UNINETT (Norway)

One of the major trends in scientific research is the increase in data volume. Science is increasingly data driven when datasets are on the tera-scale level. Once, only particle physicists produced these huge amounts of data, but now many other branches of science do too: advances in recording brain activity produce new challenges to brain researchers.

The Nordic research and education networks are preparing to put a whole new network infrastructure in place for EISCAT 3D, as the powerful new radar is situated in remote northern Scandinavia to assure a minimum of background noise. For the next 35 to 40 years to come, it will be the centerpiece of the international network of instruments monitoring the Earth’s upper atmosphere and space environment.

Because of its sheer size, a pipe organ is bound to the location where it’s situated. That is why it is very rare for organists to be able to play together. Until now, that is. A magic moment occurred at theTNC16 research and education network conference in Prague: two organs more than 2000 km apart will play a concert together, thus creating a completely new musical experience.

Swedish researchers are incorporating sensitive register data in their cross-border analyses of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors for schizophrenia. Thanks to Tryggve, a new Nordic initiative to advance the utilization of sensitive biomedical data.

The Research and Education Network for Uganda is helping one of the country's universities, the Ugandan Christian University offer PhD and Master of Journalism and Media Studies Progammes online in collaboration with the University of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa and the NLA University College in Norway.

Several research and education networks are breaking new ground in their effort to develop a system for digitizing exams. But still there is a long way to go.

More than 20 countries are present in Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic, operating their own research facilities. The most northerly fibre optic cable system in the world has been installed to ensure that the massive amounts of data produced there can be transferred ”live” to global research networks.