Report for the July 2003 Planning Committee meeting, San Francisco, CA

Cornelia Daheim, from Z_punkt GmbH, Essen, Germany, represented the German Node at the Millennium Project Planning Committee Meeting in February 2003. She introduced to the audience the  Z_punkt GmbH organization and presented the possible constituency of a German Node.

Z_punkt GmbH Büro für Zukunftsgestaltung (Agency for Shaping the Future) is a think tank specialised in scientific futures studies.

The members of the Planning Committee for the German Node are:

- Dr. Günter Clar, European Commission, Research DG, Science & Technology Foresight; links with the IPTS (Guenter.Clar@cec.eu.int)
- Dr. Kerstin Cuhls, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI in Karlsruhe (Kerstin.Cuhls@isi.fraunhofer.de)
- Robert Gaßner, Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment in Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Gerhard de Haan, Free University of Berlin (educational studies)
- Prof. Dr. Peter H. Mettler, Professor for Societal Science and Sociology of Planning and Technology, University of Wiesbaden (mettler@suk.fh-wiesbaden.de)
- Dr. Axel Zweck, German Association of Engineers, Future Technologies Division, Duesseldorf, fax +49-(0)211 6214 139

To view the ".pdf" version of the power point that Cornelia presented at the meeting please click here or download the ".zip" version of the power point file.

Cornelia Daheim, chair of the German Node, couldn't attend the July 17-18 Planning Committee meeting, but she sent in the report that was presented by Prof. Dr. Peter H. Mettler, Professor for Societal Science and Sociology of Planning and Technology, University of Wiesbaden, member of the Node.

Report of the Activities of the German Node since February 2003

1. Activities since February

Node Foundation
- signature of the Memorandum of Understanding in March 2003
- MP-"Node team" at Z_punkt was established, consisting of
o Klaus Burmeister, Z_punkt CEO
o Cornelia Daheim, Node chair
o Greta Gesenberg, trainee
o Karlheinz Steinmüller, scientific director of Z_punkt

Surveys
- distribution and collection of answers to the following surveys:
o S&T year 3, Rd. 1
o S&T year 3, Rd. 2
o Middle East Peace

Planning Committee
- a Planning Committee was formed, consisting of the following members:

o Dr. Günter Clar, European Commission, Research DG, Science & Technology Foresight; links with the IPTS
o Dr. Kerstin Cuhls, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI in Karlsruhe
o Robert Gaßner, Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment in Berlin
o Prof. Dr. Gerhard de Haan, Free University of Berlin (educational studies)
o Prof. Dr. Peter H. Mettler, Professor for Societal Science and Sociology of Planning and Technology
o Dr. Axel Zweck, German Association of Engineers, Future Technologies Division, Duesseldorf,

- a constitutional meeting was held on 6th May 2003, which was concerned with:

o aims and activities of the German Node
o Providing common information basis to Planning Committee members (distribution of material related to MP: Memorandum of Understanding, SOFs,
Node lists etc.; Futures Research Methodology etc.)
o action plan, was agreed upon (see objectives)

PR
- to make the German Node known, spread news about its formation:
o article in Z_punkt newsletter in April (went to 1500 people interested in future studies in German- speaking area)
o MP information and link on our website (only on the German one yet)
o article in German Futures studies research journal "Zukünfte" (meaning "futures"), published July 2003
o article in German language journal called "politische ökologie" (political ecology), to be published at the end of this month

Miscellaneous:
- commented on 15 Global Challenges Update
- participated in MP Peer Review
- text with information on German Node for MP-website

2. Objectives
- PR for / Distribution of new SOF
o In Z_punkt's newsletter (English and German edition) and on website (English and German one)
o article in German Futures studies research journal "Zukünfte" via press releases

- Take advantage of publication of new SOF to present new Node and its Planning Committee to public by publishing an article which is co-authored by the members of the planning committee (this in itself  should raise some interest, as it would be a quite unusual combination of authors coming from all kinds of different institutions in the German futures studies field); to be published in several journals if possible
- Continue participation in and distribution of surveys
- Maybe set up a lecture series on futures studies by Node Planning Committee Members (contact already established to Design Center which is being established in Essen, to be realized in 2004)
- Print and distribute a German flyer on MP (currently working on translation of English-language flyer)
- Make contacts and look for sponsors

Please click here to read the report in original layout (PDF file).

July 2003
Cornelia Daheim
Contact:
Z_punkt GmbH Büro für Zukunftsgestaltung (Agency for Shaping the Future); Bullmannaue
11; 45327 Essen; Germany; fon. +49 (0)201-747 27-12; fax. +49 (0)201-747 27-22
http://www.z-punkt.de; Email: daheim@z-punkt.de