NRENs Users Workshop, Kyiv, Ukraine

Today, science and research are not possible without collaboration and partnering based on connectivity and communication. While there a numerous examples of various scientific areas, some of the most evident are GRID and distributed systems, high-performance computing, physics of new materials and high energy, nano-technology, astronomy and observatories, geology, hydrology, and in particular seismology due to the seismic nature of the regions.
Advanced communication and computing services enriched with their domain specific extensions enabled by contemporary e-Infrastructures that intrinsically support research collaboration proved to be an essential factor for establishing and main training the European research leadership globally. The genuine EU concept of a Research and Educational Network (REN), almost universally established in Europe and embraced in Asia, Africa and South America, has been one of the key factors for the success of the GEANT as the premier international platform for cutting-edge research and innovation. The transformative role of REN into e-Infrastructures resulted in a range of novel and generative user services such as GRIDs, clouds, and virtual organisations.

Therefore, at Kiev, Ukraine, was organized a workshops, whose aim is to generate, facilitate and enable strong and active participation of the various research communities in the forthcoming EU research programmes under the Horizon 2020 programme.
The CEENet/CEENGINE NREN Users Workshop or CEEUSER organized on 22nd May, 2013 addressed the prominent research organisations and institutions who are either connected or intend to connect to the respective National Research and Education Networks in Eastern Europe (NRENs).

The event had focused on the:
(1) advanced services and e-infrastructures offered by NRENs to research community, and
(2) human networking aspects in the leading European projects and the possibilities to extended current and future consortia with new members from Eastern Europe and adjacent areas.

The CEEUSER is immediately followed by PICTURE project workshop “ICT in Horizon 2020”(23rdMay, 2013), which is directed towards researchers and other stakeholders from Eastern Partnership countries interested innovation, development and cooperation with EU partners in ICT within the framework of Horizon 2020. The objectives of the information day, are interalia, to enlighten the role of ICT in Horizon 2020 and the research priorities in Eastern Partnership countries based on the results of the PICTURE project.
The event was attended by 15 people delegated from the Republic of Moldova, including Mr. Igor Cojocaru – the director of the Information Society Development Institute and Luminiţa Mihalachi - a researcher from the same institute.