Update October 1999: Bosnia

1. Organisational Awareness Aspects of Information Society

The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina formed in 1994. Since then it has not adopted a specific policy on the development of the Information Society within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, the governments of both entities have given support to several joint projects that deal with the development of the Information Society.

2. IS national/ regional strategies and action plans

2.1 Project: "Building the academic and research network BIHARNET"

In 1998, the BIHARNET Centre (Bosnia and Herzegovina Academic and Research Network) in Sarajevo was established by five universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia funds the project through the framework of the Donation Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of technological aid for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is led by the BIHARNET Centre, Sarajevo, the Academic and Research Network Slovenia (ARNES, see http://www.arnes.si/), and is involved in collaboration with the Institute of Information Science from Maribor, Slovenia (IZUM, see: http://www.izum.si/).

BIHARNET follows the Western European model of specialist dedicated academic and research networks. It is limited to users from the educational, research and cultural sphere, who enjoy free access to the network.

The BIHARNET Centre has the strongest link in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the international community, and is connected to the European research network TEN-34/TEN-155 via the similar Slovenian Academic and Research Network (ARNES). It is the only ISP in the country with its own infrastructure that covers both Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The main goals of the BIHARNET project are:

• The development, organization and operation of a uniform academic and research computer network in Bosnia and Herzegovina, its international representation and the provision of expert and technical connections to European computer networks;
• Planning, organization and management of the services offered by computer networks, and steering and performing the central activities which are necessary to carry out the above, including the purchase and the lease of the software, hardware and communications devices and equipment;
• The organization and performing of educational and advisory activities;
• Co-operation in international organizations, including also the membership in the corresponding and related organizations (e.g. TERENA, RIPE, CEENet, etc.);
• transparent functionality as the "local Internet registry" for all organizations from research, educational or cultural areas;
• The establishment of the common organization, founded by all five universities in the country, to lead the project, meet project goals and continue with appropriate activities until the project's end.

For more information see http://www.biharnet.ba/.

2.2 Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina (Soros Foundation)

http://www.soros.org.ba/

The Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina spent approximately 21500 Euro in 1998 implementing its Internet Program, with the aim of carrying out two large groups of projects.

• Infrastructure development projects and Internet connection
• Internet content development programs and Internet education.

In the first group of projects, the Program established and put into operation the North-South Network for non-profit and academic users in the cities of Tuzla, Zenica and Mostar on the Internet, and connected Banja Luka University to the Internet within several months. The Program also supported the establishment of Internet connections for numerous non-profit organizations: ANUBiH, Sarajevo Film Festival, MESS, Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, many media organizations (Oslobodjenje, Onasa, BH Dani, Alcak, Radio Zid), libraries in Tuzla, Sarajevo, Zenica, Association of Ham Radio Operators of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo Faculty of Economics MIS Center, many humanitarian organizations of regional and local importance (Phare, La Benevolencija, Sezam, Cna), and approximately 10 high schools.

The Program enables the creation of Internet services, easy expansion of capacities, and local profiling of user needs. The universities of Tuzla, Banja Luka, Mostar, and faculties and institutes in Zenica are the most significant users.

The Open Society Fund Bosnia-Herzegovina has carried out a number of additional activities linked to the development of the Internet and Information Society within Bosnia and Herzegovina. These include:

• Providing literature, program tools, and professional training in the fields of server administration, and inter-networking for the universities of Tuzla, Mostar and Banja Luka, as well as the Zenica Internet Center.

• Financing travel of staff from four universities to Bratislava for the CEENet WorkShop and a conference.

• Support for participation in roundtables on the Internet in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Tuzla, PROMO International 98).

• Carrying out preparatory activities for projects that will promote original Bosnian-Herzegovinian content on the Internet, which will be implemented in 1999.

• Support for "distance learning" processes, as well as the "Distant learning" Project implemented within Open Society Fund B-H.

• The Internet Program has continually supported all Open Society Fund B-H Centers in establishing Internet connections, services, and implementation of projects encompassing an Internet component.
  

2.3 Project "Building the Cooperative Online Bibliographic Systems and Services - COBISS"

In 1997 all the universities and numerous libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina accepted the proposal for the project "Computerized interconnection of libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina via the Internet" (working title). This proposal suggested that the Slovenian model of co-operative online bibliographic systems and services (COBISS - see http://www.izum.si/cobiss/) would be transplanted to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the one hand, COBISS represents the organizational model of interconnecting libraries to a library information system, on the other hand it represents the software, which is an original product made by the Institute of Information Science (IZUM) in Maribor (see http://www.izum.si/), for the automation of library activities.

A large number of the libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina were destroyed together with holdings and databases during the recent war. Their restoration is required as soon as possible, and databases made accessible via the Internet. The establishment and development of the BIHARNET communications infrastructure has creates potential co-operation between libraries throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a vital prerequisite for faster access to the information needed for scientific, educational and cultural development. The development will support the work of the libraries, which have limited financial means for the purchase of literature - very often foreign publications.

The main goals of the project are:

• planning and coordination of the activities concerning the automation and computerized interconnection of libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• carrying out the necessary central activities concerning the functioning of the COBISS system of shared cataloguing, and coordination and supervision of the activities of the participants;
• management of the COBIB BiH online union catalogue;
• providing technical help to libraries with regard to the acquisition, installation and maintenance of computer and communications equipment for the needs of COBISS applications;
• providing COBISS software and technical help to the users of COBISS applications;
• organization and carrying out of training and advisory activities, verifying professional qualifications and issuing licenses for working in the shared cataloguing system;
• providing access to foreign databases for the needs of libraries, specialized information centres, and other users;
• participating in international organizations, including the membership in corresponding organizations;
• establishing the organization, founded by at least all universities, to take care for realization of goals mentioned above and continuing the activities after the end of the project.

The project is led by the Institute of Information Science, Maribor, Slovenia. Funding is granted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia as part of technological aid for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and will last until the end of 1999.

For more information see http://www.cobiss.ba/.

3. Conferences, Symposiums and similar events:

At the beginning of October there will be two international symposiums. Although they are not directly related to the Information Society their goals can be considered as such.

3.1 International Symposium on Internet and Information Systems

This symposium will take place on 4 - 6 October 1999 in Sarajevo and is organised by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo. The aim of the symposium is to present new techniques and technologies related to the Internet. Participants are invited to present their current work in research and practical implementations on subjects outlined in the preliminary program. The main topics are:

• Internet today - architecture and services (including the subtopic "Standards and Legislation")
• Internet developments trends
• Internet and business information systems
• Internet in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Although the main focus is not toward the IS in a strict sense of the term, papers regarding IS were invited on some topics. One of the papers is going to present the ESIS/ISPO project in Slovenia and that will be an opportunity to present the ongoing ESIS/ISPO project for Bosnia and Herzegovina as well.

For more information on this symposium see: http://www.etf.unsa.ba/

3.2 International Conference: Science in Transition Countries

The conference will take place on 6-8 October in Banja Luka. It is organized by the University of Banja Luka, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska, and the United Nations' European Center for Peace and Development. This is done with the co-operation of the Ministry for Science and Culture of Republic of Srpska and Ministry for Industry and Technologies of Republic of Srpska.

The programme covers all aspects and areas connected with methods and problems of organization of science and scientific research and development work in transitional states. The main areas of interest are:

• Science and scientific research and development work in the developed countries of Europe and North America
• The nature and perspective of progress of science and scientific research and development work in transition countries of East and South Europe
• Methods and directions of progress of science and scientific research and development work in countries of former Yugoslavia.

The main focus less on IS than the previous mentioned symposium, but there will be much that is related to the IS fields.

For more information see: http://www.urc.bl.ac.yu/scitraco.html