Cyber Security Training for All New Australian Defence Force Students

Greetings from the the University of NSW Canberra, where I am attending the ICT for Development Symposium. In his welcome, the UNSWC Deputy Rector, Professor John Arnold, pointed out that all undergraduates would be trained in cyber security, commencing 2015. This is very significant for national security as UNSW Canberra is the location of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and trains Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. Northrop Grumman installed a "Cyber Range", which could be used as part of the training. However, while it will be very useful for all ADF personnel to have some knowledge of the topic Australia also needs a specialist CyberWarfare Battalion.

Information Systems for Development Symposium

UNSW Canberra (aka ADFA) is hosting a free Information Systems  for Development Symposium (ICT4D), in Canberra 25 to 25 September 2014. This will feature Professor Robert Davison, City University of Hong Kong.

Current Trends, Future Prospects in ICT4D Research

Professor Robert Davison, City University of Hong Kong

Abstract

While ICT4D research is widely conducted in Developing Countries, it is not always very visible to audiences in Developed Countries. Some of this research is commissioned by entities like the World Bank and various UN agencies. Other research projects are initiated and conducted by academics in Developing Countries. It is this latter type of research that I am most familiar with and that will be my focus. Academics, globally, seek to publish their research in the best outlet they can identify. However, there is not always a good match between the individual academic's objectives and those of the publication outlets. As the editor of both mainstream IS journals and a journal that focuses on Developing Countries, I am particularly conscious of this tension. For instance, many academics in countries as far flung as Iran, Nigeria, Fiji and Brazil send their papers to top journals in the IS field, like the ISJ and IT&People. Unfortunately, these papers are almost invariably rejected – because the research topic does not fit well with the journal selected and the quality of research is too weak. Nevertheless, there is a select group of journals that focus exclusively on ICT4D. These include EJISDC, ITD and ITID. However, although these journals do not claim the status of the top journals in the field, they do have respectable standards. In this presentation, I will explore the kind of research that is currently undertaken in ICT4D, focusing in particular on the key issues of context, theory and epistemology. I will also explore how I would like to see ICT4D research developing in the future.

Bio

Robert Davison is a Professor of Information Systems at the City University of Hong Kong. His current research focuses on virtual Knowledge Management and Collaboration in Chinese SMEs. He has published over 70 articles in a variety of journals such as MIS Quarterly, the Information Systems Journal, IT & People, Journal of IT, Journal of the AIS, Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Decision Support Systems, Communications of the AIS, and Communications of the ACM. Robert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, co-Editor-in-Chief of Information Systems Journal, and co-Editor-in-Chief of Information Technology & People.

GovCamp NSW Co-Lab

The University of NSW CBD Campus is hosting "NSW is GovCamp NSW Co-Lab" 25 June 2012. This is free one day informal "unconference" where the general public, industry and government people can redesign government processes. Register online.

Topics for each 20 minute mini-session will be nominated by the attendees on the day. At GovCampNSW Co-Lab topics will be influenced by the participants’ collaborative discussion around innovation for public service.

As a guide, topics discussed may include:

• Innovation and agency resilience
• New ways of doing public service delivery
• Collaboration and co-creation
• Policy development and citizen participation
• Policies relating to Gov 2.0 implementation
• The impacts of “mobile” on government
• Online community engagement
• Open data standards, copyright and use
• Location intelligence and geospatial strategies
  

Cyber Revolution Talk in Sydney by Member of the Egyptian Council of State

Dr Mohamed Chawki, of the Egyptian Council of State, will speak on "Egypt's Cyber Revolution", in Sydney, Wednesday, 18 May 2011.

Seminar

UNSW's Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre in association with the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology invites you to a free seminar, one of the 2011 Cyberspace Law and Policy Series:

Topic: Egypt's Cyber Revolution
Speaker: Dr Mohamed Chawki (Egyptian Council of State)
Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Time: 4:45 for 5:00-6:00pm, including time for questions and discussion
Venue: Staff Common room, 2st Floor (at opposite end of building to lifts) Faculty of Law building, UNSW lower campus (near Roundhouse), Kensington, Sydney

Abstract: The Egyptian people have managed, through a peaceful revolution, to topple a dictatorship that ruled the country for 30 years. One of the most interesting aspects of the revolution is that technology, particularly the Internet, played a very important role. During the first few days of the revolution, Facebook and Twitter became the primary means for the Egyptian people to spread the word about what was happening in the country. Twitter and Facebook posts provided a real-time update of events taking place all over Egypt, while also providing pictures and videos for the world to instantly see. This presentation will address and analyse the role of ICTs and social networks in the Egyptian revolution.

About the Speaker: Dr Mohamed Chawki is a Senior Judge of the Egyptian Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court. He is a founder of the International Association of Cybercrime Prevention (Paris) and of the African Centre for Cyberlaw and Cybercrime Prevention (Kampala).

Bookings: Entry is free, no need to book. Please RSVP to feedback [at] cyberlawcentre.org.

Australian Climate Commission

Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency announced a Australian Climate Commission on 10 February 2011. The Chief Commissioner is Professor Tim Flannery. The Commission will be supported by a secretariat from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, but so far the commission does not have its own web site.

Other members of the commission are Professor Will Steffen (ANU), Dr Susannah Eliott (Australian Science Media Centre), Mr Gerry Hueston (lead author for the UN IPCC Fourth Assessment Report), Professor Lesley Hughes (Macquarie University). There is also a Science Advisory Panel: Professor Matt England (UNSW), Professor David Karoly (UniMelb), Professor Andy Pitman (UNSW), Professor Neville Smith (BoM), Professor Tony McMichael (ANU), Dr Helen Cleugh (CSIRO), Dr Lisa Alexander (UNSW), and Professor Brendan Mackey (ANU).

The task for the commission is to explain the science of climate change, what is being done internationally to deal with it and how a carbon price would work in Australia. Interesting, the job of the commission is not to decide if climate change is real or not, nor to advise on the best way to deal with it.

The terms of reference require the commission to start from the assumption that climate change is real and that a carbon price is the best way to deal with it. This will be seen by some as a politically biased approach. However, in my view the evidence for climate change is convincing and a carbon price (most likely with a carbon tax) is the best way to combat it. This is reflected in my course and book "Green Technology Strategies: Using computers and telecommunications to reduce carbon emissions".

Terms of Reference – Climate Commission

Purpose

The Climate Commission (the Commission) has been established to inform Australia’s approach to addressing climate change and help build the consensus required to move to a competitive, low pollution Australian economy.

Tasks

The Commission will provide information and expert advice to:

• Explain the science of climate change and the impacts on Australia.
• Report on the progress of international action dealing with climate change.
• Explain the purpose and operation of a carbon price and how it may interact with the Australian economy and communities.

Duties

The Commission will be required to:

• Hold a series of public outreach events to explain:

1. the science of climate change and issues raised by climate scientists;
2. the magnitude of the challenge to address climate change;
3. the role of a carbon price in effectively tackling climate change;
4. what contribution other policy mechanisms are making;
5. how a carbon price works and its interaction with the economy and the community; and
6. the opportunities for Australian firms and communities in moving to a low carbon future

• Draw on their expertise and that of the other relevant experts and organisations to prepare targeted information products to help inform the public and build community support for climate change efforts.
• Engage in other community forums and public debate as required.

In addition, the Commission will, as required, provide updated assessments to the Government and the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee on the science of climate change.

Other matters

The Commission is an expert body and Commission deliberations, reports and public engagements will not be subject to Ministerial direction.

To support its role in providing information and expert advice on the science of climate change and the impacts on Australia, the Commission will also be supported by a science advisory panel.

The Chair of the Commission will be free to comment in the media on behalf of the Commission. Commissioners will be able to speak publicly on matters relating to the Commission’s terms of reference, in coordination with the Chair of the Commission. The Commission may create and maintain its own website.

The Commission will not comment on policy matters nor provide policy advice or recommendations. In undertaking its functions it may commission expert advice and publish reports. The Commission will be supported by a secretariat maintained by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Biographies - Climate Commission

Professor Tim Flannery (Chief Commissioner)

Professor Tim Flannery is one of Australia’s leading writers on climate change. An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, Professor Flannery was named Australian of the Year in 2007.

Professor Flannery has held various academic positions including Professor at the University of Adelaide, director of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum and Visiting Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology.

A well known presenter on ABC Radio, NPR and the BBC for more than a decade, he has also written and presented several series on the Documentary Channel including The Future Eaters (1998), Wild Australasia (2003), Islands in the Sky (1992) and Bushfire (1997). His books include Here on Earth (2010) and The Weather Makers (2005).

Professor Will Steffen

Professor Will Steffen is a climate science expert and researcher, and the Executive Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, Canberra. He is on the panel of experts supporting the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee and has also served as the Science Adviser to the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

From 1998 to 2004, Professor Steffen served as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, an international network of scientists studying global environmental change based in Stockholm, Sweden. His research interests span a broad range within the fields of climate change and Earth System science, with an emphasis on sustainability, climate change and the Earth System. He is the author of numerous publications on climate science.

Dr Susannah Eliott

Dr Susannah Eliott is a science communication expert and the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Science Media Centre, an independent not-for-profit organisation that works with the news media to inject evidence-based science into public discourse. She is also the current Chair of the Expert Working Group on Science and the Media, an initiative of the Inspiring Australia program.

Dr Eliott’s previous roles include the Director of Communications for the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme in Stockholm and managing the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Technology (UTS).

Mr Gerry Hueston

Mr Gerry Hueston is a prominent businessman who recently retired as President of BP Australasia, after a career with BP spanning 34 years in a variety of management and senior executive roles in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

Mr Hueston’s other previous roles include Chairman of the Business Council Sustainable Growth Taskforce, Chairman and Board Member of the Australian Institute of Petroleum, Board Member of the Business Council of Australia, and Member of the Chairman’s Panel of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Mr Roger Beale

Mr Roger Beale is an economist and public policy expert, and currently the Executive Director of Economics and Policy at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. He is a former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Heritage and was a lead author for the UN’s Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report.

Mr Beale was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1995 in recognition of his contribution to economic reform and was awarded the Centenary Medal for leadership of the environment portfolio in 2001. In 2006 he was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his contribution to the development of national environment policy.

Professor Lesley Hughes

Professor Lesley Hughes is the Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University and an expert on the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems. She is the Australian Representative on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change, and Co-convenor of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Adaptation Research Network.

Professor Hughes was also a lead author for the UN’s IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, and a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity for the Australian Greenhouse Office and the Department of Climate Change. Her research has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals.

Science Advisory Panel

Professor Matt England, University of New South Wales, expertise in global-scale ocean circulation and its influence on regional climate.

Professor David Karoly, University of Melbourne, expertise in climate variability and climate change, including interannual climate variations due to El Niño-Southern Oscillation and weather extremes.

Professor Andy Pitman, University of New South Wales, climate modeller with a major focus on land surface processes.

Professor Neville Smith, Bureau of Meteorology, expertise in ocean and climate prediction.

Professor Tony McMichael, Australian National University, expertise in impacts of climate change on environmental conditions and human health.

Dr Helen Cleugh, CSIRO, expertise in the dynamics of carbon, water and energy cycles in Australian ecosystems and the effects on climate variability and change – especially the vulnerability of land-based carbon sinks.

Dr Lisa Alexander, University of New South Wales, expertise in changes in the frequency and/or severity of extreme climate events.

Professor Brendan Mackey, Australian National University, expertise in forests and climate.

The Hon Greg Combet AM MP
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Launch of the Climate Commission

Media release
10 February 2011
GC 08/11

Download the PDF

• Launch of the Climate Commission (PDF 125 KB)

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, today announced the establishment of an independent Climate Commission, appointing the leading science communicator, Professor Tim Flannery, as Chief Commissioner.

Mr Combet said the Climate Commission would provide expert advice and information on climate change to the Australian community.

“The Climate Commission has been established by the Gillard Government to provide an authoritative, independent source of information for all Australians,” he said. “It will provide expert advice on climate change science and impacts, and international action. It will help build the consensus required to move to a clean energy future.”

The Climate Commission would have a public outreach role, he said, to help build greater understanding and consensus about reducing Australia’s carbon pollution.

“The Commissioners are eminent Australians who are leaders in their fields and I’m pleased one of Australia’s leading science communicators, Professor Tim Flannery, a former Australian of the Year, has accepted the role of Chief Commissioner,” Mr Combet said.

“The Climate Commission will fulfil a key information and education role, enabling the Australian community to have a more informed conversation about climate change. I am delighted to lead this new Commission,” said Professor Tim Flannery.

Other members of the Climate Commission are Professor Will Steffen, Professor Lesley Hughes, Dr Susannah Eliott, Mr Gerry Hueston and Mr Roger Beale. The Commissioners have expertise in a range of areas including climate change science, science communications, business, public policy and economics.

The Climate Commission will be supported by a Science Advisory Panel, with leading scientists offering further expert advice on the science of climate change and its impacts.

The Climate Commission was an election commitment announced in July 2010. The Government has set funding for four years at $5.6 million.

The Commissioners’ biographies and Terms of Reference are below. For more information about the Climate Commission visit www.climatechange.gov.au

Terms of Reference – Climate Commission

Purpose

The Climate Commission (the Commission) has been established to inform Australia’s approach to addressing climate change and help build the consensus required to move to a competitive, low pollution Australian economy.

Tasks

The Commission will provide information and expert advice to:

• Explain the science of climate change and the impacts on Australia.
• Report on the progress of international action dealing with climate change.
• Explain the purpose and operation of a carbon price and how it may interact with the Australian economy and communities.

Duties

The Commission will be required to:

• Hold a series of public outreach events to explain:

1. the science of climate change and issues raised by climate scientists;
2. the magnitude of the challenge to address climate change;
3. the role of a carbon price in effectively tackling climate change;
4. what contribution other policy mechanisms are making;
5. how a carbon price works and its interaction with the economy and the community; and
6. the opportunities for Australian firms and communities in moving to a low carbon future

• Draw on their expertise and that of the other relevant experts and organisations to prepare targeted information products to help inform the public and build community support for climate change efforts.
• Engage in other community forums and public debate as required.

In addition, the Commission will, as required, provide updated assessments to the Government and the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee on the science of climate change.

Other matters

The Commission is an expert body and Commission deliberations, reports and public engagements will not be subject to Ministerial direction.

To support its role in providing information and expert advice on the science of climate change and the impacts on Australia, the Commission will also be supported by a science advisory panel.

The Chair of the Commission will be free to comment in the media on behalf of the Commission. Commissioners will be able to speak publicly on matters relating to the Commission’s terms of reference, in coordination with the Chair of the Commission. The Commission may create and maintain its own website.

The Commission will not comment on policy matters nor provide policy advice or recommendations. In undertaking its functions it may commission expert advice and publish reports. The Commission will be supported by a secretariat maintained by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

From: Launch of the Climate Commission, Media release GC 08/11, The Hon Greg Combet AM MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 10 February 2011

CrisisCamp Pakistan Floods, 4 Sep, Sydney

The University of New South Wales is hosting "CrisisCamp: Pakistan Floods", at UNSW, Sydney, 4-5 September 2010. Volunteers are asked to help with computer coding and other online support to help with the Pakistan Floods. This event has a similar format to the Random Hacks of Kindness, which I helped with at UNSW in June. It is in addition to and complements the work my colleagues at Sahana Software Foundation are doing with the Sahana System for Pakistan Flood Response.

Event Details

CrisisCamp Pakistan Floods in Sydney

Help the Pakistan flood victims using your existing skills

The Pakistan Floods are without question one of the largest humanitarian catastrophe of modern time, with over 15 million people now homeless.

If you are interested in making a small difference in helping the humanitarian effort of attending to the short and long-term needs of the displaced peoples in Pakistan... The CrisisCamp will be on the weekend of 4th and 5th of September. We will be going through a number of tasks that will help the aid agencies on the ground. These include:

• Adding reports of emergency incidents from the ground to http://pakreport.org/ushahidi/ using http://pakreport.crowdflower.com
• Working with expatriate Pakistanis who can help you translate local terms and names of places for entry into the reports
• Reading reports from relief agencies, identifying information about hospitals, shelters and schools and adding the data about their locations, capacity and other relief-related information to Sahana and OpenStreetMap
• Tracing satellite imagery to add the location of roads and infrastructure
• If you are an expat Pakistani who speaks Pushto, Seraiki, Sindhi or Panjabi come along and help find the names of remote villages.
• Documenting lessons learned from the CrisisCamp to help others
• Writing tools and software help automate the above tasks

Why organise this CrisisCamp?

In late July 2010 after an unusually wet monsoon across South Asia, substantial areas of Pakistan were flooded, affecting nearly a third of the country. UNOCHA has described the Pakistan Floods as a disaster surpassing the Boxing day Tsunami, Pakistan Earthquake and Haiti Earthquake combined in terms of the number of people affected and the social and economic destruction caused. Pakistan was already suffering socially and economically from the effects of the conflict in the region. Without help, this disaster could have untold long-term consequences for the future of the most vulnerable in Pakistan.

Who is organizing this camp?

To assist in the relief efforts, an enterprising team of volunteers and organisational supporters such as Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the University of New South Wales, and Drumbeat, an open web initiative of the Mozilla Foundation and the World Bank are coming together on the weekend of September 4-5, 2010 in CrisisCamp in Sydney, Australia. ...

Green ICT Course Available to UNSW Students

My "Green ICT Strategies" course (COMP7310) is now available to students in the Master of Information Technology and Graduate Diploma in Information at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales. The SCE UNSW Student Office has advised that their students can undertake the course as a free elective.

The paperwork for this is a bit complicated, but UNSW international students enrol at ANU as non-award, and local students as Cross-Institutional, using the same application form.

Students interested in doing the Green ICT Strategies course at ANU should contact CSE UNSW Postgraduate Office for approval to count the course as a free elective in their program.

Other universities may wish to also offer the course to their students. The course is open to business, law, humanities and science students, as well as engineering and IT.