Call for Proposals: 6th ICT Asia Programme (France)

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Link to this blog post: http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2009/09/call-for-proposals-6th-ict-asia.html

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

The sixth call for proposals of the ICT-Asia regional program has been published and is available at http://www.ict-asia-france.org/call-for-proposals

The themes encouraged this year are:

• Communication systems: infrastructure networks, mobile communications, internet of things, applications and services, networked media;

• Components and systems: microelectronics, nanotechnologies, embedded systems, computing systems, quantum information;

• e-Health technologies and ICT for the ageing society: imaging systems, information systems, health informatics, ambient assistive living;

• Cognitive systems, interaction, robotics (including: multimodal interfaces, speech recognition, language base interaction);

• Content and knowledge processing.

Both the text of the call and the application form are available in English and French language.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 1 October 2009.

We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Bonjour à tous,

Le sixième appel à propositions du programme régional STIC-Asie a été publié sur le site du programme à http://www.ict-asia-france.org/call-for-proposals Les thèmes encouragés cette année sont:

• Systèmes de communication : infrastructure, réseaux mobiles, Internet des objets, applications et services, médias en réseaux ;

• Composants et systèmes : microélectronique, nanotechnologies, systèmes embarqués, informatique quantique ;

• Informatique et santé / TIC pour une société vieillissante : imagerie, systèmes d’information, informatique médicale, assistance au domicile ;

• Système cognitifs, interaction, robotique : interfaces multimodales, reconnaissance de la parole, interaction langagière ;

• Contexte et traitement des connaissances. Le texte de l'appel ainsi que le formulaire de présentation sont disponibles en français et en anglais.

La date limite de dépôt des candidatures est le 1 octobre 2009.

Cordialement,

Antonin Coeur-Bizot
Assistant du Conseiller
Régional de Coopération et d'Action Culturelle
Délégation Régionale,
Ambassade de France en Thaïlande

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Travel Notes: Strasbourg, France (October 18, 2008)

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Strasbourg, France

Date Visited: October 18, 2008 (Saturday)

How I got there: From Heidelberg, I took a train ride to Karlsruhe (about 1 hour). Then From Karsruhe, I took an Intecity train to Ofenburg (about 1 hour). From Ofenburg, I took a train ride to Strasbourg which passed by Kiel.

Interesting Sights Visited/Seen:

1. Train station
2. Cathedral
3. Rohan Palace
4. Place Kleber
5. Rue Merciere
6. Astronomical clock by Dasypodius
7. Kammerzel house
8. Hospital tower (13th century city walls remains)

Interesting Facts About Strasbourg:

“Hemmed in by the medieval network of urban fabric, the cathedral is Strasbourg’s symbolic monument. At the end of Rue Merciere, lined with half timbered 17th century houses, the church dedicated to our Lady was constructed on the highest point of the agglomeration. The western façade, all in pink sandstone, 66 meters high, is a summary of architectural art of the 13th to 15th centuries.

The piece which unquestionably attracts the most curiosity in the cathedral is the astronomical clock and its rotating figurines. It was designed between 1570 and 1574 by the Strasbourg mathematician Dasypodius. The mechanism stopped working in 1780 and was restored between 1838 and 182 by another Strasbourg genius, Jean Baptieste Schwilgue.

Interesting Experience:

1. Visiting the cathedral – very impressive!
2. Riding the minitram
3. Seeing lots of people at Place Kleber

Website: http://www.ot-strasbourg.fr/

Reference: Guide Decouverte Strasbourg, 2008.
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Travel Notes: Strasbourg Cathedral, France (October 18, 2008)

Note: I visited the City of Strasbourg, France on October 18, 2008. One of the most beautiful sights I've seen in Strasbourg is the Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre Dame).

Some Facts About the Strasbourg Cathedral:

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg_Cathedral

Excerpts:

• Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg, German: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France.

• Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely considered to be among the finest examples of high, or late, Gothic architecture.

• Erwin von Steinbach is credited for major contributions from 1277 to his death in 1318.
• 
  At 142 metres, it was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874. It remained the tallest church in the world until 1880, when it was surpassed firstly by Cologne Cathedral and then the 161 metre Ulm Münster. Today it is the fourth-tallest church in the world.
• 
  Described by Victor Hugo as a "gigantic and delicate marvel",the cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace and can be seen from as far off as the Vosges mountains or the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine.
  

Cheers,

Raffy

Travel Notes: Five European Countries in Three Weeks

.Figure caption: A portion of European map showing most of the cities that I have visited during the period from October 4 - 23, 2008.

Note: While we are still on semestral break (classes in Ateneo will resume on Monday, November 10, 2008) I thought that I should upload my blog entries during my recent trip in Europe before I become busy with my classes again.

I was in Europe from October 4 - 23, 2008 for a series of meetings, conferences, and laboratory visits [including some sightseeing on the side :) ].

During this period I was able to visit several cities in five European countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Netherlands).

Below are some of the cities/places I have visited during this recent trip:

1. Brussels, Belgium (Oct. 4 - 7)
2. Leuven, Belgium (Oct. 7 - 9)
3. Cologne, Germany (Oct. 9)
4. Bensheim, Germany (Oct. 9 - 13)
5. Darmstadt, Germany (Oct. 10)
6. Wilhemsfeld, Germany (Oct. 11)
7. Heidelberg, Germany (Oct. 11, 13 - 20)
8. Frankfurt, Germany (Oct. 12 and 17)
9. Karsruhe, Germany (Oct. 18)
10. Strasbourg, France (Oct. 18)
11. Manheim, Germany (Oct. 18 and 19)
12. Koblenz, Germany (Oct. 19 - 20)
13. Luxembourg, Luxembourg (Oct. 20 - 21)
14. Amsterdam, Netherlands (Oct. 21 - 23)
15. Lieden, Netherlands (Oct. 22)
16. The Hauge, Netherlands (Oct. 22)
17. Ultrecht, Netherlands (Oct. 22)
18. Schipol Airport (Oct. 4, 22, 23)

In the next blog entries, I will post photos and notes of my travel in these places.

Cheers,

Raffy

Notes on My Recent Trip to France, Part 1: The Last ONCO-MEDIA Meeting in Paris

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Note: Below is part 1 of a series of notes on my recent trip to France.



THE LAST ONCO-MEDIA MEETING IN PARIS



A report by

Rafael P. Saldana, Ph.D.

Co-Principal Investigator

ONCO-MEDIA Project

(http://www.onco-media.com/)



Introduction





ONCO-MEDIA Meeting, Day 1

ONCO-MEDIA - The last meeting in Paris

Date: July 11-12, 2008

Location: LIP6, 5th floor, Room 549
104 avenue du President Kennedy, 75016 Paris

Time Schedule:

Friday, July 11

10h Welcome

10h30 Appraisal on the project
History and life of the project
Daniel RACOCEANU

11h30 Coffee break

12h Contribution of each partner: I
Toshiharu NAKAI

13h Lunch

14h Contribution of each partner: II
Henning MULLER
Rafael SALDANA
Sorina CAMARASU
Jean-Romain DALLE
Patrick Brézillon

17h Coffee break

17h30 Contribution of each partner: III

Heng-Shuen CHEN

19h Eiffel Tower by foot (sponsor by Onco-Media France)

Saturday, July 12

10h Plan for the last three months for concluding the
project
1. Writing of the last report (outline,
individual contribution)

2. Proposal for a special issue or a book
Plan for the future

1. ICT-Asia

2. Other proposals (SinFra, SEACOOP, ... )

3. Prototyping (I3S et AIST/CGG)?

4. Student exchanges?

13h End of the meeting and lunch together in a restaurant

How to reach the place:

http://www.lip6.fr/fr/informations/comment.php#

RER line C station "Avenue du President Kennedy -
Maison de la Radio"

NB: look carefully at the signs
on the platform.

Metro: line 6; station Passy

by bike:
http://www.en.velib.paris.fr/comment_ca_marche/faq__1

Contact Person:

Patrick BREZILLON,
LIP6, Box 169, University Paris VI,
104,ave. du Pdt Kennedy, 75016 PARIS, France
Phone: +33 1 44 27 70 08 - Fax: +33 1 44 27 70 00
Mobile.: +33 6 10 63 76 96
Web: http://www-sysdef.lip6.fr/~brezil

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What I forgot to Bring in France

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Note: In a previous blog entry () I made a checklist of what I need to bring for my trip to France in (http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/07/trip-to-paris-france-2008-pre-departure.html) on July 2008.

While in France I realized that I forgot to bring a very important item with me - a universal adaptor for my laptop and cellphone charger. Luckily, my digital camera charger is suitable for use in France. I realized that not all hotels in France have adaptors that can be lent to guests. I was able to buy an adaptor in an electronic shop in Lyon (called FNAC) but it was during the day before my last stay in France :(

Next time, I should put the adaptor in my travel checklist ...

Raffy
in Lyon, France
7/22/08

Updates From France

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Note: I've been traveling in France for about two weeks already. I've been busy with meetings and moving around, and I have not updated my blog (Raffy's World).

I arrived in Paris, France on July 10, 2008 to attend our last ONCO-MEDIA (http://www.onco-media.com) project meeting in LIP6, University of Paris 6. The other places that I visited in France include Versailles, Rouen, Dieppe, and Lyon. In Lyon, I visited CREATIS (one of our ONCO-MEDIA partners) in the University of Lyon and met with its director Dr. Hughes Benoit and research engineer Ms. Sorina Camarasu. I was supposed to attend another meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK) but I did not have enough time to get a visa to the UK before I left Manila so I was not able to attend the meeting in Edinburgh.

I am now in Lyon, France. In a few hours I will take a fast train (TGV) from Lyon Part Dieu Gare (train) station which will bring me to Paris Charles De Gaul (CDG) airport where I will take an Air France flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. From Amsterdam I will take a KLM flight to Manila.

I am scheduled to arrive in Manila on Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

Cheers,

Raffy
in Lyon, France
7/22/08

Trip to Paris, France (2008): Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

. Figure Caption: Map of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

In a few hours from now, I will depart from Manila and board a KLM flight to Paris, France.

To prepare for my arrival in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport I looked at the map of the airport from its website,


http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/Adp/en-GB/Passagers/


Other Links:


http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/Adp/en-GB/Passagers/Arrivees/QuitterAeroport/EnCarEtTrain/


http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/Adp/en-GB/Passagers/Arrivees/QuitterAeroport/EnTransportEnCommun/EnTransportsEnCommun.htm


Raffy
7/10/08
4:45 a.m.

Trip to Paris, France (2008): Pre-Departure Activities

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Figure Caption: Train Map of Metropolitan Paris. One of the maps that I will bring during my trip to Paris, France on July 10, 2008.


Today (9 July 2008) I spent most of my time preparing for my trip to Paris, France tomorrow morning.

Before my classes (Ma 20 and AMC 124) I went to the bank to ensure that I have sufficient money left in my checking account and to exchange some Philippine pesos to U.S. dollars.

I met my classes from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. After my classes I checked-in online via KLM website. It was my first time to use the online check-in facility of KLM. My seat number is 42 K (window seat).

Here's my checklist for my flight to Paris, France tomorrow:

1. Passport
2. Plane ticket
3. Cash (for travel tax, terminal fee, and spending money)
4. Credit cards
5. Luggage (with clothes, toiletries, etc.)
6. Conference presentation
7. Camera (plus accessories)
8. Hotel voucher
9. Travel insurance
10. Laptop computer (with charger)
11. USB memory sticks
12. Maps
13. Cellphone (with charger)

(I wonder if I forgot anything ???)

Cheers,

Raffy
7/9/08

Trip to Paris, France (July 2008)

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Photo Caption: Location map of the Laboratoire d'Informatique, University of Paris 6 in Paris, France -- venue of the ONCO-MEDIA project meeting starting on July 11, 2008.


On Thursday morning (10 July 2008) I will leave Manila and go to Paris, France for a scheduled research meeting (ONCO-Media Project, http://www.onco-media.com) via KLM flight KL 0804, departing from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 10:45 a.m. and arriving in Paris (via Amsterdam) at 9:20 p.m. on the same day.

This will be my third time to visit Paris, France. My first time was in August 1997 when I joined the XII World Youth Day Celebration. My second time was in September 2002 when I made a side trip to Paris (from Spain) on my way to Copenhagen (Denmark).

Our research meeting is scheduled to start on July 11 in the Laboratoire d'Informatique, University of Paris 6 ( http://www.lip6.fr/en/index.html ) in Passy, Paris, France. Our host is Dr. Patrick Brezillon.

I will attend this research meeting in my capacity as Co-Principal Investigator (for Ateneo de Manila University) of the ONCO-MEDIA project.

For more more information about ONCO-MEDIA, visit the website:
http://www.onco-media.com


Raffy 7/8/08

Visit of Dr. Bernard Mely (CNRS, France) in Ateneo de Manila University, 23 April 2008

Photo Caption: (L-R) Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, Ms. Ines Loge, Dr. Bernard Mely, Dr. Raffy Saldaña

Photo Caption: (L-R) Ms. Ines Loge, Dr. Fabian Dayrit, Dr. Raffy Saldaña, Dr. Bernard Mely


Today (23 April 2008) Dr. Bernard Mely, Director, South East Asia Bureau of the Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France) and Ms. Ines Loge, science and technology attache of the Embassy of France to the Philippines, had a meeting with Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ (president of Ateneo de Manila University), Dr. Fabian Dayrit (dean of the School of Science and Engineering of Ateneo), chairpersons and representatives of the different departments in the School of Science and Engineering and me.

Dr. Mely who is based in Hanoi, Vietnam presented some information about the CNRS and its programs related to research collaboration between France and countries in South East Asia.

After the meeting, Dr. Dayrit and I accompanied Dr. Mely and Ms. Loge to different scientific laboratories in the campus.

To see more photos of Dr. Mely's visit in Ateneo, click on the following link (then click on each photo to see a larger image or select 'Slideshow' for an animated view):

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/115/Visit_of_Dr._Bernard_Mely_CNRS_SE_Director_in_Ateneo_23_April_2008


Cheers,

Raffy
4/23/08

New Master's Program in the University of Cergy-Pontoise (France)

From Ms. Ines Loge, Science and Technology Attache, Embassy of France to the Philippines:


Please be informed that the University of Cergy-Pontoise in France just opened a new Master:
Master 1 - MPIE : Maths, Physics, Informatics in English.

For more information, please check the following website

http://www.u-cergy.fr/phy/MPIE/


--
Inès Loge, Ambassade de France aux Philippines Attachée scientifique et technique