2011 Workshop Report

In 2011, IFIP’s working group (WG) 9.2 has held two workshops and co-organised a summer school. All have been on topical subjects, and have been well-attended.

The first workshop was held in Namur, Belgium alongside IFIP’s special interest group 9.2.2 on the framework on ethics. Its subject was new directions in social accountability and computing. More than thirty persons attended, and speakers came from as far afield as Belgium, Finland, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the USA. The working group took the opportunity to welcome TC9 Chair, Dr Jackie Phahlamohlaka of the CSIR Defence, Peace, Safety And Security, to his new position. It also said goodbye to longstanding member Professor Jacques Berleur. Professor Klaus Brunnstein, past president of IFIP,  and Drs Marc van Lieshout, senior researcher at TNO in the Netherlands, paid tribute to the dedicated work and leadership that Professor Berleur has invested in the working group for over three decades. They highlighted the many publications that have been the result. Jacques’ undoubted friendship will also not be forgotten.

The second workshop was co-organised with IFIP’s WG9.9 on ICT and sustainable development. It was held in Milan, Italy in June 2011 at the Politeia, an institute which focuses on the ethics of computing. Its topic was  social accountability and sustainability in the information society: perspectives on long-term responsibility. Speakers came from Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. A special issue of the Politeia’s journal will be published by the end of 2011, and will focus on the workshop’s theme.