Less than a month to go until the 2022 Jornadas will take place in Viseu, from May 31st to June 2nd. Miguel Andrade, Area Director of the FCCN Unit, previews the event, highlighting its importance and revealing some of the main new features for the 2022 edition. "The Jornadas da Unidade FCCN provides a connection with our community like no other event."
#1 This year, from May 31st to June 2nd, another edition of the Scientific Computing Conference will take place. How important is this event for the FCCN Unit?
The Conferences are extremely important to the FCCN Unit, especially because of the contact we establish with the community we serve and the interaction we have with them. It's an opportunity to explain what we've been doing and what we plan. It's also an excellent opportunity to hear from our stakeholders at the institutions about their expectations regarding our work. FCCN Unit exists to serve the community—being close to it is one of the conditions for the success of our activity. The Scientific Computing Conferences provide this connection like no other event.
The conferences are also important as a time for more informal interaction among all participants, which takes place in the hallways and during social gatherings. These moments often lay the foundation for more productive and effective professional relationships.
#2 In 2022, the Conferences will take place at Polytechnic of ViseuOver the years, this event has been hosted by other higher education institutions and research units. Why have these entities from the academic and scientific world chosen it?
One of our goals in organizing the Jornadas is to take them across the country. We enjoy visiting the institutions we work for. We get to know them better, and they get to know us better. It's wonderful to witness the enthusiasm with which we are always welcomed and the commitment with which the institutions collaborate with us to make the Jornadas a success. The Polytechnic of Viseu is no exception!
As the Conference grows, the selection criteria for the venue also depend on the logistical conditions offered, which are becoming increasingly demanding. The hotel facilities of the candidate city and surrounding region are also important. In the case of Viseu, we found excellent facilities, both at the Polytechnic of Viseu and within the city, which will certainly allow us to hold a highly successful Conference under the best conditions.
#3 In addition to sharing the latest news about FCCN services and projects, the Conferences also aim to discuss emerging topics in the FCCN Unit's areas of activity. What will some of the topics covered in the 2022 edition?
As usual, we will cover all areas of our activity. I suggest consultation of the Conference program, which is now available online. However, there are always new additions, and in this edition I would like to highlight, in particular, the sessions dedicated to OCRE framework agreement, which offers very interesting options for purchasing IaaS+ cloud services. We intend to share this opportunity in detail with our community to encourage use of the framework agreement. Among other participants, we will be pleased to have the OCRE project director and the procurement from GÉANT. We will also hear the experiences of those who have already used this contracting option, as well as some resellers involved in the framework agreement.
I would also like to draw your attention to two workshops, one on research data management and the other on new tools available at b-on, which will take place late morning on the 31st and for which prior registration is required.
#4 What will be some of the other highlights of the 2022 edition?
I'd say that, for us, all points are high points. Each participant will be able to identify their own high points, according to their expectations and interests.
Personally, I have a special fondness for Zapping, where we present the latest news about our projects and services in a very condensed format. This allows us to convey the essentials and whet the appetite for deeper exploration of the topics in specialized sessions or other contexts.
I'd also like to mention, in addition to the technical sessions we'll be hosting, the presentations that will take place at the opening session on June 1st. Since life isn't just bits and bytes, we'll hear about topics that stray from the core of FCCN's activities and that, I'm sure, will be as engaging as the technical sessions we'll be participating in.
I would also like to highlight our social program, which we attach great importance to, for the reasons I mentioned. On May 31st, we will have four tours of Viseu, which will help us get to know the city and its surroundings better. happy hour at the Solar do Vinho do Dão. On June 1st, our usual dinner will take place.
#5 Is there anything you would like to add?
Come to Viseu, everyone. It'll be worth it!
You can register for the Scientific Computing Conference at https://jornadas.fccn.pt
