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Diary of Monday, 6th February 2006
This first day of the 9th annual school on Wireless Networking for Development started with registration with Ms. Stanka Tanaskovic and was followed by various administrative details at the Visa Office and other offices. Many thanks to her and the other staff who assisted us, and to ICTP for generously providing this opportunity.
For some participants lunch was the first introduction to the ICTP cafeterias. These are efficiently run with excellent fare and are a welcome haven for hungry scientists in the cold Italian winter.
The opening ceremony was scheduled for 2pm, and the directors, some lecturers, and 26 participants introduced themselves. The importance of punctuality and diligent participation was stressed to allow participants to make the most of the privilege of attending the school.
Professor Radicella presented the history of the school in the context of ICTP, and professor Struzak the goals of the current school in the context of modern wireless technologies and the digital divide.
After a short break Carlo Fonda and Marco Zennaro spoke about the upcoming events, lab safety, and the school wiki. The wiki is especially important as a way for the knowledge to reach many more than the 26 participants and their immediate colleagues or students.
Johannes Grassberger of the Scientific Computer Section introduced aspects of the wider ICTP network and assisted participants with queries at the end of the day.
All in all, the participants and lecturers made new (and sometimes renewed old) acquaintances, and the conference is off to a high-spirited start.