In this issue

We announce the results of the CEPIS Executive Committee elections and the dates for Council meetings in 2013. We also bring you news on the European Commission’s Rethinking Education strategy and we include key figures on the teaching of ICT skills in Europe. If you have any feedback or you would like to send contributions from your society for the next update to be published in February 2012, please email Michel Krmek.

49(12) CEPIS Autumn Council - Presentations Now Available

Thanks to all who attended the 49(12) CEPIS Council meeting in Brussels. The CEPIS Council presentations and supporting documentation are now available in the Member’s Area for your perusal. The group photo is also available in the Photo Gallery of the Member’s Area.

Members who attended this Council meeting are invited to provide their feedback by completing a short survey. This will take only a few minutes of your time and will help shape future meetings. Provide your feedback on the 49th CEPIS Council Meeting

CEPIS Execom Elections 2012 - Results

Following the elections at the 49th CEPIS Council meeting in Brussels, the CEPIS Executive Committee is comprised as follows:
• Nello Scarabottolo (AICA) - President
• Jorg Ruegg (SI) - President Elect (Newly elected)
• Declan Brady (ICS) - Honorary Secretary (Newly elected)
• Byron Nicolaides (HEPIS) - Honorary Treasurer (Newly elected)
• Gerald Futschek (OCG) - Vice President (Newly elected)
• Robert McLaughlin (BCS) - Vice President (Newly elected)
• Luis Fernández Sanz (ATI) - Vice President

CEPIS Council Meetings in 2013

The 50th CEPIS Council meeting will take place on Saturday, 22 April 2013, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. There will be an evening reception on Friday, 21 April, the evening prior to Council. The 51st CEPIS Autumn Council meeting will take place on Thursday, 22 November 2013, in Brussels, Belgium. A welcome reception will also be organised the evening prior to Council. More information will be circulated to all Members ahead of the meetings. In the meantime, please save these dates in your calendar.

Join the CEPIS Computing in Schools SIN

At the 49th CEPIS Council meeting, Members agreed to establish a Computing in Schools Special Interest Network (CIS SIN). Members are invited to participate in this SIN. Expressions of interest to become a representative on this new SIN can be emailed to Michel Krmek.

CEPIS Micro-Conference on Ethics - February 13th, Brussels

In response to the interest of many Member Societies on ethics, CEPIS will hold a micro-conference on this topic in Brussels, on Wednesday, 13 February 2013. 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. If your society is active in this area and you would like to appoint a person to attend this event please contact Michel Krmek.

Visit the Museum of Computer History in Szeged, Hungary!

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.

EC Launches the Rethinking Education Strategy

The European Commission (EC) is launching a new strategy called Rethinking Education to encourage Member States to take immediate action to solve the skill mismatch and to achieve their targets for jobs. The new strategy highlights the growth potential of ICT in terms of job creation, as well as the benefits that the digital revolution brings to education. The EC calls on Member States to strengthen the provision of transversal skills that increase employability, such as digital skills, across all curricula from early stages of education up to higher education. Another priority for all Member States is to scale up the use of ICT-supported learning and to modernise the ICT infrastructure of schools. Read the Rethinking Education Strategy

Teaching of ICT Skills is Lagging in Europe

According to a new European Commission report schools are not paying sufficient attention to transversal skills, which include ICT skills, compared with basic skills such as literacy and science. Transversal skills are less often taught as standalone subjects but are generally integrated into other subjects or into the curriculum as a whole. The study also reveals that almost all countries have implemented national ICT strategies, however ICT skills are rarely integrated into subjects such as mathematics, science and languages. Part of the problem is rooted in difficulties with assessment which often neglects transversal skills since they are embedded into other subjects. Read the Report Developing Key Competences at School in Europe

Committee of the Regions Conference on New Skills and Jobs

The Committee of the Regions is organising a conference on the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, one of the seven Flagship Initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy, on 28 February 2013 in Dublin. This conference will discuss how local and regional authorities can improve education and respond to the need for more flexible careers, contributing this way to Europe’s growth strategy. A call for good practice from the local and regional levels on any themes related to EU2020 strategy, including the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE), is now open. A selection of good practice will be showcased at the conference. More about this Event

EC Wants Public Sector Websites to be Accessible to All

The European Commission (EC) recently proposed the introduction of EU standardised accessibility features to ensure that all European citizens have access to public sector websites by the end of 2015. Mandatory accessibility would apply to 12 types of public sector websites which provide essential government services like social security, job searches or university applications. The proposed new rules would also clarify the implementation process of web accessibility and governments would be encouraged to apply the rules across all services. Currently, only one third of Europe’s 761,000 public sector and government websites are fully accessible, despite the availability of technical solutions. Read the EC Proposal on the Accessibility of Public Sector Websites

CEPIS Task Force Member: Saskia Van Uffelen appointed Belgian Digital Champion

Saskia Van Uffelen, an active member of the CEPIS Women in ICT Task Force, was recently appointed Digital Champion in Belgium. Saskia is dedicated to getting more young people, and especially girls, enrolled into ICT studies and careers. In 2011 she launched an IT is Cool initiative to improve the image of ICT in Belgium and she has engaged with hundreds of students about the exciting career opportunities in IT. Digital Champions are individuals appointed by their national governments as responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe and improving digital skills. More on Digital Champions

Call for Events: 2013 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems

The 2013 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS) organised by the Polish Information Processing Society (PIPS) has opened a call for events to take place within the 2013 programme. This conference consists of a series of events that provide a platform for researchers, practitioners and academics to discuss ideas, challenges and solutions related to computer science and information systems. FedCSIS welcomes proposals for new events (e.g. conference, symposium, workshop, etc.) that may run during any length of time during the conference dates. The deadline for this call for events is January 14, 2013. Submit an Event

New ENISA Reports on Data Protection

The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) recently published new reports in the context of the current reform of data protection laws in Europe. The report The Right to be Forgotten analyses the technical means to enforce the right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to erasure or the right to oblivion, which is included in the regulation on data protection proposed by the European Commission earlier this year. The report Privacy Considerations of Online Behavioural Tracking focuses on privacy considerations of online behavioural tracking. Internet users are indeed being increasingly tracked and profiled and their personal data are extensively used as currency in exchange for services

Study Calls for Increased Web Accessibility to Boost Online Sales

The level of e-accessibility is lagging behind the target set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) for 2015, according to a recently published EC-funded study analysing the benefits and costs of improved e-accessibility. Consequently over 100 million Europeans, mostly older people and those with disabilities, are at risk of being digitally excluded. The study, led by Technosite, indicates that the cost of introducing web accessibility is about €2.39 billion in the initial first year for both private and public sectors, but this could generate benefits up to €413 billion from increased online sales and efficiency gains. Read the e-Accessibility Impacts Study

Broadband Internet Access Costs and Offers in Europe

A new EC-funded survey on broadband Internet access costs reveals that the least expensive offers in the new EU Members States are systematically lower than in the EU15 for standalone offers; however bundled offers including telephony are less expensive in EU15 countries. The survey highlights a pattern of price reduction over the last three years for bundled offers which are overall systematically cheaper in the EU than in non-EU countries. This study was conducted by Van Dijk Consultancy in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) which aims to provide universal Internet access at speeds above 30 Mbps by 2020. Read the Broadband Internet Access Cost 2012 Study Report

Europeans Still Favour TV over Internet to Access Content

A Eurobarometer study was recently conducted in order to better understand how Europeans access audiovisual content in the EU. The study reveals that TV ownership is almost universal and most EU citizens watch or listen to audiovisual content via television services (91%). Only 15% Europeans use the Internet to watch or listen to audiovisual content, although two-thirds of them (66%) have Internet access at home. Less than a tenth of Europeans use a smartphone or a tablet computer to access audiovisual content. These new technologies are on average more used in the 15 old Member States. Read the Full Report

Important Upcoming Events

14 December Digital Trends 2012 Athens, Greece. Organised by: HEPIS

20 December Diskobolos Awards 2012 Belgrade, Serbia. Organised by: JISA

13 February 2013 CEPIS Micro-conference on Ethics Brussels, Belgium. Organised by: CEPIS

28 February 2013 Agenda for New Skills and Job Conference Dublin, Ireland. Organised by: Committee of the Regions

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