LETTER OF INTENT

ORGANIZATION OF A SECOND EDITION SUMMER TRAINING SCHOOL AT STINA DE VALE (ORADEA) ROMANIA

E. Roventa
Computer Science Department
Glendon College, York University
roventa@yorku.ca

Introduction

This project supports the organization of a second edition of a summer training school in English for 1 week to be held in Stina de Vale, the mountain resort of the University of Oradea, Romania, for about 50 advanced students and junior faculty selected at the national level. The primary objective of the project is to strengthen the Romanian expertise in the Humanities by using Computer Science techniques and also advance the international reach of York University. Other objectives include starting common research projects with Romanian professors and establishing electronic linkages among groups of Romanian and Canadian students in their fields of interest. Students will acquire professional skills in an intercultural context. The title of the training school will be "Some Applications of Logic in the Humanities" (Linguistics, Translations, Business, and Computer Science). By increasing international expertise, Romanian students and faculty will benefit from a comprehensive approach in the study of important areas using Artificial Intelligence tools. This project represents higher education institution cooperation and will contribute to the development of this body of expertise by training both junior professors and advanced students.

Project Proposal

The lecturers will include four professors from Glendon and Atkinson Colleges, York University, Toronto, with notable experience and expertise in their field of specialization. They are:

• Prof. E. Roventa, Glendon Computer Science, coordinator of the summer school
• Prof. I Martin, Chair, Glendon English Department
• Prof. R. Campeanu, Atkinson ITEC program
• Prof. M. Janta, Glendon Computer Science
• Prof. T. Spircu, Chair, Medical Informatics Deparment, Bucharest, Romania
• Mr. Boris Vaduva, President, Greenstone Financial Solutions, Toronto, Canada

The training school will feature three conferences daily with round table discussions on selected topics, and will take place on July, 2004. Professor Roventa will lecture on "Logical Foundations of PROLOG". He will also organize and co-coordinate the summer school. Prof. I. Martin will lecture on "New Approaches to Learn English as a Second Language for Foreigners", Professor R. Campeanu will lecture on "Building a Model for the Universe". Professor Janta will lecture on "Computer - aided Human Translation and Human-aided Computer Translation". Prof. Spircu will lecture on "Prolog and the Theory of Belief" and Mr. Vaduva will lecture on "The Canadian Insurance System".

The success of this project will be judged by the evaluations of Romanian students, by the continuation of joint research projects among Canadian and Romanian professors and by the electronic linkages among students. All Canadian professors received official letters of invitation.

Goals and Purpose

• Advancing of the internationalization and profile of York University by the participation of a group of five York professors in the functioning of the school
• The project will represent the dissemination of international teaching / curricula
• The school will establish new direct institutional linkages for research and student experience
• The project will “build bridges” across different disciplines and units at York (Linguistics, History, Business, computer Science) having logical language and inferences as an essential crux.
• The training school responds to the recipient country’s needs
• The proposed summer training school will contribute to the institutional capacity development of the University of Oradea, Romania
• The project will continue to advance the dynamics of university reform in Romania.

Deliverables

• Web site with lectures notes
• Joint research projects with Oradea faculty
• Facilitate exchange of students between York and Oradea universities.

Preliminary Budget

A. To be contributed by the University of Oradea

• Local transportations (Budapest - Oradea 110 $ and Oradea - Stina de Vale 40 $) for five Canadian professors…………………………………..750$
• Accommodation and meals, $120 per Diem, for 5 Canadian professors for one week……………………………………………………………4,200$

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 4,950.00$

B. To be contributed by York University

• Travel air ticket for five Canadian professors (Toronto-Budapest)…1,400 x 5 = (the lowest cost fare will be sought out)…………………………7,000$

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 7,000.00$