CEPIS
CEPIS Grand Coalition Pledge and Other News from CEPIS – March 2013

In this issue

We announce CEPIS’ pledge to launch the CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark in support of the European Commission’s Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs. We invite you to register for the 50th Council meeting that will take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia on Saturday 20 April. We also include news from CEPIS Member Societies in Cyprus, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, and Lithuania. To send feedback or contributions from your society for the April update, please email Michel Krmek.

CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark to be Launched in Support of Grand Coalition

cepis CEPIS recently announced its pledge to launch the CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark with the support of Member Societies to help reduce the skills mismatches and gaps in support of the European Commission’s Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs. The Coalition was formally launched by President Barroso, and Vice President Kroes in Brussels earlier this month. The CEPIS e-Competence Benchmark has already attracted media attention and will be an online interactive tool for current and future ICT professionals to identify the competences they need for various ICT roles. The Grand Coalition is a multi-stakeholder partnership to address the skills shortages, mismatches and vacancies of ICT practitioners in Europe today. Read CEPIS’ Pledge in Support of the Grand Coalition


50(13) CEPIS Spring Council - Registration Open

dubrovnikThe CEPIS Spring Council will take place on Saturday 20 April in Dubrovnik, Croatia at the Excelsior Hotel. The Council Meeting will start at 08:30 and end around 16:00. There will be a welcome reception in the hotel at 19:00 on Friday, 19 April, the evening prior to Council. This welcome reception will include a buffet dinner. Please register for the event here. Registration is open until Friday 29 March. For any queries please contact Michel Krmek.


CEPIS Supports the European e-Competence Framework Pledge

eCFlogocorrect CEPIS supports the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF) Pledge to promote the e-CF as a common language for ICT competences and to foster its adoption as a European Standard. The e-CF is a reference framework of 36 ICT competences that can be used and understood by ICT user and supply companies, the public sector, educational and social partners across Europe. This framework has been developed in the context of the CEN Workshop on ICT Skills which is chaired by CEPIS. Read the European e-Competence Framework Pledge


Discover the CEPIS Women in ICT Role Models Platform

WomenICT2The CEPIS Platform of Women in ICT role models showcases successful women in a variety of dynamic ICT roles, with a view to inspire European youth, and in particular young girls, to consider a career in ICT. With this initiative CEPIS aims to demonstrate the creativity, versatility and flexibility of the careers in ICT in order to change the perception of ICT among youth. Indeed one the shared concerns of the CEPIS Women in ICT Task Force is that young women who are considering a career in ICT often lack strong female role models. See the CEPIS Women in ICT Role Models Platform


Save the Date: CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN Meeting, March 20, Brussels

computer_teacher

Following the 49th Council decision to create a new Special Interest Network (SIN), the CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN, would like to convene its first meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, March 20 in Brussels. This new SIN will work on creating advocacy material for members of the group with a view to influencing curricula and teachers at the national level. The SIN will also analyse current initiatives in place in Europe to take examples of good practice so as to influence governments. If you would like to attend, please register here.


CEPIS Micro-Conference on Ethics

ethics CEPIS recently brought together experts from Member Societies for an engaging micro-conference on the topic of ethics in ICT. The objective of this event is to provide a platform for dialogue between experts from Member Societies in order to develop a more consistent approach to ethics in ICT and plan a future event that will bring together industry, experts, and policy makers to raise awareness of this issue.


German Informatics Partners with Academy Cube Initiative to Help Skill the ICT Professional Europe Needs

GI_Newlogo2012The Academy Cube is a new pan-European e-learning platform which aims to develop the professionals skills of young graduates in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. By fostering the development of young graduates the Academy Cube intends to provide high-tech companies with the skilled workers they need and help fight unemployment in Europe. The Academy Cube will first focus on university graduates in southern European countries to provide them an opportunity to better position themselves on the European job market. CEPIS Member German Informatics (GI) is a partner of this initiative along with key ICT companies, institutions and associations. This initiative supports the aims of the Digital Agenda for Europe and the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs. More on Academy Cube


FIPA, the Finnish CEPIS Member Society, Publishes IT Barometer on the Importance of IT in Finland

fipaThe Finnish Information Processing Association (FIPA) has published a report analysing the importance and impact of IT for Finnish organisations during 2012. The IT Barometer 2012 is based on over 150 respondents representing some of the largest companies in Finland. In order to ensure that the Finish economy fully utilises ICT’s potential for growth, the report recommends that students should be taught to how to use IT solutions and data in secondary level and higher education, and that business managers should be able to govern the use of data in IT in their organisation. Thanks to FIPA for sharing this interesting report. Download the IT Barometer 2012


New Poll: Do professional ethics in ICT matter?

cepisThe new poll question on the homepage of the CEPIS website asks whether professional ethics in ICT matter. The CEPIS Professionalism Task Force has long recognised the importance of professional Ethics in the establishment of an ICT Profession. This poll question will help to gauge if the broad community of ICT Professionals share the same interest in adhering to a professional ethical conduct. Visit the CEPIS Homepage to Share Your Opinion


Iceland: UTmessan Event Reaches Over 5000 People

utmessanCEPIS Member in Iceland, the Icelandic Computer Society (Ský), recently organised the UTmessa event to raise awareness on the importance of information technology for individuals, businesses and society. The objective of this event was to generate interest of the younger generations in ICT so as to boost the number of computer science graduates in Iceland. The event comprised conferences and a large exhibition for the industry and the public which attracted 5000 people, more than 1,5% of the Icelandic population. The next UTmessan will be organised on 7-8 February 2014. More on UTmessan


Visit the Computer History Museum in Szeged, Hungary

oldcomputer CEPIS Member in Hungary, the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSzT), founded the Szeged’s Museum of Computer History in partnership with the University of Szeged and the National Technical Museum. The museum has an extensive collection of over 12,000 objects tracing the history of computing, including the first Hungarian satellite. More on Szeged’s Computer History Museum


Help Improve European Commission’s DG Connect Metrics

ec_logo_2012 The European Commission’s DG Connect, in charge of the implementation of the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE), launched a survey to gather opinion of stakeholders and interested parties on a set of metrics for their priority actions in 2013 and beyond. More particularly, DG Connect would like to get feedback on metrics for better ICT regulation, policy and research and metrics for better coordination, cooperation and support (support units). The survey is open until 15 March 2013. Provide your feedback


LIKS Computer Days 2013

liks_2The Lithuanian Computer Society (LIKS) is hosting their bi-annual event Computer Days at the Šiauliai University on 19-21 September. Many events will take place throughout this two-day conference such as the 16th Conference on Computer Science, Computing and ICT (MKK) and the 11th Conference on Informatics in School Education (MIK). The full programme is available on the event’s website. Thanks to Saulius Maskeliunas for this contribution. More on the Computer Days 2013


Compulsory Computing in Schools? 83% Say Yes

computing_schoolA poll was introduced on the homepage of the CEPIS website asking if computing science should be a compulsory subject in secondary school. The poll is now closed and the results reveal that a large majority of voters (83%) believe that computing should be compulsory in secondary school. If you would like to suggest a topic or question for our next poll, please contact Michel Krmek.


CCS Launches Bebras Contest in Cyprus

ccs_logoThe Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) recently announced the organisation of the Bebras contest in Cyprus. Bebras is an international informatics competition which aims to promote computer science to school students. The contest focuses on developing the problem-solving skills of students who are asked to complete various kinds of tasks involving algorithms and programming methods. The Bebras contest already took place in almost 20 countries over the past years. More on the Bebras Contest


ITU Report Shows Strong Demand for ICT Services in Europe

ituWith 75% Europeans online, Europe is the region with the highest Internet penetration rate in the world, says a new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for ICT. Europe also has the highest level of mobile broadband penetration with 68% of people using their portable devices to connect to the Internet. Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 33% annually between 2010 and 2013 to reach a total of 422 million subscriptions. Moreover, mobile broadband services are most affordable in Europe compared to other regions of the world. More on ITU’s ICT Facts and Figures


EC Invests €50 Million in 5G Research

ec_logo_2012The European Commission (EC) will invest €50 million in research projects to deliver 5G mobile technology by the end of the decade. It is estimated that mobile traffic will increase by 33 times compared to 2010 figures as a result of the growing connectivity of everyday life objects and the boom of mobile broadband. The EC will fund a series of projects addressing the architecture and functionality needs for 5G networks. More on EC Investments in 5G


Digital Champions Video

Digital Champions recently met in Brussels to assess progress and discuss future plans. A short video presenting the Digital Champions was recently published by the European Commission. There are currently 21 national Digital Champions appointed in the EU following the call made last year by Mr. Barroso, President of the European Commission. Digital Champions are individuals appointed by their national governments as responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) and improving digital skills. More on Digital Champions


Important Upcoming Events

calendar

15 March 2013 CEPIS LSI SIN Meeting Brussels, Belgium. Organised by: CEPIS LSI SIN

20 March 2013 CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN Meeting Brussels, Belgium. Organised by: CEPIS.

20 April 2013 50(13) CEPIS Council Meeting Dubrovnik, Croatia. Organised by: CEPIS. There will be an evening reception on Friday, 19 April, the evening prior to Council.

13-15 May 2013 eHealth Week 2013 Dublin, Ireland Co-organised by: ICS, the European Commission, and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

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