i-Society 2006 » Organisers » Keynote speakers
Keynote speakers
Wolfgang Gentzsch is currently leading the D-Grid initiative which aims at developing a nation-wide infrastructure for ‘Services for Scientists’ in Germany. As a member of the grid standards GGF Steering Committee, he is Area Director of Major Grid Projects. He is also a member of the European Commission’s e-IRG Infrastructure Research Group. Before, Wolfgang Gentzsch was managing director of MCNC Grid & Datacenter Services; Sun’s senior director of grid computing; as a founder, president, CEO and CTO involved in Gridware (acquired by Sun) and Genias Software, and a co-founder of Genias Graphics, Genias Internet, and Genias Benelux; he was a professor of computer science at the University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg, Germany, and is currently adjunct professor at Duke at Durham, NC State at Raleigh, and UNC Charlotte, and a visiting scientist at the RENCI Renaissance Computing Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. Wolfgang is a widely published author on papers in computational and computer sciences, especially distributed computing.
Kevin Warwick is Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England, where he carries out research in artificial intelligence, control, robotics and biomedical engineering. He has been awarded higher doctorates (DScs) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. He was presented with The Future of Health technology Award from MIT (USA), was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg and received The IEE Achievement Medal in 2004. In 2000 Kevin presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled ‘The Rise of The Robots’. His presentations include The 1998 Robert Boyle Memorial Lecture at Oxford University, The 2000 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, The 2001 Higginson Lecture at Durham University, The 2003 Royal Academy of Engineering/Royal Society of Edinburgh Joint lecture in Edinburgh, The 2003 IEEE (UK) Annual Lecture in London, The 2004 Woolmer Lecture at York University, the Robert Hooke Lecture (Westminster) in 2005, the 2005 Einstein Lecture in Potsdam, Germany and the 2006 IMechE Mechatronics Prestige Lecture in London (For further details please visit www.kevinwarwick.com).
Charles R. Winer is a Professor of Computer Information Technology at Purdue University, Calumet, USA (Purdue University is one of the top 10 universities in the USA). He has extensive experience in both academia and consultancy. He holds the Certificate in Data Processing (CDP)/Certified Computing Professional (CCP) designations as awarded by the Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP). Professor Winer’s academic experience includes both research and teaching positions at the Purdue University. He has presented papers internationally, and has given keynote presentations in national and international conferences and has published significantly within his research area. He has also received outstanding awards recognition. His current interests focus on next generation cutting edge technologies and database integration of multiple agencies to provide aid to the indigent population. (For further details please visit cisit.calumet.purdue.edu/crwiner).
Michael Thorne, professor of mathematics, vice-chancellor of the University
of East London; board member of the University for Industry, and the
London Urban Development Corporation, UK. Professor Thorne has a first class honours degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of London and a PhD from Birmingham. He has published widely both in print and on radio and television. He spent the first half of his academic career in the universities of London and Wales. He then became a Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Sunderland and then moved to Napier University as Vice Principal. He has served on a number of government committees and is currently a member of the board of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. He is also a board member of the Broadway Theatre Trust, Newham College of Further Education, and is chair of East London E-Learning, the largest UfI-hub in London.
