Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Europe Meeting in Hungary
The 2007 GLOBE Europe Regional Meeting, held in Budapest, Hungary, was attended by representatives from 17 European countries including Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom on 28 - 31 March 2007. Conference attendees exchanged useful information on new research fields, methods of environmental education and strengthening ties between their GLOBE programs.
Participants were greeted and welcomed by the Honorable April Foley, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, Mr. K�roly D�n, Department Head of Hungarian Ministry of Education, Ms. Lori Dando, Regional Hub Officer from the Regional Environmental Office at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Mr. Samuel Kotis, Regional Hub Officer from the Regional Environmental Office at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Mr. Karl Hetland, GLOBE Europe Regional Consortium Chairperson and GLOBE International Advisory Committee Representative as well as GLOBE Norway Country Coordinator, and Mr. Gary Randolph, GLOBE Program Office Regional Consortia Coordinator and Carbon Cycle Project Leader.
The opening ceremony was followed by a number of interactive presentations including updates from the GLOBE Program Office and GLOBE's new ESSPs: Seasons and Biomes presented by Ms. Birgit Rademacher who had just returned from the first Seasons and Biomes Workshop in Alaska, From Local to Extreme Environments (FLEXE) presented by Dr. Jana Albrechtova, and Watershed Dynamics presented by Mr. Randolph. In addition, Mr. Karl Hetland presented, The International Polar Year and GLOBE.
Country Coordinators presented their local and regional activities followed by panel discussions on major issues concerning regional GLOBE activities and collaboration. Students and teachers from Varga Katalin Secondary Grammar School in Szolnok, Bib� Istv�n Secondary Grammar School in Kiskunhalas, and Szent Orsolya Secondary Grammar School in Sopron presented their research projects. Conference attendees also heard from GLOBE Hungary expert, Mr. Tibor Kalapos, on the work of GLOBE Hungary science experts and had an opportunity to view an exhibition of paintings by GLOBE Hungary Country Coordinator Ms. Anik� Orgov�nyi.
Conference documents and presentations are available on this web page.
The Conference ended with an exciting presentation of Hungarian culture, including live folk music and folk dance and Palot�s Dance (including Ms. Orgov�nyi) and a guided tour of the 1,010 year old Pannonhalma Benedictine Abbey, perhaps the oldest school involved in GLOBE! A teacher from the Benedictine Secondary Grammar School, Father Henrik, and two of his students presented their GLOBE meteorological observation site. Father Henrik and several of his GLOBE returned to attend GLOBE Games in the Czech Republic in early May.
Organizers and sponsors of the conference included the Hungarian Ministries of Education and the Environment, the Hungarian Meteorological Society, the GLOBE Program Office, GLOBE Europe, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, the Benedictine Abbey and Secondary Grammar School in Pannonhalma, GLOBE Hungary's expert team, and GLOBE Alumni who are now current students of ELTE University in Budapest.
The next GLOBE Europe regional meeting will be in Barcelona, Spain, in 2008.
For more information on GLOBE in Europe please see the GLOBE Europe Website.
5 September 2007