Sidenote: explaining them the issue of Social Software – though not all of them were interested in the topic – made me feel like a somewhow crazy evangelist.

I was a part of this great institution since November 1995. It’s almost a decade now. Since the inception of this University innovation was it’s main driver. We had several CEOs (presidents and directors) that accompanied the prospering development of our unique programs. I was heading the Center for New Media since 1997. During my period of work we developed several successful Master-programs.
Besides that I got obsessed with a new emerging paradigm some 3 years ago. With the advent of Weblogs my perspective on my job changed. Coming up with the idea and organizing the two BlogTalks opened my eyes and my contacts list to international people and minds in the field of Social Software and networked economies and societies.
It is said that an employer needs 7 or 8 years to find his obsession. Well I did though initially I didn’t expect to leave the organisation that gave me the environment to do that.

Since my contract was supposed to terminate legally with the end of June 2005 I drafted a concept for a Social Software Lab; Eventually I got support from more than a dozen of international research institutions. After some time and presentations I even got the support of my own department – thanks my dear colleagues – though it was not enough time to finalize it with our Rector and Vice-Rectors.
There is support – as I mentioned – a couple of weeks ago but there is no basis for that Lab yet.

Consequently I decided to finish my employment thus being able to continue my work in the field of social software and being able to further talk to the management of the Donau-Universität Krems with respect to the establishment of such a research and development unit. What I’ve heard is that it is that the bottom line is a question of symbolic credentials – since I don’t own a PhD or a Habilitation.

Having decided upon the discontinuation of my contract everything is changing right in front of my eyes. Live has become exciting again. More to come in the next days – stay tuned.

And besides that I wonder if there are still people out there that don’t use Skype.

1. o. Univ.-Prof. DI Dr.techn. Manfred Deistler, Leiter der Forschungsgruppe Ökonometrie und Systemtheorie am Institut für, Wirtschaftsmathematik der Technischen Universität Wien

2. Univ.-Prof. (C4) Dr. Heinrich Kern, Vorstand des Institutes für Werkstofftechnik der Technischen Universität Illmenau

   
3. Prof. Dr. Helmut Kramer, Leiter des Österreichischen Institutes für Wirtschaftsforschung ( WIFO)

4. Univ.-Prof. (C4) Dr. Heinrich Kurz, Vorstand des Institutes für Halbleitertechnik der Rheinisch Westfälisch Technischen Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen und Direktor von AMICA (Advanced Microelectronic Center Aachen)

5. o.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Margareta Neuburger-Zehnder Leiterin der Universitätsweiterbildung an der Universität Basel

6. ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Ada Pellert stv. Leiterin der Fakultät für Interdisziplinäre Forschung und Fortbildung der Universität Klagenfurt (IFF) am Standort Wien

7. o.Univ.-Prof. Dr.Dr.Dr.h.c.mult Georg Ress Präsident der Sektion III des Europäischen Gerichtshofes für Menschenrechte in Straßburg
  

8. o.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Klaus Schoenbach, Vorstand des Institutes für Allgemeine Kommunikationswissenschaften an der Universität Amsterdam

9. Prof. Dr. Alfred Steinherr, Professor für Ökonomie der Freien Universität Bozen, “Chief Economist” der Europäischen Investitionsbank in Luxemburg

I’m looking forward to introduce him with his “Wrap-Belt Computer”.

Bei uns in Krems jedenfalls wird es ein Reduktion um 60 % zum geplanten Budget geben, d.h. da wir ja bereits Mitte des Jahres haben, ist schon alles verbraucht.. Allerdings stellt der Bundeszuschuss nur 20% des Gesamtbudgets der Donau-Universität Krems dar - bleiben immer noch 12% und die müssen mal gefunden/beschafft werden.