This grant is for support for thirteen US academic researchers and educators to participate in the 8th International Symposium on Process Systems Engineering (PSE 2003), which will be held in Kunming, China, January 5-10, 2004. The purpose of the triennial seires of conferences is to bring together the worldwide community of researchers and practitioners who are involved in the creation and application of computing and information technologies (IT) to address problems associated with the design and operation of process and products in the chemical and related industries. This is the first time the conference is to be held in China, in recognition of the growing body of research in this domain originating in that country. The special focus of the meeting is on how PSE methodologies and IT-based tools can support the high-level business decisions required in the global process industries. In keeping with this focus, the conference organization, program and attendance involves researchers and decision makers from a broad range of industries based in Europe, the US, and Asia.
Broader Impact:
One of the key thematic tracks of the conference is on the integration of PSE research into the educational process. Topics that will be addressed include developments in computer aided education tools as well as curriculum innovations that will expose students to the impact of technical decisions on broad societal and business issues. As in the IT and computer science communities in general, women researchers are underrepresented in the PSE domain. To help broaden the participation of women in the PSE domain, travel support is to be provided for the junior woman faculty whose paper has been accepted for conference presentation. This activity will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by exposing the faculty of the US delegation to their peers in Europe, Asia and the Americas and facilitate networking and the establishment of collaborations in research and the development of educational materials.
