European Internet Seminars
28-30 July 1999

Speaker biographies
(in alphabetical order)

Josephine DRIES (NL)
Project Manager, Netherlands Platform for Older People in Europe

Josephine Dries is the project manager for new media projects at the Netherlands Platform for Older People in Europe. Previously she has been the deputy secretary of the Dutch Government Commission on Information Policy and contributed to its report on equal access to information services based on information and communication technology.

She has worked as a researcher at the European Institute for the Media in Düsseldorf, Germany from 1993 till 1997 specialising in projects on public service broadcasting and language barriers in the European audiovisual market. She has a doctoral degree in Communication Sciences from the Catholic University of Nijmegen.

Esther DYSON (US)
Chairman Edventure Holdings, Interim Chairman ICANN

Esther Dyson is chairman of EDventure Holdings, a small but diversified company focused on emerging information technology worldwide, and on the emerging computer markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Last year, Dyson published her first book, Release 2.0: A design for living in the digital age. Release 2.1, the paperback upgrade, is now available. Dyson is also active in industry affairs; she is the interim chairman of ICANN, the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers; a member of the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and is a member of the President's Export Council Subcommittee on Encryption.

She co-chaired the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council Information Privacy and Intellectual Property subcommittee, and is now involved in advising various government figures and organisations on a less formal basis, both in the US and elsewhere. Dyson is the 1996 recipient of Hungary's von Neumann Medal, awarded for "distinction in the dissemination of computer culture." Naming her Number 12 in its Elite 100, Upside Magazine recently wrote that Dyson's "stature is based entirely on her ability to influence others with her ideas rather than directly control companies or huge amounts of capital." Fortune Magazine recently named Dyson one of the 50 most powerful women in American business.

Anna Fielder (UK)
Director, Developed Economies and Economies in Transition, Consumers International

Anna Fielder is the Director of the office for Developed Economies and Economies in Transition of Consumers International. Before joining Consumers International in 1996, Ms Fielder has worked for many years for Consumers Association, UK, where her duties have included research and research management, writing consumer reports, consumer magazine editing and consumer guides production. She has carried out many consumer investigations and campaigns, on varied subjects such as timeshare, transport, environment and safety issues. As one of Consumers International four regional directors, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the organisation's mission and work principally in Europe, Middle East and North America.

As her office works with Consumers International developed country members, it has done considerable work in the area of electronic commerce for the past three years - developing networks of organisations working on internet policy and issues, representation and lobbying, participation in the working group of the OECD on consumer protection guidelines for e-commerce transactions, as well as original, first-time research projects.

Ms Fielder is a graduate of London University, with a BA hons Classics, followed by a Masters (MA) in ancient philosophy and medieval Latin. She lives in London, with her husband and two daughters.

Jo GROEBEL (DE)
Director-General, European Institute for the Media

Jo Groebel is the new Director-General of the European Institute for the Media since July 1999. He is also director of the Utrecht Postgraduate School for Media Management and Development (USMD). He is a visiting professor at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Jo Groebel is the president of the Dutch Association for Communication sciences, member of the Dutch governmental Council of Culture, member of the commission 'Media responsibility' for the president of Germany (Weizsäcker-Kommission), UN-representative 'International Society for Research on Aggression', member of the 'Media and Education' board of the Bertelsmann Foundation as well as partner of KPMG Management Consultants.

He has been consulted by and/or has given presentations to the former-president of Germany, Roman Herzog, various ministries and political parties in Germany, the secretary-general of UNESCO and various directors of European television companies.

He has published 18 scientific books on media, aggression and terrorism (e.g. 'Aggression and War' and 'Cooperation and Prosocial Behaviour') and 150 scientific articles. He is the publisher of various international magazines like 'Medienpsychologie' and 'Tends in Communication (TIC)'.

Julf HELSINGIUS (FI)
Senior VP Products and Services, KPNQwest

Johan Mikael ("Julf") Helsingius, Senior VP Products & Services, KPNQwest, is responsible for product development and management at the newly formed full-service multimedia infrastructure and service company formed by Qwest Communications (Denver, Colorado) and KPN (Netherlands). The new entity consists of the Internet operations of EUnet, the pan-european Internet service and backbone provider, and KPN Eurorings, a very-high-speed fiber optic international network operation.

Having been in the IT and networking business for almost 20 years, Johan Helsingius has started and managed several hi-tech companies.

Johan Helsingius is a member and invited expert in several government policy working groups and advisory bodies, working on legal and policy issues related to computers and networking. He is also the recipient of the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Pioneer Award 1997.

Erik HUIZER (NL)
Managing Director, SURFnet Expertise Centre

Erik Huizer is the Managing Director of the SURFnet ExpertiseCentrum bv, a company based in the Netherlands that does network development, design, planning, support, training and consultancy for an international customer base (see: http://www.sec.nl/).

Huizer received his Ph. D. in Science and Technology from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, in 1987. From 1988 till 1994 he worked as a Technical Manager at SURFnet bv, the company that operates the Academic and Research network in The Netherlands.

Erik Huizer spends a large part of his time managing various national and international projects on the development of new Internet applications and services. He is a consultant on a strategical level for the government and various large companies. He is an expert in the area of Internet technology and Internet strategy.

Erik Huizer is participating in the Internet Engineering Task Force (http://www.ietf.org/) since 1989. From 1992-1995 he was an Area Director for the Internet Applications Area and as such a member of the Internet Engineering Steering Group. Since 1995 he has been nominated (and re-nominated in 1997) as a member of the Internet Architecture Board (http://www.iab.org/).

Besides the technological development of the Internet Erik Huizer is also involved in the societal aspects of the Internet. He is one of the founders of the Electronic Commerce Platform (ECP.nl) as well as founder of the Internet Society chapter for the Netherlands. He is co-author of the article "Electronic Highway needs higher political priority" in a Dutch newspaper (http://www.nrc.nl/W2/Nieuws/1997/08/21/Med/06.html) that formed the basis of the GigaPort project (http://www.gigaport.nl/), the Dutch equivalent of the USA Internet2 initiative.

Ola-Kristian HOFF (NO)
National Expert, European Commission, DG XIII

Since 1997, Ola-Kristian Hoff works for the European Commission, DG XIII/E-1 as seconded national expert. Currently he is working on access to public sector information, illegal and harmful content on the internet and other questions related to computers and law

Ola Kristian has been working for several years for the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, involved in work related to national registers, legal information databases and data protection (and name law, property law, mediation boards etc.)

Ola Kristian was a lecturer at the university of Oslo from 1992-1997. In 1990-1991 he was a research assistant and computer network administrator with the Norwegian Research Centre for Computers and Law (NRCCL) at the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo.

Ola-Kristian holds a law degree from the University of Oslo.

Michael KNAUTH (DE)
Researcher, European Institute for the Media

Michael Knauth studied Mass Communication Science, Politics and Drama at the Free University Berlin from 1990-1996. In the winter of 1993/1994, he also attended the University of Sevilla, Spain.

Since the summer of 1996, he has been a researcher at the European Institute for the Media in Düsseldorf, Germany, working on the 'Multimedia and Society' project. His research covers EU information society policy, the technical and ecomomic developments of digital information technologies and access related questions in digital television and the internet. Michael Knauth is secretary of the working group 'Consumer and Viewer Interests' at the European Television and Film Forum.

James Stewart (UK)
Research Fellow, Research Centre for Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh

James Stewart is a research Fellow at the Research Centre for Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland He researches in the field of technology studies, concentrating on the appropriation, consumption and use of new ICTs and the innovation of systems of technology and culture. Recent work covers cybercafes, digital cities, developing Internet business, and managing innovative multimedia projects. He is completing doctoral research on the way we engage and cope with new media in our everyday lives at home and work.

James is a commentator on Interactive Television and the convergence of television and the Internet: he edits interactive television news (www.itvnews.com), giving industry up-dates and analysis of this emerging phenomena. He is a research associate of Van Dusseldorp & Partners, and a director of Internet start-ups Strategic-E and 24hourworld.com.

Bernd W.E. TASELAAR (NL)
Secretary, Federation Dutch IT (FENIT)

Bernd Taselaar has been the secretary of the Federation Dutch IT (FENIT) since 1996. He is in charge, among other things, of educational and labour market issues. He is also a Member of the Board of the Centre for Labour Issues in ICT. He lectured European integration in 1994-1995, and was a researcher with the Turkish Democracy Foundation in 1994. He holds a Master's degree in Public Administration and Public Policy.

Alastair TEMPEST (UK)
Director-General, Federation of European Direct Marketing (FEDMA)

Alastair Tempest was appointed Director General, Public Affairs & Self-Regulation of the Federation of European Direct Marketing (FEDMA) in April 1997 at the inception of the Federation.

He is Vice-Chair of the Electronic Commerce Europe Association (ECE) based in Brussels and a member of the Electronic Commerce Group of the Committee on Commerce & Distribution (CCD) to the European Commission. He is also a member of the Applied Research & Communications Fund Advisory Committee.

Previously he had been Director General of the European Advertising Tripartite (the umbrella grouping of advertisers, advertising agencies and the media) since 1989, and EAT's Secretary General since 1981. From 1980-1989 he was also Director of External Affairs for the European Association of Advertising Agencies. Presently he is a member of EAT Board.

Before moving to Brussels in 1980 he worked for the Independent Television and for the Confederation of British Industry in London.

He has made his career in European public affairs strategy and policy of commercial communications. He is a Board member of the European Advertising Tripartite and Electronic Commerce Europe Association; and on the editorial Boards of the International Journal of Advertising and the Advertising, the Media Forecast Review, and the International Journal of Direct Marketing Strategy, the New Marketing Directions.

Kim Henry VELTMAN (CA)
Scientific Director, Maastricht McLuhan Institute

Dr. Kim H. Veltman is Scientific Director of the Maastricht McLuhan Institute and co-ordinator of a new European Network of Centres of Excellence in Digital Cultural Heritage. He has worked as a consultant in new media to the CEO of Bell Media Linx (1996-1998), and done research on new media and standards for Northern Telecom (1995-1998).

From 1990-1996 he was Director of the Perspective Unit in the McLuhan Program at the University of Toronto. He has a doctorate in the history and philosophy of science (Warburg Institute, London) and has spent twenty years as a post-doctoral fellow with support from the Canada Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities research Council of Canada, the Wellcome Trust, the Volkswagen, Alexander von Humboldt, Thyssen and Gerda Henkel Foundations, and the Getty Trust.
His research is focussed on the history of perspective, Leonardo da Vinci and developments in new media. He has published three books, 45 sections in books, 25 articles in refereed journals and 15 reviews. He has taught at the universities of Toronto, Göttingen, Siena, Rome I and II, and Carleton.

His professional memberships include the Internet Society (Reston), the International Institute of Communications (London), International Society for Knowledge Organization (Amsterdam), International Society for the Arts Sciences and Technology (Berkeley), Leonardo Society (London), Museum Computer Network (New York), Visual Resources Association (Harrisburg) and the Wolfenbütteler Kreis für Renaissance Forschung (Wolfenbüttel). He is a member of the International Who's Who of Professionals.

Stefaan G. VERHULST (BE)
Director, Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy,
University of Oxford

Stefaan G. Verhulst is currently director of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford. He was a lecturer on communications law and policy issues in Belgium before becoming founder and co-director of the International Media and info-comms Policy and Law studies at the School of Law, University of Glasgow.

He has served and serves as consultant and researcher for numerous international organisations including the Council of Europe, European Commission and Unesco. He became recently Chairholder -together with Professor Monroe Price- of the Unesco Chair in Communications Law. He is also the UK legal correspondent for the European Audiovisual Observatory and founder and co-editor of the International Journal of Communications Law and Policy.

His latest publications included "Regulating the Changing Media"(OUP, 1998), "EC Media Law and Policy (AWL, 1998) (together with D.Goldberg and T.Prosser), "Broadcasting Reform in India" (OUP, 1998) (together with Monroe Price) and "Convergence in European Digital Television Regulation" (Blackstone, 1999 - with C.Marsden)

Philip WEINBERG (UK)
Research Analyst TIME, McKinsey & Company

Philip Weinberg is a research analyst in the European TIME team (Telecommunications, Information, Multimedia and Entertainment) in McKinsey & Co., working out of the London Office. He advises consultancy teams on developments and future trends in broadband access and fixed telecoms in Europe.

Before beginning work for McKinsey, Philip was a research analyst for CIT Research, also in London, covering Asia Pacific telecoms, cable and satellite sectors and European cable. Prior to this job, he worked at British Telecom's headquarters on product development for small and medium enterprises, which involved analysis of cable industry service offerings.

Philip has a Masters in International Communications Policy, and spent a year on a post-graduate scholarship studying global communications at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Amherst College. He has lectured at universities in London and published in the UK and Germany.

Karel van WOLFEREN (NL)
Head, Institute for Comparative Political and Economic Institutions

Karel van Wolferen was born in Rotterdam in 1941. He left the Netherlands in 1960 and spent two years living in and traveling through Turkey, the Middle East, India, South East Asia and the Philippines, writing magazine articles. Mr. van Wolferen first arrived in Japan in 1962. He taught English for many years at, among other places, Waseda University and Athenee Francais. He made documentary films, co-authored language books, and traveled extensively in other parts of Asia. In 1968 Mr. van Wolferen was commissioned to do a study on student radicalism in the West. The result of this was published as Student Revolutionaries of the Sixties, reviewed by the International Herald Tribune as "the best introduction to the subject". In 1972 Mr. van Wolferen joined the Dutch daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad as full-time correspondent for East Asia. In that capacity he covered major events in Japan, India, Thailand, Vietnam (including the end of the war and the evacuation in 1975), Laos, and South Korea. In 1987 he received the Netherlands Prize for Journalism for his reporting on the Philippine `revolution' the previous year. Mr. van Wolferen has served as president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. He has written extensively about the Japanese political economy, and specializes in the dynamics of Japanese political institutions. His articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Die Zeit, Chuo Koron, Bungei Shunju, and numerous other publications.
Mr. van Wolferen's book The Enigma of Japanese Power, which has been translated into ten languages, is generally considered to provide the most elaborate intellectual support of what has been called the "revisionist" view of Japan. His analysis is well-known and appreciated among the most prominent reformist politicians of Japan. He has gained a large Japanese readership with a book on the problems of political accountability and the means of realizing democracy (which has sold over three hundred thousand copies), several bundles of political and economic essays and, and in April 1998 a study of how political accountability, reliable history and accountability in business interrelate with one another.
In June 1997 Mr. van Wolferen was appointed university professor for Comparative Political and Economic Institutions by the University of Amsterdam. This position was created with the aim of stimulating novel forms of inquiry transcending established academic disciplines. He is currently writing a book on how flawed political and economic theories block a better understanding of the realities in a post-Cold-War world, and how knowledge of Japanese institutions can help us discern these realities.