ECS a force to reckon with at WWW2006

WWW2006 took place from 22 to 26 May at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre; the conference was making its debut in the UK. Around 1250 delegates attended, and in a major break from tradition this year the academic conference programme was overlaid by a programme of keynote speakers from digital and web-based industries. The conference chair was Professor Wendy Hall, and co-chairs were Dr Les Carr and Professor Dave De Roure. Many staff in the School have been heavily involved in the organization of the event over the last 18 months.

A major draw at the event was the presence of Professor Tim Berners-Lee, who holds a chair in ECS, and who, along with other members of the School, was prominent in the UK and international media throughout the week. The conference focused on issues which are crucial for the development of the Web, including the mobile web and Semantic Web. Coverage for the themes discussed at the conference included items on BBC News, Sky News, UK and international press, and professional and trade periodicals.

Professor Wendy Hall, Head of School, who successfully brought the conference to the UK for the first time, said: ‘This was the 15th conference in the series and it will be one of the most significant. Not only because it took place in the UK for the first time, but because the World Wide Web is at a crucial stage of its development, and this conference will play a major role in getting that message out to the wider communities of business and users worldwide.’