See SC Series Home Page
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Theme:New Directions in Computational Science and Internetics as Academic Disciplines
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Moderator: Geoffrey Fox, Syracuse University and Panelists:
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Roscoe Giles, Boston University
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Frank Gilfeather, University of New Mexico
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Xiaoming Li, Peking University
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Qian Depei, Xian Jiaotong University
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Siamak Hassanzadeh Sun Microsystems
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This panel will examine the current status and futures of Computational Sciemce in Academic Curricula. We will discuss trade-offs between different approaches including
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a)Setting up separate programs in Computational Science
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b) Following proposal of Fox and Li(Peking Univ.), expand concept to a broader program in Internetics including "grid" technologies and "information" applications (see http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/internetics/)
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c) Pursue course of integrating advanced computing into traditional fields.
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A few years ago there was substantial interest in option a) but this appears not to have "taken off". This panel will ask if this just reflects the great successes with option c) or if we should instead focus pro-actively on promoting a) or b).
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Other related issues that can be discussed are the relative importance of "education" and "training" and whether organizations such as NCSA and NPACI should solely aim at training in individual technologies
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Or also offer broader "computational science/internetics" certificates with possible academic credit.
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Certificates could be attractive for many reasons including the ability to arrange smaller modules (than say typical 12 semester Masters degree) which can be taught by novel distant learning techniques.
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Leading questions
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1. Does Internetics make sense?
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2. Are flexible modular certificates a good packaging of such curricula?
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3. Can we set up International collaborations?
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4. Do we need any special academic initiatives in this area or will advanced computing concepts be absorbed through traditional departments.
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5. If we set up new academic efforts, what is their curricula content and how could they be set up?
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6. Should the current NSF, State, DoD and DoE centers emphasize education more or stick with training?
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