Academic Network Mtg Jun-23-2011

We had our first meeting of OSGeo Academic Network on 23rd June 2011 at CGS, University of Nottingham following the OSGIS event.

Participants

• Thierry Badard (Laval University, Canada)
• Maria Brovelli (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
• Suchith Anand (CGS, University of Nottingham)
• Ari Jolma (Aalto University, Finland)
• Charlie Schweik (UMass, USA - by teleconference)
• Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)
• Mike Jackson (CGS, University of Nottingham)
• Jeremy Morley (CGS, University of Nottingham)
• Didier Leibovici (CGS, University of Nottingham)

Apologies

• Rafael Moreno, (University of Colorado Denver, USA)
• Lluís Vicens (SIGTE, University of Girona, Spain)
• Massimiliano Cannata (SUPSI, Switzerland)
• Venkatesh Raghavan (Osaka State University, Japan)

Minutes

1. Tyler chaired the meeting, introducing the overall idea of forming something more formal than an ad-hoc committee, and the benefits of doing so.
2. Suchith - shared his perspective, discussed the ELOGEO course material training program http://elogeo.nottingham.ac.uk
3. Roundtable: Reviewed the various programmes and teaching styles in use by profs around the table
4. Issues discussion:
   1. First step, identifying key contacts from a good cross section of institutions.
   2. Balancing formalism? how formal is too formal for legal issues, etc.?
5. Tyler described the one-to-one MOU for institution <-> OSGeo - versus the Academic Network idea which is more peer-to-peer, institution to institution, and with OSGeo.
   1. MOU to serve as a way to join/enter the network?
   2. 5-6 institutions currently interested in signing an MOU with OSGeo
6. Discussed idea of having an MOU for other organisations (not institutions) to collaborate with OSGeo
   1. ACTION - Start drafting MOU for organisations to have with the academic network? Building on the wiki page: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Academic_Network
   2. identify potential collaborator organisations as well - eg. ICA open source WG.
   3. 10+ interested in academic network already
7. Charlie gave overview of his research on studying open source collaboration research; leadership role came up as clearly important; Also gave overview of initial thoughts he had..
   1. potential funding for developing workshops for face to face sprints? funding for hiring a leadership position? Tyler available to help on administrative/organisation side - interim or long term as required
   2. Charlie knows about US options, discussing european one as well
   3. Network would help provide leverage for a variety of options
8. ACTION Charlie: Produce 1-2 pager describing the workshop concept for collaboration and potential for funding bids

Curriculum development discussion

1. Charlie outlined a few efforts for curriculum development, how to capture/contribute for distribution?
2. Mike talked about the "Body Of Knowledge" approach in Europe, related working group through ITC, including Maria. Also AGILE, IGN France, more.. looking at this question. Meeting at ICA on the topic, Rm 204 5-7pm on Thursday of the event.
3. Mike to forward details
4. Discussed the UCGIS curriculum too (bottom: http://www.aag.org/cs/aag_bookstore) and how we might tie into it.
5. reference also to the work done by GITA for US fed "industry" for aligning skillsets in GI job market: http://www.gita.org/gita-in-action/dol.asp
6. Maria noted the UCGIS BOK missing "internet" age content
7. smaller network may be a bit more agile, focusing on current work/ideas
8. Jeremy: described the fit with ELOGEO project. First iteration is a catalogue, later version may included version tracking, etc. - similar to what Charlie had described. http://elogeo.nottingham.ac.uk
9. Tyler: showing educational catalogue, discussed potential overlap in content with elogeo; potential to dump osgeo edu to elogeo, also potential to use elogeo to host workshop materials over longer term.
10. ACTION Tyler and Amir, Charlie to review 2010 FOSS4G workshop archives (presentations too) and potential to load into ELOGEO.

Publishing

1. How to make OSGeo Journal recognised internationally - ISI? To make sure the publication really "matters" for the author credit. Need clearly defined editorial board for edu components.
2. ACTION Maria, Suchith, Thierry to work with Tyler to consider how to improve ranking of OSGeo Journal
3. Charlie: "Handbook" idea, edited workbooks for regular publication with exercises, tutorials. How to gain contributors? Aim for contributors who may benefit from publishing in this context? What kind of incentives for participation?
4. Tyler introduced various publishing options he is pursuing
5. Ari interested in the handbook volume idea as well, using a collaborative writing model and systems (e.g docbook); topic focused volumes
6. If desire to pursue, would need to set up an editor, and set a CFP with defined goals/topics

Other ideas

1. Parallel seminar series, with online meetings internationally, encouraging network/dialogue between students and regional issues, helps engage 'experts' from abroad to expand ability to meet/learn further
2. Tie-in with "open nottingham" initiative? (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/open/opennottingham.aspx)
3. ACTION What is each person planning to do for the next year, esp. in which kinds of courses each are teaching, that might tie-in, just for information sake
4. Charlie: shared idea of helping educate at local government level, any international need/interest? Charlie already pursuing from a US regionally approach, CGS interested as well.

Summary Topics

1. Curriculum core
2. Cataloguing training content
3. Publishing and incentives to increase content development from authors
4. Further MOU / network bootstrapping discussion

Next steps

1. Establish some subcommittees in above areas?
2. Schedule regular meetings? Next meeting in Denver - review ability to host a meeting Mon/Tues instead of following Saturday where we have a room booked already for EDU committee.
3. Spur on agenda setting for foss4g