Development Consortium Topic: Eastern Europe and the Middle East
Historical and current political situations and financial issues continue to prevent full development of HCI in many parts of the world — for example, the eastern part of Europe and parts of the Middle East. What HCI projects are going on remain isolated from each other and from the rest of the world. CHI2004, taking place in Vienna — the very heart of Europe and close to the Middle East — will focus on the connection between the “traditional” SIGCHI community and HCI related groups and individuals in this part of the world. The Development Consortium will implement this vision by supporting development and connection, building on existing nuclei of HCI related people and projects in industry and academia, including individual efforts and established local groups.
In particular, the CHI2004 Development Consortium seeks participation from individuals doing HCI related work in academia or in industry, and participation of core people from any local HCI related community. We especially (but not exclusively) solicit submissions of the following types:
Research project descriptions from, for example, young researchers from academia.
Project briefs from practitioners in industry and government.
Position statements on current or future developments from local SIGs and local HCI related communities.
Social action statements presenting current or planned activities to overcome the HCI back-log.
The Consortium will consist of up to 30 participants from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, selected based on a review of their submitted proposals, and about 10 invited participants from „traditional“ SIGCHI communities.
The Consortium will be conducted in a variety of formats:
Sunday April 25: Workshop format. In this full day meeting the participants will discuss their experiences and the specific issues of HCI in their regional situation, and elaborate a vision on the connection to HCI development world wide.
Monday April 26: Participants will be provided entry to a tutorial of their choice, depending on availability. Please email us at chi2004-dev@acm.org for details.
During the CHI2004 conference there will be a special event, possibly in a panel format, where the issues of the Consortium will be discussed with the general CHI audience.
Prospective participants should be aware of other venues at CHI2004 with a special focus on their part of the world, such as the Special Area of European HCI Research.
Submissions
A Development Consortium submission has two parts: an extended abstract and a proposal.
Extended Abstract A two-page position paper describing research, development, social action, or collaboration, focusing on HCI or strongly HCI related issues. Work should be in a mature state or in progress. Please prepare your abstract in the Conference Publications Format .
Proposal The proposal should provide additional information on your background and relevant experience with HCI and with the special aspects of HCI in your region. This should include information about your specific HCI-related activities, as well as any additional information that demonstrates your potential contribution to the Consortium‘s objectives.
Review Criteria
The CHI2004 Development Consortium organizing committee will select participants based on the relevance of their submissions to the theme and their anticipated contribution to the Consortium goals.
Mentoring
Prospective submitters may request mentoring support in preparing their submission. See Mentoring for more information.
Upon Acceptance
Consortium applicants will be notified of acceptance or rejection 1 December 2003.
The CHI2004 conference office will assist Consortium participants who require a visa to enter Austria. Contact the Conference Office for details.
