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The Virtual Silk Highway Project

7. One Minute Interview

Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. The problem defined
 3. Project Overview
 4. Working together for results
 5. Project Expansion
 6. The NATO Science Programme
 7. One Minute Interview
Editorial Note
  Important publisher and editorial information about this document
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One Minute Interview
Professor Peter Kirstein, Project Leader

The Virtual Silk Highway project will affect many people in many different countries. What do you think will be its most positive outcome?

This project employs the broad range of knowledge gained through years of international cooperation in NATO and various international organisations. It uses modern technology in a manner which will surely benefit numerous people in universities, research institutes, libraries and schools. The broad access to the worldwide information network will provide these people with what will clearly have an immense impact on their ability to conduct research and cooperate with colleagues around the world. For many of the people involved, this will be the first time that they have direct contact with their peers in other countries. The SILK Highway project includes the building of significant national infrastructure in each participating country leading many people to a qualitatively new experience with the modern information network.

One Minute Interview
Rolf Nordhagen, Panel Chair

What is the most challenging task associated with this project and how is it being met?

I think that the most challenging task associated with this project is to get the research communities in both Central Asia and the Southern Caucusus to work together on the common goal of establishing a regional research and education network. User Groups and Technical Groups are being set up to address and resolve any problems that may arise as the participant countries begin and continue to work together. Local scientists and network engineers involved in the technical side of the project are being encouraged to actively participate in these groups and to come up with regional solutions to any problems. Each of the national networks in the eight participating countries will gain from the strengthening of any component of the regional network. NATO is providing the technical means that will allow these countries to cooperate; however, it is necessary for the countries themselves to take the initiative to use this infrastructure collectively to achieve their common goal.

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