<<February 2, 2008>>

<<February 2, 2008>>
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Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D., Professor <tapio.varis@uta.fi>

Dr Jacek Gajewski <gajewski@ceenet.org>

Marina V. Tyasto <marinatyasto@yandex.ru>

Tatiana Novikova, Ph.D., Dr. Sci. <tsnovikova@mail.ru>

Dr. Dorien J. DeTombe <DorienDeTombe@hotmail.com>

Dear Ksenia:

(1) Many thanks for your msgs (ATTACHMENT I and II).

I am very happy to learn that you are making tremendous effort.

Dear Tapio.
Many thanks for your msgs (ATTACHMENT III). I agree with you.

(2) I visited the web site of the Southern Federal University (SFU) with great interest <http://en.sfedu.ru/>.

I would be very happy if the SFU can act as the secretariat of the GUS/South Russia/Taganrog (GUS/SR/T), of course, in cooperation with Taganrog Institute of Technology. The GUS/SR/T will be a consortium of higher educational and healthcare institutions in those regions.

(3) As your next step, pls construct a concept paper (4 to 5 pages) as modifying and condensing the GUS/Egypt paper, which I sent to you before;

Al-Azab, M. and T. Utsumi, (2007), "Creation of Global University System in Egypt (GUS/Egypt)," Paper for "ICT-Learn 2007" conference in Cairo, Egypt, September 2 to 4, 2007
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ypkaqo

This is to raise a fund for our fact-finding and assessment trip — hopefully with Tapio, too — see Item (12) below for its tentative dates.

Pls send me your first draft so that we can work on it together.

(4) This fund inquiry is to be submitted from the SFU to, say, the following organizations and others;

Andrei Kortunov
President
THE NEW EURASIA FOUNDATION
3/9, 3rd Syromyatnechesky Per., Bldg. 1, 5th floor;
Moscow 105120, Russia
Phone: (495) 970‑1567
Fax: (495) 970‑1568
akortunov@neweurasia.ru
www.neweurasia.ru

I visited him on 8/31/06 — he is very much interested in our projects, particularly in the GSEEED project <http://preview.tinyurl.com/337nrn>.

Lisa Coll
Director of Grant Programs
The Eurasia Foundation
1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
202-234-7370 X115
202-234-7377
Fax: 202-234-7377
LColl@eurasia.org
http://www.eurasia.org/

Pls visit their web site, particularly <http://www.eurasia.org/programs/grantcriteria.aspx> for your constructing a concept paper for fund inquiry.

(5) We received a discretionary fund from the Eurasia Foundation in the fall of 2006 to visit Novosibirsk and Altai of Siberia — see its report on the creation of GUS/Siberia at <http://preview.tinyurl.com/3chpda>. As you see in it, we decided to work in the following 5 areas;

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2svbmd>

Each of those categories is to have a working group, which will be assigned during the workshop, which will be held in a few months after our fact-finding and assessment trip. They will work on the plan of their actions and budgets, and integration of them is to be used for the fund raising by the SFU for the creation of the GUS/SR/T. The application will be submitted to major funding sources.

(6) About “Infrastructure” category, you may consider the following four aspects;

(a) If not yet, to have extension of GLORIAD <http://www.gloriad.org/> from Moscow to your Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog;

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/33yl57>

This was initiated by Greg Cole, our web-master;

Greg Cole, Ph.D.
Research Director
UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Computational Science
US Principal Investigator
Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Building 5100, Mail Stop 6173, Room 212
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6173
Phone: 865-241-3702
FAX: 865-576-4368
gcole@gloriad.org
gcole@friends-partners.org
http://www.gloriad.org/
http://www.gloriad.org/gloriad/team/usa/gcole.html
http://www.friends-partners.org/

He is willing to work with us.

His counterpart in Novosibirsk is;

Dr. Anatoliy Fedotov, professor,
Deputy Director
Institute of Computational Technologies of Academy of Science
Siberian Branch of the RAS.
Vice-rector,
Novosibirsk State University
Tel. +7383341342, 330-73-51
fedotov@ict.nsc.ru <<March 16, 2007>>Did not work.
http://www.ict.nsc.ru/~fedotov <http://www.ict.nsc.ru/~fedotov>
Or
Anatoly Fedotov
Vice-Rector
Novosibirsk State University
And
Professor, Deputy Director
Institute of Computational Technologies
Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Science
fedotov@sbras.ru
fedotov@ict.nsc.ru

According to him, the initial entry membership is US#20,000 — this is the one-time payment and the use of GLORIAD afterward is free of charge. Its speed is supposed to be 600 Mbps by now, and 2.5 Gbps in a few years time.

(b) Black See Ring Project;

As mentioned before, this is to have an optical submarine fiber ring for ultra high speed (1.3 tera bps, etc.) along the peripheral countries of Black Sea;

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2stu23>

As you will see in ATTACHMENT IV and V, Prof. Jacek Gajewski indicated his strong interest in this project along with his Central and Eastern European Networking Association [CEENet] <http://www.ceenet.org/> and its associated Black Sea Interconnections [BSI] <http://www.blacksea-net.org/index.php>.

Dear Jacek:
Many thanks for your following msgs in response to the following list distributions;

ATTACHMENT IV: [gu-new] (11/26/07) Possible broadband Internet with optical fiber network around Black Sea and Central Asian countries <http://preview.tinyurl.com/35xaqp>

ATTACHMENT V: [gu-new] (11/27/07) Broadband Internet with optical fiber network around Black Sea and Central Asian countries <http://preview.tinyurl.com/yubou5>.

As you may notice, the GUS/SR/T may become a member of the consortium to deploy the Black Sea Ring with your CEENet and BSI — BTW, you may rekindle your activities in Ukraine to form the GUS/Ukraine for this purpose. Our colleague is now working to create GUS/Romania, too, and GUS/Turkey may also join.

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wm2qk>

This Infrastructure working group may also consider to deploy wireless (e.g., WiMax, etc.) cloud in the cities of Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don, etc., particularly for the sake of promoting Internet use among K-12 children with inexpensive laptop, for e-healthcare information system, and e-governance, etc.

(d) Silk Road Network:

Pls visit the followings;

(i) $18 Billion Plan to Build New 'Silk Roads' through Central Asia
<http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12241-central-asian-roads-transports/default.asp>

(ii) (11/22/07) Possible broadband Internet with optical fiber network around Central Asian countries
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/3c4tab>

(iii) (11/27/07) Broadband Internet with optical fiber network around Black Sea and Central Asian countries.
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/yubou5>

This project may proceed after the Black Sea Ring project, as an extension of the GSEEED project for its policy analysis and assessment.

(7) About “Global e-Learning” category, you may follow the following attempts;

(a) Plan of Altai State University (ASU) to receive e-learning courses from Empire State College in New York (though this project is now hold and may be rekindled from this summer) — see Section IV-2 and ANNEX 2 of the aforementioned report on the creation of GUS/Siberia at <http://preview.tinyurl.com/3chpda>;

(b) TOBB Economic and Technology University (ETU) in Ankara, Turkey is to receive e-learning courses from the University of Tampere and Helsinki University of Technology — see their Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) at <http://preview.tinyurl.com/yr7qbk>. They are now to come up with their fund application to the European Commission and others for this project. When I get their draft, I will pass it to you for your reference.

(8) About “Global e-Healthcare/Telemedicine” category, pls see the followings;

(a) Plan of Novosibirsk State Medical University — see Section IV-3 and ANNEX III and IV of “Report on Fact-Finding and Assessment Trip to Create Global University System/Altai Mir (web version)”
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/3chpda>;

(b) “Improvement of Community, Maternal and Child Healthcare in Altai Region, Siberia, Russia”
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tt488>

The above are mainly for the prevention of maternity and infant mortality, but this project is now in hold until the new rector of the Novosibirsk State Medical University will be assigned, -- though we met the previous one in the fall of 2006.

(9) About “Community Development” category, we would like to have the school of teacher training of the major federal university be connected to the K-12 schools (say, with WiFi, etc.) to promote the use of broadband Internet among children with the use of inexpensive laptop at around UD$300 ~ 350.

(10) About “Globally Collaborative Research and Development” category, pls visit;

Quantitative Policy Analysis of Global Socio-Economic-Energy-Environment Development (GSEEED) Project
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/337nrn>

As you see in its ANNEX I, several Russian colleagues have already signed up, as the Novosibirsk State University is to be the major counterpart of this project. We hope to have a workshop in Novosibirsk and Gorno Altaisk in this coming summer — hopefully along with the 10th Global Leadership Forum in Novosibirsk, to which I am now invited;

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/yrksuy>

(11) In your concept paper, you may mention of those activities briefly in addition to the items you may excerpt from the GUS/Egypt paper mentioned above.

I would like to assume that you will complete the concept paper with me by the end of February, and it will be submitted to funding sources mentioned above from the SFU.

I would think that it would take a couple of months to get the fund from those sources.

(12) As for the timing of my visit to Taganrog, my tentative thoughts would be;

(a) Attend the 10th Global Leadership Forum in Novosibirsk from June 17th to 24th,

(b) Workshop of GUS/Siberia and GSEEED in Novosibirsk and Gorno Altaisk from 6/24th to 6/27th,

(c) Fact-finding and assessment trip to Taganrog from 6/30th to 7/4th (tentative).

Dear Marina:
Many thanks again for your cordial invitation to the above Item (12)-(a).

Dear Marina, Tatiana and Dorien:
Pls give me your feedback to the above Item (12)-(b), though I will communicate more about this later.

During my fact-finding and assessment trip to Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don region, I would like to visit, say, about a half dozen each of higher educational institutions and healthcare institutions, who may be willing to become the members of the GUS/SR/T consortium.

You may talk with Marina how she organized very successful meetings during our trip to Novosibirsk and Gorno Altaisk in September of 2006.

They will then form the working groups of the categories mentioned above. Each of them will then come up a project plan and budget. The integration of them all will become a comprehensive project proposal of the GUS/SR/T.

Dear Ksenia:
Tapio’s recent msg said that he would be willing to participate in this fact-finding and assessment trip, provided that your fund raising would cover his trip expenses.

(13) Your current pro bono effort will certainly assure your Regional Coordinator position of GUS/SR/T, which will coordinate not only among its consortium members but also with other GUS in various countries.

Obviously, the budget, which the SFU will submit, would need to include your compensations for your effort from the commencing date of the project — but not prior to the date of the budget to be granted.

(14) I shall look forward to receiving your concept paper with rough budget at your earliest convenience, so that we can work on it together.

Best, Tak

ATTACHMENT I

From: Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Reply-To: Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:11:10 +0200
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Cc: Tapio Varis <Tapio.Varis@uta.fi>
Subject: meeting with SFU officials about GUS tomorrow

Dear Tak and Tapio!

I hope my mail will find you in good health and spirit. I am writing a short note to let you know that tomorrow in the morning i have a meeting with the main university official dealing with information technology. I have spoken to Aleksandr Nikolaevich Tselikh on the phone and shortly introduced the idea of creating the GUS/Taganrog (Rostov). He is quite interested because the broadband internet network falls well into the plans of university at this moment. I will speak more tomorrow and let you know shortly after my visit to him.

Another meeting - concerning both GUS optical fiber network and our work with Tapio (distant learning) - will be held with Rostov State Universtiy (a part of South Federal University) by the end of the week. I will introduce the work we did together with the video conferencing course.

I will be in Taganrog till the end of the month and will probably be able to achieve some results for future partnership with Southern Russian university units.

Kind regards,
Ksenia Avetisova

ATTACHMENT II

From: Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Reply-To: Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:51:48 +0200
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>, Tapio Varis <Tapio.Varis@uta.fi>
Subject: Outcomes of the meeting with SFU officials about GUS creation, and many questions

Good morning, gentlemen!

Dear Tak,

I just had a meeting with the vice-rector (Information technologies) of SFU TIT and presented the idea of creating GUS/South Russia/Taganrog. Here are several notes from our meeting:

1. South Federal University would like to participate in the project of creating GUS South Russia. The website of SFU is still being developed, but you can check it out http://en.sfedu.ru/

2. The GUS base should be formed in Taganrog, not in Rostov, due to several reasons:

a) Taganrog is closer to the Black Sea (thus falling better into the framework of the Black Sea Ring project)

b) Taganrog Institute of Technology which is an SFU unit (former Taganrog State University of Radio Engineering) is coordinating all technological matters of the whole SFU. The IT specialists are the best in Taganrog, their help is used in Rostov.

c) Taganrog is hosting the New Information Technologies Centre of Rostov Region, thus all the IT work is coordinated and carried out by TIT SFU in Taganrog.

d) On the initiative of SFU, TIT has already started creating optic fiber network around its buildings. Currently there are 15 km of optic fiber cable in Taganrog.

3. By the end of the week I have to present the plan of action, specifically for creation of GUS/South Russia/Taganrog. For this I kindly ask for directions from you.
I have the GUS/Egypt example. The same factual points have to be touched in the Taganrog GUS creation report, am I right? Due to the fact that information has to be gathered in Russian and then the report has to be translated back to English, it might take a little bit more time. But we planed that we'll work thoroughly on the pre-fact-finding-trip report during the next week, so that you have it available by the end of January 2008.

What is the timeline after the submission of the first report? When can you plan to arrive to Taganrog for the fact finding trip? And what happens after that? I was asked about the timeline and outcomes of the project - I would need those answers from you to proceed.

4. Please give me the specific responsibilities and benefits of being a Regional Coordinator of the GUS/South Russia/Taganrog. Am I right considering that I coordinate all the information gathering and later implementation of the GUS creation, that as a Regional Coordinator I will be present on all the meetings concerning Taganrog GUS creation? At the stage when GUS/South Russia/Taganrog would start operating, I would like to ensure that I'm given a permanent position. This could be my long-term benefit for being committed to the idea, investing time and effort in making the project work the best possible way.

At this point, I would like to know how my present work (fact finding and information gathering in Taganrog) will be compensated. Should the separate grant/funding be applied or is there something already budgeted in the GUS for the matters alike?

I'm looking forward to get reply from you asap, so that we could start with the project in a fastly manner and already plan your visit to Taganrog. Maybe, if the time allows to prof. Varis, he could take part in this trip as well since he has already been to Taganrog and has good knowledge of university as well, moreover being familiar with the people here. Of course, I'll accompany you both here in Taganrog and in Russia in general if needed.

Best regards,
Ksenia Avetisova

ATTACHMENT III

From: Tapio Varis <Tapio.Varis@uta.fi>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:11:17 +0200
To: Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Cc: <utsumi@columbia.edu>, Tapio Varis <Tapio.Varis@uta.fi>
Subject: Re: Outcomes of the meeting with SFU officials about GUS creation, and many questions

Dear Ksenia and Tak,

I am very impressed with the efficiency of Ksenia´s work. We now need to hear from Tak but I am definitely putting all my energy to support Ksenia´s work.

Tapio

ATTACHMENT IV

From: Jacek Gajewski <jacek.ceenet@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <gajewski@ceenet.org>
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:51:15 +0100
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>, <bsi-parta@blacksea-net.org>, <bsi-partb@blacksea-net.org>
Subject: Re: [gu-new] (11/26/07) Possible broadband Internet with optical
fiber network around Black Sea and Central Asian countries

Dear Prof. Utsumi,

thank you for sharing this pictures of Black Sea Fibre Ring with
us. In 2008 we (under coordination of ULAKBIM) will be realizing the
FP7 project called Black Sea Interconnection Initiative which will
give fibre connectivity between GEANT and academic networks of
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are also interested in fibre
connectivity to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan.

We would be grateful to you for more information about "Black Sea
Ring" and contact data to persons involved in this project. May be,
this info is in your attachment ug02081q.cbt, but I cannot open this
file - its format is unknown to me.

With best regards,

Dr Jacek Gajewski
CEENet Secretary General

ATTACHMENT V

From: Jacek Gajewski <jacek.ceenet@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <gajewski@ceenet.org>
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:17:11 +0100
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>, Murat Soysal <msoysal@ulakbim.gov.tr>, Ramaz Kvatadze <ramaz@grena.ge>, Yannis Mitsos <ymitsos@admin.grnet.gr>
Cc: gu-new <gu-new@friends-partners.org>, "Bernhard.Fabianek@ec.europa.eu" <Bernhard.Fabianek@ec.europa.eu>
Subject: Re: [gu-new] (11/27/07) Broadband Internet with optical fiber network around Black Sea and Central Asian countries.

Dear Prof Utsumi,

The BSI and CEENet are really interested in supporting your
activities, which potentially may have a synergy with our Black Sea
Interconnection Initiative. We will be eager to receive from you the
template of the Letter of Support, which you requested. I will present
it to the Board for consideration.

In the context of GUS, let me mention that we run several
e-learning projects in EEurope. Recently we start EC project called
EJUMP, which you probably heard during your recent stay in Estonia (I
am sure you met Dr Anne Villems or Dr Mart Laanpere) there. I am also
a vice-president of the Central and Eastern European Virtual
University, based in Kiev - it is unfortunately rather idle, but with
a couple of good ideas can be re-started (it is formally registered in
Ukraine).

With kindest regards,
Jacek

List of Distribution

Ksenia Avetisova
Media Lab: New Media Project Management
University of Art and Design Helsinki
Kilpolantie 16 C 36
00940 Helsinki
+358468114913
k_avetisova@bk.ru

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D., Professor
Acting President, Global University System
UNESCO Chair in Global e-Learning with applications to multiple domains
Professor and Chair of Media Education
Research Center for Vocational Education & Hypermedia Laboratory
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 229
FIN-13101 Hameenlinna
FINLAND
Tel: +358-3-614-5608--office in Hameenlinna
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere
GSM: +3358-50-567-9833
Fax: +358-3-614-5611
tapio.varis@uta.fi
tapio.varis@hamk.fi
tapio.varis@helsinki.fi
http://www.uta.fi/~titava <http://www.uta.fi/~titava>
www.ecml-eu.org -- about ECML project.
http://www.uta.fi/conference/mediaskills/ <http://www.uta.fi/conference/mediaskills/>
and
Principal Research Specialist
Unesco-Unevoc International Centre for Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
Gorresstr 15
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +358-335-51-3608
Fax: +358-335-51-3611
t.varis@unevoc.unesco.org
www.unevoc.unesco.org

Dr Jacek Gajewski
Secretary General
CEENet Secretariat
Central and Eastern European Networking (CEENet) Association
Member of the "Internet Society"
ul. Pasteura 7
02-093 Warsaw, POLAND
Tel/Fax: +48 22 - 6685807
fax. +48 22 - 8239956
gajewski@ceenet.org
gajewski@lsc.net.tw
jacek.ceenet@gmail.com
JACEKC@ch.pw.edu.pl
www.ceenet.org

Marina V. Tyasto
Head of International Relations Department
Siberian Academy of the Public Administration
Nizhegorodskaya Street, 6
Novosibirsk, 630102
Russia
Tel/Fax: 7-383-210-12-52 (direct)
Cel: 7-913-920-67-69
marinatyasto@yandex.ru
morozov3@sapa.nsk.su
tyasto@sapa.nsk.su
oms@sapa.nsk.su
http://mail.yandex.ru/monitoring/ <http://mail.yandex.ru/monitoring/>

Tatiana Novikova, Ph.D., Dr. Sci.
Professor,
Novosibirsk State University
Department of Economics
Pirogova str. 2
Novosibirsk, 630090
Russia
and Head Scientist
Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering , Russian Academy of Sciences,
Lavrentiev Ave., 17,
Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
Tel: +7-383-330 1052
Fax: +7-383-330 2580
e-mail: tsnovikova@mail.ru

Dr. Dorien J. DeTombe
Chair international & Euro Operational Research Working Group
Complex Societal Problems & Issues
P.O. Box. 3286, 1001 AB Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Europe
Tel: +31 20 6927526
E-Mail: DorienDeTombe@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/doriendetombe <http://www.geocities.com/doriendetombe>

*******************************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA                           *
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.)          *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education           *
* Founder and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of                         *
*   Global University System (GUS)                                            *
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-5913, U.S.A.                        *
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Email: utsumi@columbia.edu                               *
* http://www.itu.int/wsis/goldenbook/search/display.asp?Quest=8032562&lang=en *
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/                                     *
* Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676                                                   *
*******************************************************************************