70 attendees, with exclusive use of the hotel where they met, had the opportunity to discuss and question over 40 presentations from 18 different countries -- from Norway to New Zealand and China to Canada. Although it was a diverse group with differing backgrounds, delegates worked successfully and "bridged the research and practitioner communities."

Much of the discussion on teacher education revolved around the changes needed in pedagogy as well as information technology (IT) usage. With one speaker reporting that less than 10% of teachers make use of IT and another that over 70% of pupils prefer to use a computer at home rather than school, it was clear there was need for change. Much time was spent discussing professional development, the limitations of assisted hardware-purchase schemes for schools, and what role the Internet should play in education. On this last point, it was felt that many politicians and service providers are presenting unrealistic images of its use in education.

Focus Groups On Line

Of particular significance were the "focus groups," which met on several occasions throughout the week and continued the professional reports that the WGs had produced at the 1995 World Conference on Computers in Education (see the December 1995 IFIP Newsletter). An added variation this time was the on-line conference set up prior to the event (the list server was actually in Australia), where non-attending WG members were kept up-to-date and were able to make contributions overnight for the focus groups to include the next day. One outcome from these groups is expected to be the next publication in the WG3.1 Guidelines for Good Practice series of booklets.

All 43 papers are to be included in the post-conference proceedings, edited by Don Passey (GB) of WG3.1 and Brian Samways (GB) of WG3.5 and to be published by Chapman & Hall. The conference was sponsored by UNESCO, Aleph ad Taf Ltd., Computerstore Ltd., Bezek Telecom, and Bar-Ilan University.

* TC3 secretary and IFIP Newsletter correspondent


TC11 STRIVES FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS OF CRYPTOGRAPHIC POLICIES

At its May 1996 meeting in Samos, Greece, the IFIP Technical Committee on Security and Protection in Information Processing Systems (TC11) unanimously expressed the importance of promoting international awareness of cryptographic policy. This concern arose because of the current activity of the OECD (European Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), as described in the following press release issued by the OECD in May:

OECD EXPERTS BEGIN DRAFTING CRYPTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES

Cryptography experts from OECD countries have begun drafting a proposal for OECD Cryptography Policy Guidelines that governments can use as a guide to formulate their national policies on encryption. Many governments are under pressure within their own countries to develop a national position on cryptography, which is used in computer technology to protect everything from product designs to health and tax records and global correspondence. But the needs of global technologies and applications require an international -- rather than a strictly national -- approach to policymaking. The fast-paced development of the Global Information Infrastructure adds an element of urgency.

The business community, individuals and national security and law enforcement agencies are all pressing for encryption guidelines, and the OECD will strive to reflect the legitimate interests of all these groups as it drafts Guidelines. The private sector is closely involved in drafting the Guidelines, with business representatives from the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) participating at the meeting.

The OECD meeting, which took place on 8 May, was hosted by the US Department of State in Washington, D.C. It was held immediately after a Second Business-Government Forum on Global Cryptography Policy in Washington, D.C., on 7 May, which was co-sponsored by the OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the BIAC to the OECD. Two similar conferences took place in Paris in December <1995>, when OECD countries and business representatives met for the first time to discuss international cryptography policy.

The process of drafting the OECD Cryptography Policy Guidelines will continue at an experts' meeting in June and is due for completion in early 1997.
The TC11 Role

With the OECD plan in mind, TC11 asked its national representatives to inform their national societies about the ongoing effort and the state of the discussion. The IFIP Member societies should, in this way, be in a position to engage in national discussion. Dr. Reinhard Posch (A), vice-chairman of TC11, accepted the task of distributing information and eventually producing a summary of the state of the international discussion. Among the documents he has distributed to the TC11 community is the following set of nine principles proposed at an ad hoc Meeting of Experts on Cryptography Policy 18-19 December 1995, in order to assist national governments in the development of policy. We quote these so-called "Herson Principles" for the purpose of conveying the nature of the concerns voiced by some of those active in the field of cryptography.

1. Provide security with confidence

The first and dominant principle seeks to link two essential concepts. It is axiomatic that the purpose of any public cryptography policy is to provide security for the messages or other data which are to be protected. Whilst recognising that no security is 100 percent perfect, it is essential that any cryptographic technique that is made available for general use should meet a standard (not necessarily formal) which is generally believed to be adequate for the purpose, especially as regards the strength of the underlying algorithm, its mode of use and the associated key management. Confidence in such techniques, as well as the security that they provide, may be derived in many ways, but the well-established approach of independent third-party evaluation of products and systems, against agreed criteria and methods, appropriately certified, will encourage trust in the security services which are subsequently provided.

2. Voluntary use

The trust which Principle 1 seeks to encourage is likely to be achieved only if users of cryptographic techniques are not restricted to techniques which are provided or defined by governmental agencies. Users should be free in principle, and always subject to national law, to use whatever cryptographic techniques they choose, including those provided for general use. It is likely that greater trust will be placed in cryptographic services which are clearly perceived to be a matter of voluntary user choice rather than simply mandated by national security or law enforcement authorities.

3. Market driven

The provision of cryptographic services and the development of the associated products should be based primarily on the commercial judgment of business and industry. It is assumed that the demand for such products and services will grow and that companies will rise to the challenge to supply them. This process should form part of the normal way in which the market in Information Technology products and services is driven and not be artificially forced by either government mandate or restriction.

4. Open and non-discriminatory

The "Market Driven" provision of such services should not be limited because the specifications of the techniques, protocols or interfaces are kept secret or are available only under restrictive licensing arrangements. Equally, subject to meeting the agreed criteria, any organisation that so wishes should be able to offer the range of services without discrimination.

5. International perspective

In the Global Information Society, it is increasingly clear that the provision of solutions which are solely national in character will not be taken up by users and therefore will not contribute towards either the development of international trade in or the availability of trusted cryptographic services. Acceptable solutions will thus need to take an international perspective so that secure communications are potentially available across national borders. This principle is especially critical as a complement to the protection of essential national interests embodied in Principle 6.

6. Recognises national responsibilities

Individual Nation States have a sovereign responsibility both for their own law enforcement and the protection of national security. The wider use of cryptography is perceived by some to be potentially detrimental to these interests. Thus any provision of cryptographic services must work in sympathy with the relevant national requirements. Whilst these requirements are vital, Principle 6 also recognises that they must be placed in proper balance with the requirements of Principle 1.

7. Technically effective (perhaps feasible?)

The provision of security with confidence also implies that the various techniques, protocols and tools should actually meet the practical needs of the anticipated users. In particular, the procedures which must be executed in order to exploit the service must be technically feasible, insofar as unsophisticated users cannot be expected to have a detailed understanding of the underlying techniques and assumptions on which the service is built. Equally, national law enforcement and security authorities require that effective and timely lawful access to secret and private keys should also be technically feasible.

8. Legally effective (perhaps acceptable?)

It is a natural consequence of the provision of any public service that there will be occasional disputes between the parties. It is thus a prerequisite of the provision of cryptographic services that the legal consequences of their introduction are fully understood and that the resulting offerings should be legally acceptable. This particularly applies to the liability of service providers in guaranteeing the security of stored secret and private keys and the possible subsequent access to such keys by the lawful request of a third party.

9. Permits future enhancement

Although many techniques for providing publicly available cryptographic services have been suggested, it is generally agreed that considerable further development is required before such services will grow to meet the needs of the widest possible user community. Certainly there is not yet any published proposal which currently meets all the principles outlined above. It is thus vital that no design decisions are taken that preclude future enhancement of the proposed services. In particular, a staged approach to the introduction of cryptographic services is preferable so as to ensure that all the above eight principles are maintained in a proper balance with one another.

The preceding list of principles is among the many documents collected and disseminated by Dr. Posch from and to the IFIP community. The prime goal of the interchange of information about cryptographic policy is to enable electronic commerce and the global information infrastructure. This topic is vital, and the results should strike a balance between the needs of governments and business. Governments are starting to develop their positions. Denmark, France, Germany, and the U.K. have done this in a more or less formal way. Anyone who is interested in contributing to this dialog or receiving the documents should contact Dr. Posch at the following address:

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Posch
Applied Information Processing
Graz Univ. of Technology
Klosterwiesgasse 32/I
A-8010 Graz, Austria
tel: +43 316 873 5510,
fax: +43 316 873 5520
e-mail: rposch@iaik.tu-graz.ac.at
http://www.iaik.tu-graz.ac.at/iaik.html
 
 

Since the OECD guidelines are scheduled to be released as early as February 1997, early communication is advised.


JOINT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FORMAL DESCRIPTION TECHNIQUES FOR DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS, AND PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION, TESTING, AND VERIFICATION

The IFIP Technical Committee on Communication Systems (TC6) and its Working Group on Architecture and Protocols for Computer Networks (WG6.1) announce the merging of two hitherto separate conferences, FORTE and PSTV, into a joint conference to be held 8-11 October in Kaiserslautern, Germany. FORTE/PSTV'96 will address formal description techniques (FDTs) applicable to communication protocols and distributed systems. The conference will be a forum for the presentation of the state of the art in theory, application, tools, and industrialization of FDTs, and will provide an excellent orientation for newcomers.

The conference will offer 24 research papers, 4 industrial usage reports, 5 tutorials, and a number of tool demonstrations. Invited talks will be given by Andre Danthine (B), Manfred Broy (D), Ed Brinksma (NL), and Lothar Mackert (D). Tutorials will be held 8 October. Tool presentations will take place in parallel with the conference presentations 9-11 October. Participants will receive the final proceedings, published by Chapman & Hall, at the conference.

FORTE/PSTV'96 is being organized by the University of Kaiserslautern and sponsored by IFIP TC6/WG6.1. Financial supporters are Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, SUN Microsystems, Q-Labs, and the Stadtsparkasse Kaiserslautern.

For further information, please contact

Jan Bredereke
University of Kaiserslautern
P.O. Box 3049
D-67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany
tel: +49 631 205-3287 or 3426
fax: +49 631 205-3956
e-mail: forte.pstv96@informatik.uni-kl.de
URL: http://www.informatik.uni-kl.de/aggotz/forte.pstv96 
 
 


IFIP PUBLISHES BOOK ON ETHICS OF COMPUTING FROM AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

On 1 May, IFIP published Ethics of Computing; Codes, Spaces for Discussion and Law, edited by Profs. Jacques Berleur (B) and Klaus Brunnstein (D). The book, published through the IFIP publisher, Chapman & Hall, views ethics from an international perspective. This represents the latest step in a project begun in 1988, when Prof. Harold Sackman (USA), then chairman of the IFIP Technical Committee on Relationship between Computers and Society (TC9), undertook to create an IFIP code of ethics. The work was later assumed by a task group of TC9 chaired by Prof. Berleur, culminating in the publication of this book. Prof. Brunnstein was chairman of TC9 during most of the period during which the task group worked.

The book is described by the publisher as follows:

Ethics of Computing represents the first attempt to confront, on a world-wide basis, the way computer associations face up to their social responsibilities in an age increasingly dominated by information and communication technology.

This major reference work deals with codes of ethics and conduct, and related issues. Some 30 codes of national computer societies are compared and analysed in depth. To put these into perspective, there are discussion papers covering methodological, philosophical, and organizational issues.

Major chapters of the book are

  1. Codes of ethics, or of conduct, within IFIP and other computer societies -- by Jacques Berleur (B) and Marie d'Udekem-Gevers (B)
  2. Codes of ethics: discussion paper -- by Jan Holvast (NL)
  3. Why a discussion on ethical issues in software engineering is overdue -- by Klaus Brunnstein (D)
  4. A brief history of professionalism and its relevance to IFIP -- by Richard Sizer (GB)
  5. Policies of acceptable use at educational and research institutions -- by John W. Corliss (USA)
  6. Integrating social, ethical and equity issues of informatics into secondary education -- by Tom J. van Weert (NL)
  7. Ethics and systems design: the politics of social responsibility -- by Andrew Clement (CDN) and Ina Wagner (A)

 

Other contributions from IFIP Member societies and Working Groups

Approximately 40% of the book comprises the text (in English) of codes of ethics and conduct of 30 computer societies, and commentary on the major codes. In addition, the chapter by Berleur and d'Udekem-Gevers presents an analysis of the codes and guidelines, in terms of topics covered, wording, groups involved (e.g., employers, employees, students), sanctions, and many other areas. An appendix provides means of locating topics in the various codes. The book also contains an extensive bibliography, in addition to the bibliographies of the individual chapters.

We quote here some of the more interesting sections of the book. In his chapter, Dr. Holvast discussed general aspects of ethics. He introduced it as follows:

At long intervals, the same question is raised: Are we (technicians, scientists, and users of technology) responsible for the problems that are caused by the introduction of technology? The answers given are not uniform, but the fact that the question is raised shows that we are beginning to realize that our technology is capable of not only constructing the world but destroying it as well. And we are becoming conscious of this destruction through the confrontation with questions dealing with environmental pollution, nuclear power, and, more recently, questions surrounding genetic engineering, such as DNA recombination and the use of test-tube fertilization on older women.

At this moment, this question is not only raised, but an answer is also expected. Very often, ethics are looked at with the full expectation of containing the answers. Through this, it is expected that norms in science, and solutions, be formulated as ethical codes. The same types of problems and questions are raised in relation to information technology. In this field, too, the demand for codes is increasing.

In this paper, we go more deeply into detail on ethical norms and the possible solutions, such as ethical codes and codes of conduct, but specifically into the responsibilities that should be accepted in reference to a broad range of topics.

With regard to an IFIP code of ethics, Dr. Holvast commented as follows:

For an international organization like IFIP, formulating a code acceptable for all Members will be an impossible task. There is clearly a certain ethical relativist thinking behind the following comment: It is impossible to formulate an ethical code for once and for all. Cultural and, especially, political differences make this impossible. Although I agree in some sense with this type of criticism, ethical relativist thinking is, in my opinion, strongly related to one of the ethical theories, consequentialism. The way in which the results (in this case, information technology) are seen depends on the cultural and political situation in various countries. In this sense, there are differences between developed and developing countries, between East and West, between democratic and less democratic societies -- all of them possible Members of IFIP. This situation is even more problematic when one considers that Members of IFIP are not individuals but primarily national scientific or technical societies.

This does not mean that IFIP should do nothing. It only means that it is impossible for the 1990 Draft IFIP Code of Ethics to be accepted. IFIP needs general principles that will be accepted by all national societies. In my view, these principles must consist of deontological <i.e., related to the theory of moral obligation -- Ed.> statements. One of the statements might be the suggestion that every national society produce a national Code of Ethics, taking into account what has already been discussed by many national constituencies.

Much of the discussion in the book concerns professionalism. In his chapter, Prof. Brunnstein cited a number of fatal or otherwise serious incidents attributed to improper system design (aircraft crashes, autopilot malfunctions, radiation overdoses, accidental shooting of civilian aircraft, breeches of computer security). Eur. Ing. Sizer also concentrated on professional standards.

In concluding their comparative analysis of codes, Berleur and d'Udekem-Gevers wrote the following:

Codes do not pretend to solve all questions, but they may help to create awareness, supplement the law, and reinforce ethical behaviour. When the role of self-regulation increases, the roles of ethics, law, and codes have to be more carefully scrutinized, but they may lean on each other. Codes offer a "framework on ethics" that may help to maintain openness and fuel the needed dialogue in the "spaces of discussion."

In the foreword, Profs. Berleur and Brunnstein wrote

IFIP has opened "space for discussion," creating a Special Interest Group (SIG9.2.2 on Framework on Ethics), which will, in particular, analyze issues and conflicts that may arise in the cooperation between IFIP Member societies with different codes of ethics. It aims at improving understanding and formulating ethical issues. But it will also increase international cooperation which, in specific questions such as personal liberties and privacy or in the domain of security, has proven valuable in providing general guidelines now enacted into law in many countries.

SIG9.2.2 has assembled a list of contact persons from IFIP Member societies and other organizations, in order to fulfill its mandate. Others who wish to participate are encouraged to contact the chairman:

Prof. Jacques Berleur
Institut d'Informatique
Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix
Rue Grandgagnage, 21
5000 Namur, Belgium
tel: +32 81 72 49 76, fax: +32 81 72 49 67
e-mail: jberleur@info.fundp.ac.be
 
 

The book closes with a section of IFIP recommendations. We quote from it extensively here:

What Can IFIP Do?

IFIP does not intend to provide its Member societies with precise guidelines for codes, but to advise them to consider the recommendations outlined below when writing or updating their own codes. IFIP cannot actually state what "ethics" the Member societies should espouse. It can, however, outline certain principles that all might want to consider and take account of in their codes.
In this book, IFIP provides all the material needed for its Member societies to consider: some 30 computer societies' codes, their analysis, comments on the most important codes, the philosophical background of cultural diversity, and papers on some more sensitive questions.

In accordance with the diversity of histories, cultures, and social and political backgrounds of IFIP Member societies, IFIP regards it as essential that, when wanted or needed, codes of ethics or of conduct (or guidelines) should always be developed and adopted within the Member societies themselves. IFIP offers its expertise in assisting such developments, collecting and disseminating material about established codes, and organizing international debates on further developments.

The analysis of the subject presented in this book shows that we have to be aware of the distinction between "codes of ethics" and "codes of conduct." The codes studied show a large heterogeneity in their titles and no systematic relationship between the titles and the contents. A code of ethics might be favoured when a society's main purpose is to develop a mission statement, giving visions and objectives. Some commentators consider that the expression, "code of ethics" is related to codes that are oriented more toward the public or society as a whole. The expression "code of conduct" seems to be related more to a profession. This distinction has to be treated with care.

Today, certain people who have been working for a long time on this issue think that "the rules of conduct have to reach beyond the well-structured body of computer scientists to the larger circle of computer users. We must shift from a deontology of informaticians to an objective deontology of informatics under the control of the law." From this perspective, codes are seen more as preparing for the law or specifying it than as self-regulatory instruments, and are written to address a large audience. ...

Main Topics of the Codes

Five main topics are developed in nearly all of the thirty codes:

Respect

This includes respect for the interests or rights of the people involved, for the prestige of the profession, for the interests or rights of the public, for the welfare and health of the public, and for the quality of life. Sometimes it also includes respect for the reputation of the computer society, for the quality of life of the people involved, for the public in general, for the environment, and for the differences of the public.

Personal (or institutional) qualities

These include conscientiousness, honesty, positive attitude, competence, and efficiency. In practice, the terms "conscientiousness" and "honesty" are frequently encountered under the expressions "acceptance of responsibility" and "integrity." Moreover, appeals to "respect for requirements or contracts or agreements" and to "conscientious work" are also frequent. Other topics relating to "conscientiousness" and "honesty" are "professionalism," "credit for work done by others," "good faith or goodwill," "concern to meet overall objectives," and the "courage of one's convictions."

With regard to "competence" and "efficiency," two other terms are very common: "professional development and training" or "limitation of work to the field of competence." Two others are also worth noting: "general competence" and "effectiveness or work quality."

Information privacy and data integrity

"Confidentiality" is required by nearly all the general codes of the IFIP societies. "Privacy in general" and "respect for property rights" are appealed to quite often. Four other topics, "no computer crime," "no information piracy or misuse," "data integrity," and "data minimization," are less frequent.

Production and flow of information

"Flow of information to involved parties or people" is required by the majority of the codes. "Information to the public" is also insisted upon. Half the set of codes call for "comprehensive information." Several codes also ask for the "production of tests, evaluations, results, or specifications" or for the "flow of information from the involved parties or people."

It should be noted that "information privacy" and "free flow of information" may become contradictory. Between the two concepts, some balance has to be found.

Attitude towards regulations

"Regulations" do not appear as a major theme. Less than half the codes require "respect for the code," "respect for the law," and "respect for IT and professional standards." Few codes refer to "development of standards," of the "law," or of the "code itself"; some consider "sanctions" against a breach of the code. Regulation of the code itself is often taken into account outside the code, and is therefore considered in the section on procedures. ...

Computer-Specific Ethical Issues

Computer-specific ethical issues arise as the result of the roles of computers such as

Other computer-specific ethical issues include

The reader of the individual codes will observe that a very small amount of text is devoted to these computer-specific issues (CSIs). For example, the code of ethics and professional conduct of an association of information-service-industry companies makes only one reference to a CSI, as follows: "Member companies should strictly abide by the law and any contracts entered into regarding intellectual property rights." Note that this item only cautions the members to obey the law. Some topics do not appear in the codes at all, e.g., computer viruses and the use of computers to disseminate socially undesirable information. Most of the concerns of the 30 codes would be expected to be addressed in the codes of any profession: respect, conscientiousness, honesty, etc. Even some CSIs are treated in a manner that might well be appropriate to other professions. For example, one code discusses confidentiality as follows: "The information scientist should treat data, obtained within the framework of the assignment, confidentially and may only use these for the purpose for which they were given. ... It is ethically irresponsible towards people and institutions to use these data for other purposes than they were supplied for, or to treat them carelessly so that a third party could use or abuse these data." The same statement would be appropriate for codes of ethics of physicians, lawyers, or bankers, for example. Significant treatment of CSIs is difficult to find anywhere in the codes.

The recommendation section of the book continues as follows:

Broader Ethical Issues

When speaking of computer ethical issues, one cannot avoid mentioning some broader-scope issues that are real questions today and are most often examined in the literature on computers and society.

...

Spaces for Discussion

One of the main tasks for IFIP will be to create "spaces for discussion." This could be done through actions such as

Therefore, IFIP will collect, compare, and help disseminate knowledge on developments in the national societies. In the case of controversies, it will also advise on the resolution of problems in projects with professionals from countries that have very different codes.

...

IFIP hopes that its national societies will issue codes or guidelines along the lines suggested here, including a careful and flexible attitude to changing technologies.


Who's Who in IFIP: PROFESSOR KURT BAUKNECHT

Professor Kurt Bauknecht, president of IFIP, was born in Zurich and received his education there. The Federal Institute of Technology awarded him the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electronic Engineering in 1960 and 1966, respectively. Between those years, he worked as a development engineer in the computer industry in Paris. After receiving his Ph.D. degree, he served as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Zurich, where he was appointed Associate Professor of Computer Science in 1970 and Full Professor in 1973. He is presently Director of the Departments of Computer Science and Computing Services. He served as Dean of the faculty from 1984 to 1986. Since 1971, he has also been Lecturer at the Business University of St. Gallen. In 1993, he was named honorary professor of the University of Vienna.

Prof. Bauknecht's professional interests are focused on information management and security in information processing.

He has been president of the Swiss Federation for Informatics, the Swiss Member society of IFIP. He is currently president of the Informatics Conference of Swiss Universities, a member of the Swiss Research Council, a member of the board of the Swiss Academy of Technical Science, and president of the expert committee of the Swiss Informatics Priority Research Program.

His activity in IFIP dates back to 1974, as the Swiss member of various Technical Committees (TC4, TC7, and TC8). Since 1985, he has served as the Swiss representative to the GA. He was elected trustee in 1990 and vice-president for technology and finances in 1992. He also chaired the Technical Assembly (TA) from 1992 to 1995.

When not engaged in professional activities, Prof. Bauknecht enjoys skiing, mountain climbing, and hiking. He is also a frequent visitor to opera houses around the world.

-------------------------------------

Prof. Bauknecht's Goals for IFIP

In presenting his goals for IFIP, Prof. Bauknecht makes the following points:

  1. IFIP should be an open society, working worldwide and interacting with national societies.
  2. IFIP has an obligation to promote technology transfer.
  3. IFIP should participate in the fusion of information and communication technologies.
  4. The Technical Assembly, Technical Committees (TCs), and Working Groups are at the center of IFIP, and their activities must be intensified. These are IFIP's product.
  5. IFIP must increase collaboration between TCs and Affiliate Members.
  6. IFIP should promote the improvement of electronic communication among Member societies.
  7. IFIP should both consolidate its operations and remain very innovative.
  8. IFIP should enhance the services offered by the Secretariat in Laxenburg, Austria.

In outlining the challenges facing IFIP to the March 1996 Council, he stressed the following actions:

IFIP's Role

In his opening address to the second UNESCO Congress on Informatics and Education, which took place in Moscow in July, Prof. Bauknecht characterized IFIP as the leading, truly international, apolitical organization that encourages and assists in the development, exploitation, and application of IT for the benefit of all people. IFIP helps to bring together professionals at the leading edge of practice and experience and acts as a catalyst to advance the state of the art.

He also drew attention to the information server IFIP is building, which will greatly facilitate the internal and external IFIP information flow. The system will especially serve the needs of developing countries and respond to other requests for information, participation, and support.


Who's Who in IFIP: MR. PETER BOLLERSLEV

Mr. Peter Bollerslev, chair of the IFIP Technical Committee on Education (TC3), was born in Copenhagen in 1936 and has lived his entire life in Denmark, primarily in Copenhagen. After serving in the Danish army for two years, he studied education, receiving his degree in 1959. He worked as a teacher at the Experimental School in Copenhagen from 1959 to 1961 and, at the same time, as a lecturer at the Emdrupborg College of Education. He also studied psychology and mathematics at the University of Copenhagen (1957-1962). He was a lecturer at the College of Education in Aalborg from 1962 to 1980 and since 1980 has been a principal lecturer at N. Zahle College of Education in Copenhagen. Mr. Bollerslev served as Her Majesty's Inspector in the Danish Ministry of Education for Mathematics and Informatics in Teacher Education (1970-1987), and since 1987 he has been a General Inspector in the Ministry of Education. Since 1990, he has been the Director of the Center for Applied Informatics in Teacher Education and has participated in numerous committees on mathematics and informatics in the Ministry of Education. In 1993, he was instrumental in organizing the Seminariernes BrugerServiceCenter, which provides support for the administrative and educational use of information technologies to schools of education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and ergonomics.

Mr. Bollerslev has worked with and prepared reports for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, UNESCO, and the Nordic Council of Ministers. He is also the author or coauthor of approximately 250 textbooks in mathematics and informatics for schools and teacher education.

He has been a member of the Danish Data Association for many years and has been a very active member of its Education Committee for a long time.

He joined IFIP as a member of Working Group 3.1 (Informatics in Secondary Education) in the mid 1970s and was its chairman from 1985 to 1990. Since 1978, he has been the Danish representative to TC3. After having served as vice-chairman of TC3 for a couple of years, he became chairman in 1991. His term expires at the end of 1996, but he will remain with IFIP as the Danish member of the General Assembly, succeeding Mr. Aage Melbye.

The next IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education, WCCE 2001, will take place in July in Copenhagen, and Mr. Bollerslev has accepted the position of conference chairman.

Peter Bollerslev has four children from two marriages. His son, Tim, is a professor of economics at Jefferson University in Charlottesville, Virginia. His oldest daughter, Anne, is a journalist who recently worked for a radio station in San Salvador but is now back in Denmark, working for a newspaper. The middle daughter, Io, is stage-struck, eagerly trying to obtain admission to the Danish Theater School. The youngest daughter, Mette, is still at home and beginning upper secondary school. Peter now lives with Hanne, who is an editor of talking books for Gyldendal Publishers.

In his spare time, he likes to read, play bridge and golf, and travel. He enjoys spending his holidays in France and at his summer cottage on the small Danish island of Laes=D7. He also loves good food and wine. He enjoys cooking and has a wine cellar with several hundred bottles of excellent wines.

Mr. Bollerslev's vision with regard to IFIP is that the Federation will take a leading position in the future and become THE international IT (information technology) organization which, in cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations, will develop and disseminate information about developments and fruitful initiatives in education about IT and with IT, useful to both developed and developing countries. Such engagement will of course be of great benefit to the Member societies of IFIP.


SIXTH INTERNATIONAL IFIP CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, WORK, AND COMPUTERIZATION TO BE HELD IN BONN

The IFIP Working Group on Computers and Work (WG9.1) announces the sixth International Conference on Women, Work, and Computerization, to be held 24-27 May next year in Bonn, Germany. This series of conferences has a tradition of interpreting the word "computerization" not just in the narrow sense of computing systems, but also in a broader sense that includes the organizational and social context in which computer systems are designed and used. WWC 97, the latest IFIP conference on this topic, is being organized by the Special Interest Group on Women's Work and Informatics of the German Member society of IFIP and is cosponsored by the German National Research Center for Information Technology.

The theme of WWC 97 is Spinning a Web from Past to Future. Papers will discuss how different areas of society are being transformed by computer technology, with particular emphasis on changes in women's work and life and how these have come about. Such transformations include transition from women's traditional work to work based on modern technology, from communicating within personal communities to communicating within virtual communities, and from traditional job roles to new perspectives on "who does what."
The International Program Committee plans presentations of both empirical and theoretical research. International perspectives will be particularly stressed. Several different types of contributions are planned: regular papers, discussion notes, posters, tutorials, videos, and demonstrations of software. In addition, worldwide teleconferencing sessions are planned. Contributions will include the following topics:

Can women's desire for interpersonal networking be realized by new information technology (IT)? How can multimedia and telecooperation be used successfully in order to improve women's living and working conditions? What is the impact of the transiency and changeability of electronic artifacts?

Which aspects of feminist perspectives can be integrated into informatics? Which paradigms and metaphors have contributed to the construction of computer (software) and the theory of computer science? Do they exclude women? How should computer systems be designed to consider the requirements of women, e.g., user interfaces?

Technical and social/political chances for flexible time-management; what are the restrictions? No more jobs without IT-knowledge? Global division of labour: on the way to equality?

Has feminist criticism of IT changed women's strategies for gaining access to and influencing new technologies? Can women's influence be recognised in formative processes of informatics?

Is it possible to identify an attitude that is specific only to women in their use of technology? What implicit strategies in the information society can be identified that exclude women from important political, cultural, and social contexts? What happens to a gendered language in human-computer interaction and in computer-mediated communication?

WWC 97 will also provide a special opportunity for women working in computer science to meet and share experiences. Contributions written only by women will describe individuals' contributions to computer science research. (Contributions by both women and men are sought for all other Conference topics.) The authors will explain why they chose this field of work and whether there are any specifically female points of view and contributions which are relevant. They will also discuss the consequences of their work for women.

For further information, please contact

IFIP-WWC97
c/o Doris Koehler
Hamburg University Computer Centre
Schlueterstr. 70
D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
fax: +49 +40 - 4123-6270
e-mail: IFIP-WWC97@rrz.uni-hamburg.de
URL: http://www.uni-hamburg.de/~frauen/first.htm
 
 


NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR THE FOURTH IFIP WG9.2 NAMUR AWARD

by Ms. Diane Whitehouse (GB)*

The IFIP Working Group on Computers and Social Accountability (WG9.2) now solicits nominations for its fourth Namur Award. The Award, created in 1991, is given every two years to an individual, group, or association for their outstanding contribution, with international impact, to the awareness of the social implications of information technology. Recipients' contributions can constitute a publication, design, lecture, project, action, or some other achievement in the spirit of the Award. The recipient receives a commemorative plate and a certificate at a special celebratory meeting of WG9.2 in Namur, Belgium, hosted by the city's dignitaries.

Former recipients are Prof. Joseph Weizenbaum (M.I.T., U.S.A.), Dr. Riccardo Petrella (head of the European FAST programme), and Mr. Carlos-Alberto Afonso (representative of the Alternex Community, Brazil). Details can be found on page 3 of the June 1996 IFIP Newsletter.

If you know of a person, group, or association worthy of this Award, please submit your entry promptly to

Prof. Jacques Berleur
Institut d'Informatique
Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix
Rue Grandgagnage, 21
5000 Namur, Belgium
tel: +32 81 72 49 76, fax: +32 81 72 49 67
e-mail: jberleur@info.fundp.ac.be
 
 

Entries should be received before November 1, 1996. The entry should include the nominee's name and details, the reasons for the nomination, and any supporting documentation, as well as the submitter's name, address, and contact information. All submissions, discussions, and votes relating to the Award are kept strictly confidential.

WG9.2 looks forward to receiving many noteworthy submissions, and to the pleasure of acknowledging, for the fourth time, a distinguished contribution to this particularly important field of awareness within the domain of IFIP's work.

* former secretary of WG9.2


CALLS FOR PAPERS

FIP WG8.2 Work. Conf. on Information Systems and Qualitative Research
31 May - 3 Jun 97, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
papers due: 1 Sep 96
contact: Allen S. Lee
e-mail: AllenLee@Management.McGill.ca
or Jonathan Liebenau
e-mail: Liebenau@LSE.ac.uk
WWW: http://www.cba.uc.edu/faculty/leean/8-2-call.htm
 
Intl. Conf. on Open Distributed Processing -- ICODP 97
26-30 May 97, Toronto, On., Canada
papers due: 27 Sep 96
contact: ICODP'97
Jacob Slonim
IBM Centre for Advanced Studies
844 Don Mills Road
North York, Ontario, Canada M3C 1V7
tel: +1 (416) 448-2245, fax: +1 (416) 448-2859
e-mail: icodp97@vnet.ibm.com
 
Thirteenth IFIP WG10.5 Conf. on Computer Hardware
Description Languages and Their Applications -- CHDL '97
20-26 Apr 97, Toledo, Spain
papers due: 1 Oct 96
contact: Eduard Cerny
Universite de Montreal, Dept. IRO
C.P, 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville
Montreal (Quebec), Canada H3C.3J7
tel: +1 (514) 343-7472, fax: +1 (514) 343-5834
e-mail: cerny@iro.umontreal.ca
 
Thirteenth IFIP Intl. Information Security Conf.
14-16 May 97, Copenhagen, Denmark
papers due: 1 Oct 96
contact: Louise Yngstrom
c/o Jan Carlsen
Coopers & Lybrand
P.O. Box 2709
DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
 
Ninth IFIP TC10 Intl. Conf. VLSI'97
26-29 Aug 97, Gramado, Brazil
papers due: 20 Feb 97
contact: Luc Claesen/VLSI'97
IMEC/Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Kapeldreef 79
B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
tel: +32-16-281203, fax: +32-16-281501
e-mail: Claesen@imec.be
 
 

Will event organizers please note that calls for papers cannot be listed in this column until the events have been approved by IFIP.


FUTURE IFIP MEETINGS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND COUNCIL (AND RELATED MEETINGS)

GA       6-10 Sep 96 (Fri.-Tues.)     Canberra, Australia
Council   3-6 Mar 97 (Mon.-Thurs.)    Bratislava, Slovakia
GA (contiguous to IFIP Congress '98)  Vienna, Austria, or Budapest, Hungary
GA (contiguous to IFIP Congress 2000) Beijing, China 
 
 

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, SPECIALIST GROUP, AND WORKING GROUP MEETINGS

WG2.1   17-22 Feb 97 Bischenberg, Alsace, France
WG2.2   23-27 Sep 96 Macao
                  97 Graz, Austria
WG2.3   26-31 Jan 97 Napa Valley, CA, U.S.A.
        27 Sep - 1 Oct 97 Alsace, France
WG2.4         Jun 97 Berlin, Germany
                  98 Colorado, U.S.A.
WG2.8   23-27 Sep 97 New Paltz, NY, U.S.A.
 
TC3       1-2 Sep 96 Wollongong, Australia
                  97 Ghent, Belgium, or The Netherlands
              Sep 98 Vienna, Austria
                  99 Copenhagen, Denmark
 
WG5.7       6 Nov 96 Kyoto, Japan
 
TC6        18 Oct 96 Harare, Zimbabwe
          Apr/May 97 New York, NY, U.S.A. or Cambridge, U.K.
 
TC7           Jul 97 Detroit, MI, U.S.A.
              Jul 99 Cambridge, U.K.
WG7.4         Sep 96 Braunschweig, Germany
 
WG8.2         Dec 96 (with ICIS) Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.
              Dec 97 (with ICIS) Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.
 
WG9.5             97 Brazil
 
TC10          Sep 96 Canberra, Australia
 
WG14.3        Sep 96 Manchester, U.K.
 
SG16       19 Sep 96 (with CARDIS) Amsterdam, the Netherlands 
 
 


IFIP COUNCIL

Executive Board

K. Bauknecht      President CH 95-98
A. Rolstadas      Past-Pres. N 95-96
H.L. Funk         Vice-Pres. USA 94-97
A.W. Goldsworthy  Vice-Pres. AUS 95-98
W. Brauer         Vice-Pres. D 95-98
G.R. Fairall      Vice-Pres. ZW 95-96
G.J. Morris       Secretary GB 93-96
A. Melbye         Treasurer DK 93-96
 
 

Trustees

M. Ozeki          J   93-96
D. Dolan          IRL 94-97
D. Khakhar        S   93-96
W. Grafendorfer   A   95-98
P. Glenn          CDN 94-97
M. Gottlieb       IL  95-98
R. Johnson        GB  95-98
C. Guy ZA 95-97
 
 


TECHNICAL COMMITTEE and SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIRMEN

TC2:  R. Kurki-Suonio    SF  95-97
TC3:  P. Bollerslev      DK  91-96
TC5:  T. Mikami          J   93-96
TC6:  O. Spaniol         D   92-97
TC7:  P. Kall            CH  95-98
TC8:  B. Glasson         AUS 96-98
TC9:  P. Jaervinen       SF  96-98
TC10: E. Hoerbst         A   93-96
TC11: B. von Solms       ZA  94-98
TC12: L. Carlucci-Aiello I   96-98
TC13: J. Hammond         AUS 95-98
SG14: J. Gruska          SK  89-95
 
 


National Abbreviations Used in Newsletter

A 	Austria
AUS 	Australia
B 	Belgium
BG 	Bulgaria
CDN 	Canada
CH 	Switzerland
D 	Germany
DK 	Denmark
GB 	United Kingdom
I 	Italy
IL 	Israel
IRL 	Ireland
J 	Japan
N 	Norway
NL 	The Netherlands
S 	Sweden
SF 	Finland
SK 	Slovakia
USA 	U.S.A.
ZA 	South Africa
ZW 	Zimbabwe