Research And Education

European Research Network extends to the Balkans 

 
The South Eastern European Research and Education Networking (SEEREN) project has completed the extension of the pan European high-speed research network GEANT to the Balkan countries.

“The new network will improve online access for researchers and this is vital for enabling the full participation and integration of the Balkan research community in the European Research Area”, stressed Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society at the opening of the network in Thessaloniki on January 3, 2003.

GEANT provides a very high capacity Internet backbone which connects together the National and Regional Research and Education Networks in different countries. It also enables scientists to collaborate on the international stage and have access to Quality of Service required for the most demanding of research and development activities. By implementing the SEEREN project, GEANT provides more than just technical connectivity. Its ultimate goal is to ease the “digital divide” that still separates the region from the rest of the continent. To this end the project actively encourages the scientific and educational communities of EU Member States to co-operate with South Eastern European countries.

 

T. H.