ESF Research Conferences

ESF-COST High-Level Research Conference

Future Internet and Society: A Complex Systems Perspective

2-7 October 2010

Programme

© COST Office

Final Programme: PDF (updated 16 July 2010)

The digital revolution and the advent of the Internet are transforming the way we work, how we spend our free time. These phenomena are also changing how we communicate with each other and the way in which we establish and maintain our social relations. The relationship between Internet and society is complex and bidirectional, leading to a co-evolution of the two systems. In fact, the Internet exists because humans need networking and the Internet evolution is ultimately driven by our ever-increasing use of it.
 
The complexity of the current Internet structure and its future developments cannot be understood without taking a full multi-disciplinary approach. Such an approach must necessarily be based on the science of complex systems, and in particular complex network theory. It must also depend on social sciences and humanities to elucidate the underpinnings of the Internet at a societal and economic level.

This conference will bring together experts in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), social scientists, as well as experts in the area of complex systems They will assess the state-of-the-art, identify new trends and envision future developments in the intertwined domains of future Internet and society.

Topics that will be covered in the conference include:

  • Internet topology and modelling
  • Complex techno-social networks
  • Modelling of collective social behaviour
  • Social and human dynamics
  • Spreading and epidemics in techno-social systems
  • Virtual social systems
  • Co-evolution of Internet and society
  • Internet as a socio-economical system
  • Mobile social networks
  • Internet enabled applications and business
  • Future Internet as a techno-social system.

We welcome top-level presentations on the most recent results in analysis and modelling, from the point of view of complex systems and other techno-social issues.

The conference will include lectures by invited high-level speakers, short talks by young and early stage researchers, poster sessions and open discussion periods as well as a forward look panel discussion about future developments.

Invited speakers will include:

  • Harith Alani, The Open University, UK
    "Semantics, Sensors, and the Social Web"
  • Petra Ahrweiler, University College Dublin, IE
    "Innovation Processes in Complex Socio-Economic Systems: An ICT Perspective"
  • Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Yahoo Research Lab, ES
    "Next generation search"
  • Ciro Cattuto, Complex Networks and Systems Group, ISI Foundation, IT
    "Weaving on-line connections on real-world interactions"
  • Noshir Contractor, Northwestern University, US
    "Network Science meets Web Science: The Emergence of Multidimensional Networks"
  • Enrico Gregori, National Research Council CNR Pisa, IT
    "The Impact of IXPs on the AS-level Topology Structure of the Internet"
  • Petter Holme, Umeå University, SE
    "The dynamics of Internet intermediated partner formation"
  • Kimmo Kaski, Helsinki University of Technology, FI
    "Opinion and community formation in co-evolving networks"
  • Jure Leskovec, Stanford University, US:
    "Exploring the Structure of On-Line Social Networks: The Role of Positive and Negative Links"
  • Filippo Menczer, Indiana University, US
    "How we navigate social information networks: analysis > and modeling of Web and Wikipedia traffic"
  • Angel Sanchez, Universidad Carlos III, ES
    "Modelling Human Interactions on Networks: lessons learnt from Theoretical and Experimental Games"
  • Andrea Scharnhorst, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, NL
    "Web science or web research? Changing research practices in the social sciences and humanities"
  • Didier Sornette, ETH Zurich, CH
    "The Dynamics of Success and Fame: YouTube, Open Source Software, Social Networks, Cyber-Risks"
  • Bosiljka Tadic, Jozef Stefan Institute, SI
    "User Communities and Emotional Behavior in Cyberspace"
  • Alessandro Vespignani, Indiana University, US / ISI Foundation, IT
    "Computational modeling and the forecast of socio-technical systems"
  • Walter Willinger, AT&T Labs Research, US
    "The Internet as a techno-socio-economical system: A reality check for Network Science"