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                       HELLENIC ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
                           ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
             NUMBER 79                              September 2004

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  E-mail: elaset@astro.auth.gr      WWW: http://www.astro.auth.gr/elaset
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  TOPICS:

  1. Short News
  2. Initiative for Science in Europe
  3. About this newsletter
  

  1. SHORT NEWS
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    It has been internationally and unanimously acclaimed that Greece
  has been very successfully and spectacularly hosted the XXVIIIth
  modern Olympiad in Athens over the month of August.  These Games
  broke many records. Athens hosted 11,099 athletes, the largest
  number ever and also the most women athletes ever.  Representatives
  of 202 countries took part, more than any other sport event. The
  Olympic flame traveled for the first time to all continents. A total
  of 3,581,080 tickets were sold, a record number, bearing Greece's
  population in mind. Four billion viewers all over the world watched
  the Games (a 20% larger share of television viewers than
  Sydney). They all saw Greece, inside and outside the stadiums.  With
  a warm Closing Ceremony, full of music and singing, Athens made a
  final farewell to the athletes and its guests. In the words of IOC
  President Dr Jacques ROGGE they were "unforgettable, dream Games".
  Was not this expected from the place which first came up with that
  idea a few thousand years ago in the first place?


  2. INITIATIVE FOR SCIENCE IN EUROPE
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    The Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) is a platform of
  European learned societies and scientific organizations whose aim is
  to promote mechanisms to support basic science at a European level,
  involve scientists in the design and implementation of European
  science policies, and to advocate strong independent scientific
  advice in European policy making.
 
   On August 6th, the journal Science published a letter co-signed by
  over 50 European scientific organizations, including the European
  Astronomical Society, calling for urgent action on the establishment
  of a European Research Council (ERC). 

   For more information visit:
        http://www.initiative-science-europe.org/


  3. ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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   This Newsletter was edited by Vassilis Charmandaris and Kanaris
  Tsinganos. It was forwarded to the 240, out of the 259, members of
  Hel.A.S. who have e-mail access.

   The next edition of the Newsletter will be mailed around October 1st
  2004. Please send your announcements (e.g. appointments/departures,
  job openings, research opportunities, awards, conferences in Greece)
  or comments before September 25, 2004. All correspondence concerning the
  Newsletter should be addressed to:

                       tsingan@phys.uoa.gr

   If you do not wish to receive future issues of this Newsletter or the
  e-mail address to which it was sent is not your preferred one, please
  let us know.

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