Brief Overview
Transatlantic Science Week, Houston, November 1216, 2012
First launched by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 2002, since
organized annually by the Embassy, with the most recent one co-hosted by Stanford
University and University of California, Berkeley in October 2011. The main target group
is research leaders at all levels in universities, research institutions, government
agencies, and business/industry.
2012’s Conference Theme: “Bridging Partnerships”
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TSW12 Principal Topic Areas:
Energy
Health / Medicine
Innovation, Commercialization, Higher Education
Main Hosting / Partnering Venues:
Rice University, Houston
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Principal organizers: Royal Norwegian Consulate General, Houston, together with the
Royal Norwegian Embassy, Washington, D.C.
Energy - to include:
Energy security and supply
Energy outlook and reserve growth
Drilling and deep water technology, subsea processing and production
Deep water research and development (at Texas A&M)
Energy for the future --special graduate students / Ph.D. candidates session
Ph.D. Student Workshop on Petroleum Science and Technology
Synergies between space and offshore exploration
Sharing environmental data in the Arctic, incl. offshore oil companies’ monitoring
Conveying climate science to the public
Health and medicine – to include:
Health Professionals for a new Century
Cancer research, incl. melanoma and lung cancer
Cardiology, incl. dys-synchrony and primary PCI
Palliative medicine
Hypoxia and cancer, incl. tumor-associated factors
Telemedicine, technology development and recent clinical applications
Research on “Global Governance for Health” – addressing global health systems, rules,
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norms and processes
Brief Overview
Transatlantic Science Week, Houston, November 1216, 2012
Innovation, technology development, higher education – to include:
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Nanoenabling technologies, incl. such areas as electronics, sensing, and materials
Emerging technologies and commercialization, incl. optical imaging, point-of-care
diagnostics, chip sensor technologies, translational research
Genomic medicine, preclinical studies, innovation in advanced development &
therapeutic manufacturing
Intellectual property management / bioscience business accelerators
Research-based education keeping pace with innovation and tech transfer
Global health perspectives in higher education
Interprofessional and transprofessional health education
Education on the Web (Rice University recently joined the Consortium of Universities,
Coursera, reshaping online education)
Special Session on Think Tank Collaboration, hosted by Baker Institute of Public Policy at Rice
University, involving several other U.S. and Norwegian based Think Tanks -- topics to include:
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Energy Security and Supply
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Research on borders and settlements
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Research on diaspora and conflict resolution
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Research on peace and reconciliation
Participation, format, scope of TSW12:
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180 Speakers / Chairs / Moderators
19 Workshops
2 Plenary Sessions (one focusing on energy, one focusing on health / medicine)
3 Special Panel Sessions (Think Tank Panel, Fulbright Arctic Chairs, Student Energy
Session)
4 Keynote Lectures:
o Luncheon “Civic Science Lecture” by NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh
o Luncheon Lecture by professor, former astronaut Robert Satcher,“The Interface of
Space, Health and Telemedicine”
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o Kavli Laureate Lecture on Nanoscience by Dr. Donald M. Eigler
o Evening Lecture on “Our Explosive Sun” by Norwegian space scientist Pål Brekke
Brief Overview
Transatlantic Science Week, Houston, November 1216, 2012
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7 Site Visits outside Houston (Texas A&M at College Station (3), University of Texas,
Austin, NASA Johnson Space Center, ExxonMobil Research Center, City of Clifton)
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Affiliated U.S. Venues / Partners: University of Houston. Texas A&M, at College Station.
University of Texas, Austin. Texas Heart Institute. Baylor College of Medicine. Ben Taub
General Hospital. Memorial Hermann Hospital. Baker Institute of Public Policy, at Rice
University. BioScience Research Collaborative, BRC, at Rice University. MIT Enterprise
Forum of Texas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). NASA Johnson Space
Center. The Humphrey School, University of Minnesota. The Kavli Foundation, California.
Houston Museum of Natural Science. City of Clifton/The Cleng Peerson Institute, Texas.
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Principal Norwegian Stakeholders: Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Health
and Care Services, Ministry of Trade and Industry
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Affiliated Norwegian Stakeholders: The Research Council of Norway. The Norwegian
Association of Higher Educational Institutions (UHR). Norwegian Center for International
Cooperation in Education (SIU). Petroleum Research School of Norway, NFiP (Nasjonal
forskerskole i petroleumsfag). The Norwegian Public Health Enterprises (Helseforetakene).
Innovation Norway.
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Other institutional participation from Norway: University of Oslo. Norwegian University
of Science and Technology (NTNU). University of Bergen. University of Tromsø. University
of Stavanger. Agder University. The University of Life Sciences. IRIS. SINTEF. Bergen
Regional College. Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Norwegian Institute of
International Affairs (NUPI). The Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Center. The U.S.Norway Fulbright Foundation. Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. Norwegian
Center for Integrated Care and Telemedicine. Norwegian Cancer Consortium. Oslo
Medtech. Norwegian Space Center. Statoil. INTSOK. Vest-Agder County.
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Registration: (while participation is free, the Organizers reserve the right to set a
numerical ceiling, and/or otherwise decline registrations ):
 http://www.cvent.com/events/transatlantic-science-week-2012/custom-20f328760025c941beac0e998f7d8b329b.aspx
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Secretariat: Royal Norwegian Consulate General, 3410 West Dallas Street, Houston, TX
77019
Telephone: 713 620 4200
Email: TSW12@mfa.no
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 www.norway.org/houston
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Overview as per August 16, 2012