Poland joins ERCIM

PLERCIM, the newly created research consortium established by two major Polish universities, the University of Warsaw and the University of Wroclaw, has become a member of the ERCIM European Economic Interest Grouping. Poland is the 18th country to join ERCIM.

The aim of ERCIM is to foster collaborative work within the European research community in information and communication technologies (ICT) and applied mathematics, and to increase co-operation with European industry. With PLERCIM membership, ERCIM is expanding its geographical reach and increasing further its impact.

PLERCIM to act as a node in Poland
With the objective to develop collaboration between Poland and other European countries in informatics and mathematics, the universities of Warsaw and Wroclaw have decided to join their forces and create a unique research consortium which will play an important role in Polish scientific life. They plan to open it to some other Polish universities and act as a node for Polish industry. PLERCIM will initiate and coordinate future cooperation between Polish and other European researchers while sharing ERCIM vision with its national representatives to help harmonise the way Europe is working in this area.

For Jerzy Tiuryn, President of PLERCIM, "ERCIM should give the scientific community of Polish mathematicians and informaticians a stimulus to foster engagement and international cooperation with leading research institutions of Europe. This engagement is anticipated on several levels: access to high-quality post docs; involvement in the existing research working groups of ERCIM; a possibility of creating international working groups within ERCIM in the scientific areas of mathematics and informatics which are strategic for the Polish research institutions; and easier involvement in international research teams in connection with the European Union's 7th Research Framework Programme. I believe that our joining of ERCIM will be mutually beneficial and I am looking forward to this cooperation." The Scientific Council of PLERCIM consists of four scholars: two from the University of Warsaw, Prof. Jerzy Tiuryn and Dr. Hung Son Nguyen, and two from the University of Wroclaw, Prof. Leszek Pacholski and Dr. Hab. Marek Piotrów.

ERCIM to expand its area of influence
ERCIM members are cooperating for excellence in research. As such, they link up industry and universities, disseminate and interact on research information both nationally and internationally. For Keith Jeffery, President of ERCIM, "Our linking of European resources creates a force of more than 12,000 researchers who can work together in different areas of research. As the front door to European informatics research, ERCIM is making a big difference for Europe maintaining its lead in advanced ICT, in particular through our management of projects funded by the European Commission and our advice to both the European Union and national governments on ICT strategy. We are very happy to see Poland and its renowned scientific community joining ERCIM and we look forward to PLERCIM participation in our activities. We expect research institutions of other European countries to join us in the next few months, thus increasing the potential for collaboration which is so fundamental to Europe’s success in our field."

See also the article published by the European Commission, Research Information Centre: "Poland connects with Europe-wide ICT research consortium"

For more information
PLERCIM: http://www.plercim.pl
Article in ERCIM News