Professor Larson Returns to the Dead Sea, Jordan

January 13 – 15, 2008

February 5, 2008

Barely six weeks from the conclusion of LINC 2007, Professor Larson returned to the scene, this time to the Kempinski Hotel on the Dead Sea. The meeting was convened by four national academies of science: Palestine Academy for Science and Technology, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jordan Higher Council for Science and Technology, and the United States National Academies (National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine). The purpose of the meeting was to identify possible collaborative projects that could be undertaken jointly by the four scientific societies. Previous successful projects have focused on Water Resources and Micronutrient Deficiencies in the Middle East Region. Professor Larson was placed in charge of a new team, this one focusing on ways in which the Internet could provide opportunities for collaboration among scientists, engineers, teachers and students in the region. Within 24 hours (the total time allotted!), the new team co-invented a project that has unanimous support of all who were in attendance:

A web-based portal focusing information on three topics area of concern to the region: Water Resources, Renewable Energy and Natural Hazards (e.g., earthquakes).

This portal will not only be a repository supporting on-going research and development projects, it will offer social networking opportunities for people of all ages and all levels of knowledge to communicate and share ideas with one another. So, it will be both ‘formal’ and ‘informal.’
The team is currently drafting a Concept Paper outlining the ideas in some detail. They hope to send this to one or more private foundations that would support development and the first several years of operation of the Portal. More news about this as it develops…..