WSIM INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS PROFILES

ANDREI ABRAMOV (Russia), Chief, NGO Branch, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC)

Mr. Andrei Abramov has diversified professional and progressive experience in supporting intergovernmental policy making, negotiations and in preparation of policy documents. He has also represented DESA and the NGO Branch in a number of international forum and UN interagency task forces and executive committees. Before joining the NGO Branch, he performed the functions of Principal Social Affairs Officer in the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), where he is credited with taking important initiatives to strengthen the work of that office. A longtime UN staffer, Andrei has more than 10 years of experience in the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) dealing with many critical aspects of staffing both at UNHQ and in the field. 

EDNA DOS SANTOS-DUISENBERG (Brazil), Chief, Creative Economy & Industries Programme, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Ms. Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg, as a development economist, started her career at the United Nations in 1983. In 1995 she joined the Cabinet of the Secretary General of UNCTAD for 10 years. In 2005, she became Chief, Creative Economy & Industries Programme of UNCTAD. She is the Chairperson of the UN-Multi-Agency Informal Dialogue Group on Creative Industries. Recently, she led the research and was the main co-writer of the first UN multiagency policy-oriented study "Creative Economy Report-2008". She launched the UNCTAD Global Database on world trade of creative industries, and designed the "Creative Africa Initiative". She obtained two Master Degrees, in International Trade and in International Economic Relations.

FRANCISCO SIMPLICIO (Brazil), Chief, Division for Knowledge Management and Operations & Special Unite for South-South Cooperation (SU/SSC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mr. Francisco Simplicio has been instrumental in the design and implementation of the South-South Global Assets and Technology Exchange (SS-GATE). In particular he manages SS-GATE track II, which is the Global South Human Development Investment Exchange (HDSX) and is developing a track focus on exchanges in the creative economy. He managed the publication of the Creative Economy Report, and leads the Creative Economy for Development program. He has over 14 years of experience in UNDP, 8 of which based at the UN Headquarters in NY. He has a degree in Economics and masters in Information Technology from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and the Imperial College of the University of London.

YUANDONG HU (China), Head, Investment & Technology Promotion Office-China (ITPO-China), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Mr. Hu’s working experience includes two years with a civil engineering company, over six years as a professional diplomat in early 80s and 4 years with UNDP China Country Program. In late Dec. 1995, he was appointed by the Director General of UNIDO to be Director, heading UNIDO Investment & Technology Promotion Office for China (ITPO-China) in Beijing in charge of investment/trade promotion and technology transfer till now. He was the EMPA and PAD candidate of University of Colorado at Denver, U.S.A.

DIMITER GANTCHEV (Bulgaria), Acting Director, Creative Industries Division, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Mr. Dimiter Gantchev was a Senior Counselor in the Copyright and Related Rights Sector and the Economic Development Sector of WIPO, focusing on the economic aspects of copyright and related rights, their contribution to economic development as well as public policy issues offecting development policies. Until 2002, he has occupied various senior positions as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. He was a Deputy Permanent Representative of his country to the United Nations in Geneva. He holds a degree of Ph.D in economics from Sofia University and a M.A. in international relations from Moscow State Institute.

HERVÉ FISCHER (Canada), President, International Federation of Multimedia Associations (FIAM); Founding Director, International Digital Observatory (OINM); Member, UNESCO Canadian Committee

Mr. Hervé Fischer is a multimedia artist and philosopher. He has worked tirelessly in promoting innovative art forms dealing with science and technology. He is an internationally recognized lecturer and has published numerous books on art, mythanalysis, communications and digital technologies : Le choc du numérique (2001), Le romantisme numérique (2002), Les défis du cybermonde, CyberProméthée, l'instinct de puissance (2003),  La planète hyper - de la pensée linéaire à la pensée en arabesque, Le déclin de l'empire hollywoodien (2004), Nous serons des dieux (2006), La société sur le divan (2007), Québec imaginaire et Canada réel (2008), Un roi américain (2009). He has awarded the first Leonardo Makepeace Tsao Award by the International Society for the Arts, Sciecne and Technology (MIT). He was elected to hold the Daniel Langlois Chair for Fine Arts and Digital Technologies at Concordia University in Montréal and developed the concept of a Québec media lab, which has become Hexagram, a centre of excellence in multimedia research. Former professor at the Sorbonne University, Paris, he holds a Ph D. in Sociology. He has received the Ordre du mérite of the French Government and was awarded the NCGA first Price in music video and the Leonardo Award for art, technology and science (MIT-USA). 

PING LI (Canada), Vice President and CEO, International Federation of Multimedia Associations (FIAM)

As a Canadian senior expert on international networking development, he actively promote the FIAM’s global platform on multimedia and digital media, networking with UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNDP, UN ECOSOC, WIPO, WHO, Commonwealth, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Organization of American States (OAS), International Network of Cultural Diversity (INCD), International Digital Media and Arts Associations (iDMAa), International Design Association (IDA), Wireless Communication Association International(WCAI), International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Eurocinema, Integrated TV and Video Association (ITVA), International Publishers Association (IPA), Global Digital Business Association (GDBA), Academy of Interactive Arts and Science (AIAS), etc. He is one of main developers for the WSIM 2009. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Editorial Committee for Blue Book on Culture: Annual Report on World Cultural Industries, published by Social Sciences Academy Press (China). He holds a MA in comparative literature from McGill University.

ROLAND GRUNDER (Switzerland), Vice President, International Federation of Multimedia Associations (FIAM); Secretary General, SwissMedia Association (SMA)

Mr. Roland Grunder is an economist from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland since 1998. He is also the member of European Multimedia Associations’ Convention (EMMAC) and the members of Executive Board of many companies acting in the ICT area. Since the beginning of 2007, he starts his own consulting company COMARG helping SMEs in the field of entrepreneurship and business development. Thanks to his international relationships, he has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Tunisia in Switzerland since 2005. After his study, he joined the Swiss Postal Services as marketing-communication manager. He was also a public relations officer in the Swiss Air Force.

MOHAN KAUL (UK), CEO, Commonwealth Business Council (CBC)

Mr. Mohan Kaul has chaired several influential national and global conferences in joint partnerships with governments, involving the heads of governments, key ministers and senior business leaders. He was involved in establishing the G8 Business Action for Africa, Business Action for Asia, Business Action Against Corruption, Business Action for Corporate Governance, Commonwealth Project Finance, Micro-Financing, Investment Climate Facility in Africa, Africa Recruit, NEPAD Business Group, South Asia Trade and Investment Network, China-India-Brazil-Africa Business Forum, Commonwealth-Middle East Business Forum and the UK-India Business Leaders Forum. He holds other high-level positions as a member of the Board and Chairman of the Governance Committee of ICICI Bank (UK), Board of the Africa Virtual University; Governing Council of the Crown Agents Foundation, Board of Directors of the UK India Business Council, Advisory Council of British Expertise, Central Council of the Royal Over-Seas League, International Advisory Council of the Indian Institute of Management, etc. He has a PhD in Management Science from University of Paris-Sorbonne. 

VIJAY AMLIWALA (UK), Managing Director, Technology, Commonwealth Business Council (CBC)

Mr. Vijay Amliwala has 26 years IT experience, working in manufacturing, service, defense and financial sector. He has worked for Nixdorf Computers, Marconi, BBC, DataStream. His main area of expertise is working as IT specialist on equity trading systems for J.P. Morgan, NatWest Markets & Morgan Stanley. Prior to his appointment at CBC, he was Vice President at Morgan Stanley, working with Equity management in developing technology and managing cultural change. One of the few Wall Street companies where CRM and trading systems was successful married and he has become one of the leading exponents of technical innovation within the CRM industry. In 2001 he was involved in setting up a knowledge base service in India for the Morgan Stanley’s Equity Division and managed the outsourcing of application development and many core front line trading operations. He graduated in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Hatfield Polytechnic, UK in 1983. He majored in VLSI microchip design in his final year.

PIETRO SICURO (France), Director, Institute of Digital Francophonie (IFN), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)

Mr. Pietro Sicuro is the Administrator of the Fonds francophones des Inforoutes of OIF since 1998. He coordinates the Francophone contribution regarding the implementation of the Information Society and represents the Francophonie within various international authorities specialized in the field of ICT. He is interested particularly in the problems of cultural and linguistic diversity in the digital world. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Senior Advisor - Policies and International Co-productions with Téléfilm Canada, the Special Advisor - Cultural Industries and Communications of the Prime Minister of Quebec, and Associate Deputy Minister responsible for the International Stakes of Information Society with the Department of Communications of Quebec. He took part in work of the Dot Forces of the G8 and the UNICT Task Force. He holds a Masters Degree in Communications from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQÀM).

PIERRE OUÉDRAOGO (Burkina Faso), Representative, IFN, OIF; President, African Free Software Users Association (AAUL)

Mr. Pierre Ouédraogo has been responsible since 1998 for implementation of Information society programs at IFN. His activities include: WSIS follow up, internet governance, free software, capacity building and networking of French Speaking ICT Experts of Less Developed Countries (LDC). He represents OIF in the GAC (Governmental Advisory Committee) of ICANN. He has participated in the process of formation of many African ICT organisations such as AFRINIC (African Regional Internet Registry), AfTLD (African Top Level Domain Names Association) and AfNOG (African Network Operators Group). He has a Master Degree in Computer Science for Business and a diploma in business administration from Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). He has also a Master in Physics and Chemistry from Ouagadougou University in Burkina Faso.

ALEXANDER MORA-DELGADO (Costa Rica), Vice President, Latin America, Caribbean & Spain ICT industry Federation (ALETI); Chairman, Costa Rica Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CANTIC); Board Member, International Federation of Multimedia Associations (FIAM)

Alesander Mora-Delgado holds several senior positions: Co-founder, President, Chairman & CEO of  TECAPRO; President and General Manager of BT Alliance Central America and Caribbean, as an alternate channel network for Central America, Panama and Caribbean for British Telecom Group plc (BTplc); Director and Chairman of the Board, Costa Rican Chamber of Software Producers (CAPROSOFT) (1999 to 2003); Vice Chairman of the Board, Costa Rican Chamber of Exporters (CADEXCO) since 2003; Ad Hoc Advisor to Costa Rican Minister of Science and Technology in ICT since 2007.  He earned a Major in Economics and a Master Degree in Business Administration.

RAY L. STEELE (USA), Executive Director, International Digital Media and Arts Association (iDMAa); Professor and Director, Centre for Information and Communication Sciences, Ball State University

Mr. Ray Steele is the Center for Information and Communication Sciences’ first Distinguished Professor. He has won teaching awards in undergraduate liberal arts, and graduate business programs at the University of Pittsburgh, and the graduate technology program at Ball State University’s College of Communication, Information, and Media.  His work is published in the United States, Europe, Canada and Latin America.  He received the Distinguished Service Award by the International Telecommunication Education and Research Association (2007).  He is a Frank Stanton Fellow with the International Radio and Television Society in New York. He received the Cyberstar award in Indiana for his contributions to technology in academe.  He has created two of the nation's leading graduate academic programs in the telecommunications field, first at the University of Pittsburgh and later at Ball State University.   The Ball State Center won the National Networking Education Award from Network World Magazine, as well as the International Distance Learning Conference Partnership Award for K-12 Partnerships, and Educom’s Wyatt award for successfully implementing technology in education for his work. His Ph.D. is from the University of Pittsburgh.

JOSEPH OLIN (USA), President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS)

Mr. Joseph Olin is the voice of AIAS and oversees the annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, the Interactive Achievements Awards (IAA) and the Into the Pixel video game art exhibit. He has grown the Academy membership more than six-fold from 3,000 to 20,000 since June 2004. He is a highly sought out speaker at international and national industry gatherings, such as: AnimFX (New Zealand), FMX Conference (Germany), VIEW Conference (Italy), Games Convention Developers Conference (Germany), Nordic Games Summit and Digital Hollywood (Los Angeles). He sits on the Advisory Boards of FMX, AnimFX NZ, GC Asia Conference and the UCLA/CRESST Games Research Center. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California

NARENDRA K. RUSTAGI (India), Executive Director, Global Digital Business Association (GDBA); Professor and Chair, Information Systems & Decision Sciences, School of Business, Howard University

Mr. Narendra K. Rustagi is the Chair of the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences in the School of Business, Howard University. Prior to becoming a Chair of the department in Howard University, he is the Chair of committees to develop curricula for MBA concentrations in e-Commerce and Supply Chain Management. He was a co-Principal Investigator and served as a Campus Coordinator for implementing the grant to develop and teach four programs online. He also served as the Head Editor for the World Business Review Education System of World Business Review, hosted by former Secretary of State General Alexander Haig.  He earned master’s degrees from University of Delhi and Master of Applied Statistics and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. 

MARK FUERST (USA), Executive Director, Integrated Media Association (IMA)

Mr. Mark Fuerst is director of the annual National Public Media Conference, which services practitioners from stations, networks and independent production companies, with participation from the United Kingdom (BBC), Canada (CBC) and Australia (ABC). Since 2007, he has managed the Public Media Innovation Fund, an investment program financed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. His private consulting company, Innovation4Media, Inc., created and maintains a national web tracking system, Public Media Metrics, which monitors activity at 110 public broadcasting websites throughout the United States.

MATTTHIA DITSCH (Germany), Founder and Board Member, Integrated TV and Video Association (ITVA)

Mr. Matthia Ditsch is an experienced managing director of over ten years intensive work in the field of internet, multimedia and TV industry management. In 1995, he founded one of the first Online-Agencies in Germany at the beginning of the internet age and parallel the online magazine “digitalMIRROR”, which was transformed 1999 into the “Call-A-Song.de.AG”, a music download community. Since 2009 he is the Managing Director of FirstGolf Business GmbH which runs the big internet portal www.GOLFparadise.com, cooperating with GolfDigital.TV, a big IPTV Channel. He studied visual communication and exhibition design in Augusburg and Berlin, where he got his diploma in 1988. He also was a Hard-and Software Trainer at DTP-Academy build-up the Training Centre Munich.

GUY GADNEY (Australia), President of Board, Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA)

Mr. Guy Gadney has over 18 years experience in digital media production for major media companies worldwide including Penguin Books, the BBC, the Guardian, FoxKids, BigPond, etc. He ran the interactive TV and broadband developments for the BBC in London.  Since moving to Australia in 2001, he produced the digital electronic program guide and games channels for the pay-TV operator FOXTEL, ran the online and mobile content division for the national telco, and was General Manager of digital for PBL Media, overseeing all digital strategies and production for Channel Nine television and building 25 websites for ACP Magazines. In 2009 he joined The Project Factory to produce digital versions of films and TV shows. He has also judged the BAFTA interactive awards in the UK, the Webbys in the US as well as the AIMIA awards in Australia.

STEFAN THURHAGE (Sweden), Chairman, Interactive e-Learning (Promise)

Mr. Stefan Thurhage has been working in the field of commercial training since 1998. He is the Co-founder of Insite – Interactive Simulations Technologies (1998-2002), After that he is the Partner Intermezzon, a training company specializing in simulations and blended training within sales, service & leadership for global companies. Prior to this he has had several positions within sales & marketing and set up new companies within the vehicle industry. He has also been a member of the board of SMIT – the association for Growth and Entrepreneurship for small and middle sized companies. He hosts the BA in Economics at Handelshögskolan i Göteborg. 

GERARDO BRENES (Costa Rica), Vice President Costa Rica Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC)

Mr. Gerardo Brenes is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  Global  Business Systems- GBSYS, S.A. a Costa Rica based Information Technology consulting firm. He has worked as an Information Technology Specialist in projects funded by UNDP, IDB, European Communities and others. He also advises the Minister of Science and Technology as member of the National Incentives Commission for Science and Technology Research. He has also dedicated himself as University Professor to train new generations of multimedia creators at the distinguished Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica. His interests include Oracle Database Technology, digital economies, local government, IT talent retention, mobile computing, social networks for marketing, digital inclusion of elderly persons and the integration of different fields of interest with information technology. He holds a Master of Science in Information and Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

RAFAEL DE LA OSA DIAZ (Cuba), Director, Cubarte

Mr. Rafael de la Osa Díaz has worked six years in the Statistics Cuban Institute, developing special Microset models. Since 1991, he has been working at the Centro de Informatica Cultural del ministerio de la cultura, developing the National System of Cultural Information. Later on he founded and directed during 5 years the e-Trade Agency "Soycubano" with the Artex corporation, of which he became vice president (2005-2007). He was especially in charge of cultural products. and developing the on line promotion of national and musical events, including dance. Since 2008 he is director of Cubarte, the National Centre of digital culture, of which he has been funder. He has been in charge of international relations and contributions with UNESCO and a number of culture ministries of other Latin American countries. He graduated from the Baku State University in Azerbaidzan, obtaining his master in Physics and Mathematics (applied mathematics and computing).

CARLOS ARGUELLO (Guatemala), President, Studio-C; Founder, Fundacion CA (Central American Foundation)

Carlos Argüello has excelled as Creative and Artistic Director in world renowned companies such as Walt Disney Features, Cinesite (Kodak), Synthetic Video, and PDI (Pacific Data Images). He started his career in the early eighties in San Francisco, creating 3D graphics for Ford Aero Space (NASA). This project had numerous awards, including the first place in the 1986 NCGA (National Computer Graphics Association Competition) for its contribution to the UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) Program. During the following seven years, Arguello transitioned towards the entertainment industry, working as Creative Director and Artistic Director for PDI, where he collaborated in several commercials and logo images for TV Networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO and TNT. Music Videos, In the early nineties, Carlos moves to Hollywood. He worked in films like: Natural Born Killers (Oliver Stone), Heart & Souls (Universal Pictures), and Angels in the Outfield (Disney/Caravan Pictures), etc. He also worked in the Ricky Martin video “She´s All I Ever Had”, which received the Alma Award. In 2001, he returns to Guatemala, creating STUDIO C. In 2007 Carlos started “Fundación CA” (Central American foundation), a nonprofit organization created to promote education and enhancement of culture using art and technology.

KAMIL AHMAD BIN DATO MOHD OTHMAN (Malaysia), Vice President, Creative Multimedia Strategy & Policy, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)

Mr. Kamil Ahmad Bin Dato Mohd Othman is responsible to provide the leadership to drive the Creative Content Industry component of the national project for MSC Malaysia (Multimedia Super Corridor, a Government initiative). Local Malaysian animation companies are getting global attention through the efforts and policies which his Department have contributed over the years including the Best Technology Award at Tokyo in 2006 as well as the sale of local animation to media giants like Disney and Nickleodeon. In 2007, Saladin TV Series became a co-production with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, thus starting a trend in producing animation based on Islamic history, heroes and discoveries. He is also responsible for Malaysi a’s membership of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the Asian Film & Content Commissioners Network (AFCNet) and as a President of Creative Content Global Network (CCGN, Korea).  He sits on various Government committees dealing with the development of the Content Industry. He is also an authority on the film industry and is behind the Kelab Seni Film Malaysia which has been responsible for exposing Malaysians to world cinema since 1981. Kamil finished his studies at the University of Essex.

CHANGYU WANG (Hong Kong), Honorable Vice Chairman, China Film Foundation (CFF); Honorable Vice Chairman, China Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (CSMPTE); Secretary General, Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFF); President, Salong Fimls Ltd.

Mr. Wang Changyu is an active investment banker and movies producer. He also is the Member of Advisory Committee on Entertainment Industry for Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Salon Films (H.K.) Ltd., founded by Mr. Wang’s Family, has had nearly 50 years of history and involved in the production of hundreds of films, including a number of Oscar-winning films. He has more than thirty year experiences on film production. He has worked with a number of major Hollywood film and television companies. Since 1985, he has involved in investment projects and financial services, working with a number of Asian investment and financing groups, such as Unifund S.A. (Switzerland United Fund), Anglo Chinese Group (Hong Kong) and Pan Asia Development Corporation.

ALEX HUNG (Hong Kong), Vice President, Internet Professional Association (iProA)

Mr. Alex Hung is the Managing Director of Crossover International Company Ltd. He has extensive experience in international business development, project management and alliance development through participating in investment and financial project in global scale. Now he is leading a new challenging project for i3D Asia Ltd. which specialized in the development of 3D interactive middleware which is software for Centralized-Controlled interactive input and Output peripherals for facilitating efficient and cost-effective deployment and maintenance of Digital Lifestyle and Infotainment. He is the Vice President and the chief advisor of Junior Committee of Internet Professional Association and has been active in promoting ICT to youth in the region and get youth involved in volunteer services by applying ICT. He holds a MSc (IM) and MBA double degree from The University of Science and Technology.

GUGLIELMINETTI, BRUNO (Canada), Producer, Journalist and Columnist on New Technologies, Radio-Canada

Mr. Bruno Guglielminetti is the voice of new technologies related to radio, television, cell phone and internet, etc. at Radio-Canada since 1993. In 1996, he started internet services for Radio-Canada and became the first Head of New Media for the national public broadcaster, as a center of all the new services on the Web to cover News, Sports and Culture for Canadians. He produced new media projects on internet, digital radio service and other digital broadcast platforms. He is the creator and the producer of the first French language program on the internet and the first show on the internet in Canada. In the meantime he is a columnist on new technologies for Canadian’s newspapers of La Presse and Le Devoir. He published the yearly guide about the French presence on internet: « Les 1000 meilleurs sites en français de la planète », which earn him the title of Technology Best-Seller Author in Canada. He was the recipient of the Communicator Award by the International Association of Professional Communicator (2003), the Merit for French Language Promotion in New Technology (2004) by the Office Quebecois de la langue francaise as well as the National Award for the Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (2009).

PATRICE DALLAIRE (Canada), Vice President & General Manager, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec à Chine (CDPQ-Chine)

Mr. Patrice Dallaire’s professional career choices have enabled him to get a rich, diversified work experience with both the private and the public sectors, as well as international and state-owned organizations. He has worked in government circles, both at the federal and provincial levels and both with governing and opposition parties. He was a Special Advisor to the Premier of Québec and Deputy-Chief of Staff to a Party leader in the Canadian House of Commons. He was Québec’s representative in Atlantic Canada and, lately, a diplomat in Beijing from 2003 through 2006. He has trained in international relations, diplomacy and foreign languages.

DERRICK DE KERCKHOVE (Canada), Director, McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology; Professor, University of Toronto; Senior Advisor, FIAM International Advisory Committee

Mr. Derrick de Kerckhove has worked on essays collections and books: The Skin of Cultur, Connected Intelligence, , Le psicotecnologie and The Point-of-being, etc. He has offered Connected Intelligence® workshops worldwide and contributed to the architecture of Hypersession, a collaborative software. He was decorated by the Government of France with the order of “Les Palmes académiques” and has been a member of the Club of Rome. He was awarded the Papamarkou Chair in Technology and Education at the Library of Congress in Washington (2004-06). He was involved in plans for a exhibit on Canada and Modernism at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie in Paris (2003-4) and is working on a public video-meeting point between Toronto and Naples/Milan. He received his Ph.D. and a Doctorat du 3e cycle in Sociology of Art.

LUC COURCHESNE (Canada), Founder and Board Member, Society for Arts and Technology (SAT); Professor, Université de Montréal

Mr. Luc Courchesne is the Founder and Board Member of the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) and the Professor of Design at the Université de Montréal. He began his explorations in interactive video in 1984 when he co-authored Elastic Movies, one of the earliest experiments in the field. He has since produced about 30 installation works and image series including: Encyclopedia Chiaroscuro (1987), Portrait One (1990), Family Portrait (1993), Hall of Shadows (1996), Landscape One (1997), Passages (1998), Rendez-vous… (1999), Panoscopic Journal (1999-), Panoscope 360° (2000), The Visitor: Living by Numbers (2001), Untitled (2004) and Where are you? (2005). With his installations, he transforms the spectator into a visitor invited, like Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, through the looking glass. He received a Master of Science in Visual Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (1984).

DENYS TRAMBLAY (Canada), Project Coordinator, National Animation and Design Centre (NAD); Professor, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQÀC)

Mr. Denys Tremblay is the Professor of Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) and the Project Coordinator of National Animation and Design Centre (NAD). He was one of the designers and director for interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts from UQAC. He was taking in charge of International Director of a certified training project in digital arts in Tianjin (China). He holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Laval University in Quebec and a doctorate in fine arts from the University of Paris-VIII in the leadership of Frank Popper.

ANDRÉE DUCHAINE (Canada), General Manager, Groupe Molior

Following graduate studies in communications, cinematography and semiotics, Ms. Andrée Duchaine has devoted herself to promoting new forms of art since the 70's. She created and headed Video 84, precursor to the Montreal International Festival of New Cinema and New Media. In Paris, she founded a company that distributed short and medium-length films: Andrée Duchaine Films and worked with various international television networks and schools of film represented by renowned filmmakers like Wim Wenders and Mathieu Kassovitz. After ten years in Europe, she returned to Montreal and founded Groupe Molior (2001) to support artists in producing and distributing new media art projects. Prior to acting as Molior’s general manager, Ms. Duchaine made her mark as a curator, author, speaker and professor at home and abroad. She now focuses on developing her innovative model to shine an ever-wider spotlight on Canadian artists on the local, national and international stages.

DAVIS CAPPOLI (USA), Digital Resources Librarian, Department of Information Studies, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Mr. David Cappoli is the President of the Southern California Chapter of Special Libraries Association (SLA). SLA is an international organization with approximately 11,000 members. Prior to coming to UCLA, he was a Librarian in the Los Angeles Times’ Image Archive, where his work was focused on the Times’ digital image collection, specifically enhancing image retrievability, broadening end-user access, and furthering staff training. He received his Master of Library Science (MLS) degree from UCLA in 1991.  After graduating from UCLA, he was the Research Database Coordinator for Glasgow Polytechnic University in Scotland, where he led the efforts to assemble a compilation of campus-wide research activity.

MICHAEL STROUD (USA), CEO and Co-Founder, iHollywood Forum

Mr. Michael Stroud has been a professional business journalist for 25 years. He covered technology as a senior writer at Investor's Business Daily, and covered business and entertainment issues as a Los Angeles entertainment correspondent for Bloomberg News. He later covered broadcast networks as the Los Angeles Bureau Chief for Broadcasting and Cable, and spent four years as a correspondent for Wired.com, covering digital entertainment. Michael is now an independent journalist covering technology, entertainment and the wireless industry. He frequently moderates business forums on digital entertainment. His articles have appeared in the Sunday New York Times, Business 2.0, Always On Network and Red Herring. He received a BA in Asian Studies from UC Berkeley.

DAVID LIVINGSTON (USA), Director of Development, Digital Media Academy (DMA)

Mr. David Livingston has led numerous workshops, seminars and training courses on technology integration for educators for last eight years. For the past four years, Dave has specialized in training and consulting on digital video and multimedia solutions. Along with teaching Final Cut Pro and multimedia integration workshops across the United States for Apple, Dave has taught digital media courses at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz County and at schools throughout Northern California. Currently he spends his time as DMA’s Director of Development, building and promoting DMA’s programs in current and new locations.

CHI-RAY CHIEN (USA), Director of DMA Summer Program on Digital Media Training in Stanford University Campus, Digital Media Academy (DMA)

Mr. Chi-Ray Chien studied Biomechanical Engineering at Stanford (BS ’94; MS ‘96) before working in the medical device industry where he ran prototyping and manufacturing operations.  Subsequently, he spent eight years as the Operations Director of a non-profit organization, overseeing IT, administration, finance, and facilities in Boston, Massachusetts.  His interest in digital media and technology such as digital photography, videography, audio engineering.

JEAN-MICHEL CORNU (France), Scientific Director, Fondation internet nouvelle génération (Fing)

Mr. Jean-Michel Cornu is an international consultant and European expert on New Technologies and the Information Society. His activity combines strategic intelligence and scientific expertise; dissemination of strategic or technical knowledge towards decision-makers; development of communities and cooperation projects at international and local levels. He wrote several books among which “Prospectic, new technologies, new thinking” (2008) and “Cooperation, new approaches” (2009).

MARCUS GODDARD (France), Executive Director, Netexplorateur

Mr. Marcus Goddard has worked extensively as a business journalist, translator and copywriter since 1993. He was part of the team behind the Netexplorateur Forum, held in February 2008. The first event of its kind in France, the Forum was attended by executives from the country’s leading companies as well as political figures. He trawls the Net for innovative, useful initiatives based on digital media for the Netexplorateur 100.  His role is also to build and sustain a network of experts and correspondents around the world. Every year, that network and the Forum’s Supervisory Committee elect one of the 100 projects as the Grand Prix Netexplorateur. The award winners were Psiphon (Canada) in 2008 and Wizzit (South Africa) in 2009. He graduated in Philosophy and French from the University of Reading.

FRANÇOISE GALLAND (France), Director for e-Phamarcy, Information and Communication Technology Service (STIC)

Ms. Françoise Galland, as a Doctor of Pharmacy, is the Senior Lecturer for the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Angers, Project Manager for Digital University for French Speaking Pharmaceutical Science (UNSPF), Operations Manager for e-Learning, Chair of National Association of e-Learning Services (ANST) and Project Manager for Regional Digital University (UNR) in Pays-de-la-Loire. Her mission is to set up a network to design and create resources of e-pharmacy for health professionals and future health professionals. She is also working to develop information relevant for the general public and freely available on-line with a development of e-learning to all multimedia new possibilities for creating and sharing pedagogical documents. A stamp will certify the source of information and guarantee the reliability of contents. The project began at the national level and is likely to be extended to French-Speaking Countries or even to an international level.

OUMAR SALL (Sénégal), Representative, Group 30 Africa

Mr. Oumar Sall has coordinated the network of cultural information in Africa since 1990. He is a founding member for the Mobility Fund for artists working in Africa, the Forum for dialogue between international networks and foundations, and ADAFEST (an association of arts and festivals in Senegal which will establish the first "cultural bank" of the African continent to help support the young designers). He is also the author of Season of Love and Anger, Africa: 30 Years of Independence, Refugee Without Borders, The Shells of Death. 

FORTUNE SOLANI MHLANGA (Zimbabwe), Representative, Highway Africa

Mr. Fortune Solani Mhlanga is a Representative of Highway Africa

He joined the School of Information Technology and Computing at Abilene Christian University (ACU) in 2007 as the Professor of Computer Science.  From 2002 to 2007, he was the Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Faulkner University. Prior to that, he was Director of the Informatics and Electronics Institute at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Harare, Zimbabwe from 1998. He represented Zimbabwe on an Expert Group of Information Technology established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government of the High Level Review Group to tackle the problem of the digital divide in Commonwealth countries.  He obtained his MS and PhD degrees in computer science from New Jersey Institute of Technology respectively.