Overseas News on Civil Engineering IT
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This section focuses on a unique overseas website related to civil engineering IT. This issue features Association for European Transport (AET) consisting of transport professionals and organizations in Europe.
European Organization Playing a Leading Role in Transport
AET was founded in 1998 as a non-profit making organization open to anyone wishing to advance transport planning through discussion and debate among professionals, according to the Website. Currently, it is positioned as the leading European organization for transport professionals. AET is now comprises more than 350 corporate and individual members, based in over 35 countries.
AET promotes networking and the exchange of ideas, information and opportunities among its members through conferences such as annual transportation conferences (the European Transport Conference: ETC) as well as special interest groups and the members' website. Organized by AET, ETC is Europe's principal annual transportation conference, where Members are encouraged to play an active part. AET is also committed to the development of young professionals in the transport industry and in academic fields, providing a reduction on membership fees as well as the emphasizing training and development of them.
In its 38th year, ETC is the focus of the activities of AET, being an opportunity when transport professionals come together to keep up-to-date with policy issues, research findings and best practice across a broad areas of transport. Papers are presented by active professionals, selected through screening. The Website says that about one third of delegates from different countries come every year, indicating the high quality of technical and policy papers, and that market research consistently rates highly the value for money offered by the Conference. Proceedings of the ETC held since 1996 are available to download from the link on the home page.
Based in London, AET is controlled by a 24 member elected council. One third of the Council is re-elected each year. So far it has been so arranged that 12 council members represent individual AET members while 12 members represent organization; however, the Statutes was changed at the 2009 General Assembly and all 24 Council members will be elected regardless of their status as individual or Organization members. The Council in turn appoints an up to seven person Board of AET members.
Acting Towards 2010 Conference in Glasgow
"Home" page of the Website has a menu listing European Transport Conference, Members Area, Membership Info, Organization, and Contact.
"Home" describes the overview as well as a link to ETC of this year that is to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK in 11-13 October 2010, a link to download proceedings and papers of the past ETC.
"European Transport Conference" shows the items for the 2009 conference held in the Netherlands, including its Overview, Seminar Timetables, Individual Seminars, Booking Details, Attendance Fees, Sponsors, and Contact Us. It was so described in the opening phrases for 2009 ETC that "the demands on Europe's transport systems continue to both increase and change as a result of a number of factors - economic fluctuation, social change, demographics and the need to become more sustainable. Such change demands innovative and robust responses, which are affordable." ETC is the key annual event for sharing innovation, best practice and networking with colleagues, drawing together over 500 transport practitioners and researchers and offering plenty of space for networking and ideal facilities for in-depth presentations and discussions.
The conference comprised both areas of practice and research. The former covers a theme of "Transport Policy and Operations", which includes seminars directly related to transport planners and engineers with case studies and policy initiatives, covering items like local and national policy initiatives, transnational transport policy in Europe, the broader implications of the climate change and sustainability agenda. The seminars also focused on the practical aspects of transport demand management, transport engineering and traffic safety, freight and logistics, local and interurban public transport, funding for transport, transport impacts of tourism and delivery and operations of roads policy. On the other hand, the latter area of research had a methodological focus covering innovative and applied methods.
"European Transport Conference 2010" pages describe the detail of the Conference for this year, in its 38th year. The conference attendees and presenters include transport planners and engineers; local, regional, and central government officers; public transport planners and operators; providers of technical advice and consultancy; policy makers, researchers and academics, and those who evaluate and finance projects. The Conference positions itself at the Interface between research and practice, having up to 10 seminars running at the same time with ample time for discussion of papers and questions. Conference themes include the following seven items: Managing the impacts of climate change on transport infrastructure and services; Future funding options of transport infrastructure and services, private and public; Transport appraisal and benefits realization; Getting more out of existing transport infrastructure and services while ensuring efficiency and safety; Effective transport links between the periphery of Western Europe, rest of the continental mainland and beyond; Transport and health; Electric vehicles, what is their future? Each program committee, such as for European Transport Policy and Research and Innovative Methods in Transport Analysis, Planning and Appraisal, has a specific requirement.
"Members Area" is set for members to log in. "Membership Info" provides information about how to join AET or benefits of membership such as conference discounts. "Organizations" contains explanations of the structure and the statutes, program committees by specific field that plays an important role in AET and so on with links.
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 Home page: Association for European Transport (AET) |
European Transport Conference 2010 http://abstracts.etcproceedings.org/ |
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| (Images provided by AET) | ||
