Exploitable results Euromath network and services for the NIS - Phase I The EmNet/NIS project - one of INTAS' largest projects with a budget of 240.000 ECU - is unusual in that support of science is indirect via the creation of a modern research infrastructure. The project is primarily targeted at the mathematical sciences, pure and applied. The project was aimed at improving essential parts of the working mathematicians' environment, in the NIS countries with the ambitious long term goal of diminishing the brain drain and improving international collaboration. The project results have demonstrated the feasibility of the approach. The most tangible result is the creation of centres at the 8 NIS-based partners sites. Naturally, the goal as stated requires further work on a scale beyond the EmNet/NIS project, and involving as a key element of support from proper authorities and organisations in the NIS countries themselves. Two facts may be singled out to motivate the project: Firstly, the recognition that the quality of mathematical research in NIS countries matches that in the West and, secondly, the observation that this position is threatened. One cause to the thread of NIS science is instability in the NIS academic sector and insecurity among the researchers. Another factor is insufficient investments in the telecommunications sector. The EmNet/NIS project reflects the conviction that new technology offers an opportunity to meet the challenges facing NIS scientific communities. Information technology techniques make it possible to overcome physical distances and scarcity of resources. The process of optimising usage of modern technology can benefit from a certain decentralisation, with information servers set-up at the source where information is produced and with access arranged by proper networking techniques. Exchange of and access to information on a global scale can thereby be facilitated and thus support the internationalisation of science. The key activity of the project has been the creation of services following enhancements of the networking infrastructure (mainly locally at partners' sites). In particular, the following should be emphasised: Installation of an information system (NIS-EMIR) adapted to the demand of mathematicians and allowing for use of cyrillics; the provision of access to a directory of Russian mathematicians (with plans for further extensions); the creation of a base for electronic publishing and the creation of EmNet centres at the 8 NIS partners sites. Associated workshops and mobility visits have taken place. Software which is especially adapted to the needs of mathematicians has been acquired, viz. the SGML-based Euromath System to facilitate document production and exchange, and the computer algebra system MAPLE. In terms of manpower, the main effort has been directed at computer networking and, most important, the creation of associated services. These efforts are only meaningful if supported internally and followed up by wider telecommunications projects in the NIS countries. Especially one of the partners, IPS in Moscow, has been active in this area but also the Ukrainian and Georgian partners have allocated much effort to this aspect, with the concrete goal of ensuring efficient access to the INTERNET on a permanent basis. Roughly half of the INTAS grant has been used to buy powerful UNIX-based computers for the 8 NIS partners. These computers are used as local servers and, where technically possible, as WWW-based information servers on the INTERNET. The computers are the nucleus of the EmNet centres built. The EmNet concept, though not fully developed, constitutes a key element of the partner's strategy in the field of collaborative information exchange and electronic publishing. The results of the project will be made available to other NIS organisations. A continuation in a second phase with 59 NIS based partners has been realised. Searching for OpenAIRE data... There was an error trying to search data from OpenAIRE No results available
