Academic and official statistics cooperation

The Association of Balkan Statisticians (ABS), the Romanian National Commission for Statistics, EUROSTAT and the International Statistical Institute are jointly organizing a seminar on academic and official statistics cooperation which is to be held in Sinaia, Romania, from 16 to 18 April 1998.

For many years a significant gap has existed between official statisticians and those in universities in their general approach to common basic issues. There is a general perception in the academic research circle that official statisticians often use tools or methods which are sometimes rather rudimentary and which often produce results of poor quality. Conversely, in the official statistics circle, there is a feeling that university statistical researchers tend to be rather "academic" in their reasoning and often prescribe methodologies which are difficult to implement in practice.

In spite of this divergence, both sides agree on the need for greater cooperation. Future official statisticians will be trained in universities, while new techniques and tools will be tested and used by the official statisticians who have the data. The seminar is aimed at bringing together both sides with a view to discussing areas of cooperation and future strategies and themes for statistical research.
For further information, please contact:

EUROSTAT
Edward Ojo
Research in Official Statistics (ROS) Secretariat
Jean Monnet Building (C5/98)
L-2920 Luxembourg
Fax +352-430134149
E-mail: edojo@eurogramme.lu

or

National Commission for Statistics
Daniela Stefanescu
Bucharest
Romania
Tel. +40-1-3120605; Fax +40-1-3124873