Richard Stallman
Founder of the Free Software Movement and main
developer of the GNU operating system (often erroneously called
"Linux").
Main speech title: Copyright vs. community
Short speech title: Don't even think "intellectual property"
Richard Stallman is the founder of the GNU Project, launched in 1984 to develop the free software operating system GNU. The name “GNU” is a recursive acronym for “GNU's Not Unix”.
GNU is free software: everyone is free to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes either large or small. Non-free software keeps users divided and helpless, forbidden to share it and unable to change it. A free operating system is essential for people to be able to use computers in freedom.
Stallman graduated from Harvard in 1974 with a BA in physics. During his college years, he also worked as a staff hacker at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab, learning operating system development by doing it. He wrote the first extensible Emacs text editor there in 1975. He also developed the AI technique of dependency-directed backtracking, also known as truth maintenance. In January 1984 he resigned from MIT to start the GNU project.
Richard Stallman’s web site: http://www.stallman.org
Allan Roach
Director of (WIPO) World Intellectual Property
Organization, Japan Office.
Speech title: Intellectual Property in the era of globalization
Mr. Roach studied business and accounting at the
university level but quickly moved into IT in the
early 80’s. He spent 8 years in the banking industry
in Australia prior to embarking on a career as a
private IT consultant in the Asia Pacific region.
In 1990 he joined WIPO and initially was responsible
for the automation in the International Registrations
Department (trademarks registered in the Madrid
system) and led the information technology (IT) team
that successfully delivered the ‘MAPS’ system which
provides the infrastructure for an end-to-end
paperless operations in that area. Following that he
transferred to the Administrative Support Services
where he worked as a Senior Adviser to the Assistant
Director General.
Mr. Roach then returned to the IT area of WIPO and was
assigned to the role of Chief Information Officer
during the period 2000 – 2004 with responsibility for
all WIPO’s Information Technology projects and all IT
systems.
In 2005, Mr. Roach took up new responsibilities in the
area responsible for intellectual property office
automation and later was assigned as Director Advisor
to the Deputy Director General responsible for the
WIPO Economic Development Sector.
As of June 1, 2006, Mr Roach has taken up his new
duties as Director, WIPO Japan Office.
Mr Roach holds an MBA and speaks English, French and
basic level Chinese.
Miki Horie
Associate professor, Advising and Resource Services (Study Abroad),
Nagoya University.
Speech title: Bridging the gaps between different academic cultures and disciplines.
Miki Horie obtained her PhD from the University of Minnesota and
joined Nagoya University in 2004. In her present role as student
advisor, she works to foster students intercultural/transnational
competence and raise the quality of their academic performances. Her
main research focus is on policy studies in the field of international
educational exchanges. She specializes in intercultural communication
training and offers workshops for intercultural learning and
adaptation.
Shinji Iijima
Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Nagoya University
Speech title: Biotechnology in Japan
Shinji Iijima has been conducting research at Nagoya University since
1984, after working as a post-doc at the Rockerfeller University in
the USA. His research interests include molecular biology, chromosome
dynamics and cell differentiation, biotechnology and transgenic
animals. He is the vice president of the Society for Biotechnology
Japan.
Keynote Speakers
