What is RSS?
Who is it for?
If you prefer to receive your paper at home instead of picking it up at the store, then XML is what you need. XML is very useful for those of us who want monitor news on a variety of sites closely (not only news about the administration). It means you no longer need to visit each site separately.
What is it?
The XML logo means that the site uses an RSS system which understands the XML programming language. RSS stands for Rich Site Summary. Some sites are also using the RSS logo.
How does it work?
Special software called a feed reader collects all the news from the various sites you have selected and introduced into your system and then makes all this news available to you without any further intervention by you. Example: You may want to be notified about any news from Federal Ministry of Economy, the International Press Centre, presscenter.org, Reuters, etc. The news titles will be displayed on your screen and all you have to do is click the ones that interest you. top
Which sites are providing news?
You can find an overview of all the sites that display the XML (or RSS) logo on the following websites:
http://rssgov.com/
http://www.syndic8.com/ What you need to do?
Although RSS is technically quite complex, it's very easy to use. There are two things you need to do:
1. Install a so-called feed reader on your PC. You can choose which reader you want to download (some examples).
2. In the relevant dialogue box, just type the addresses (url) of the sites that you want to receive news from. More information on RSS You can find more information on the RSS system at the Website of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (in Dutch or French).
News
European Research Network on Illicit Drugs, launched
Today ERANID, the European Research Area Network on Illicit Drugs, a project funded by the European Union, has been launched. ERANID can be considered as a first fundamental step towards long-term co-operation in the field of scientific research on illicit drugs. BELSPO, the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, will particularly be in charge of setting the priorities for common calls, in close collaboration with the stakeholders in the field: scientists, civil society, funding agencies, administrations... The key goal is to fund topics for which scientific results will make a change for society.
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/actua/ERANID_2013_en.pdf
Grande conférence au Mundaneum à Mons le mardi 4 juin à 20 heures par le philosophe Bernard Stiegler
Une organisation du Mundaneum et de Belspo, en collaboration avec technocité: "Les chemins numériques vers la connaissance" - Bernard Stiegler. Connu pour axer sa réflexion sur les enjeux des mutations (sociales, politiques, économiques) actuelles portées par le développement des technologies et plus spécifiquement les technologies numériques, Bernard Stiegler est philosophe. Il dirige l'Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation (IRI) basé au Centre Pompidou à Paris, et préside l’association Ars Industrialis.
More: http://expositions.mundaneum.org/fr/conferences/grande-conference-du-philosophe-bernard-stiegler-fr
UNESCO-L’ORÉAL Awards For Women in Life Sciences - 2014
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science partnership was created to recognize and promote women in science. Its programs reward established women scientists whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge and of its benefits to society and provide support to promising young women scientists with worthy viable projects. The deadline for submission is 17 May 2013.
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/actua/Unesco-Oreal_FWIS2014_en.pdf
Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage: Open Day around science and art (21 April 2013)
On Sunday 21 April IRPA-KIK opens its doors at the occasion of the Erfgoeddag. You can explore the different services at your own pace while keen specialists elucidate their work.
More: http://www.kikirpa.be/EN/263/61/activities/287/21%7C04%7C2013+++Open+Day+at+IRPA-KIK%21.htm
MuséeOldmastersMuseum (The Ancient Art Museum): Museum Night Fever on Saturday 2 March 2013 (19.00 > 1.00)
Twenty Brussels choreographers pay homage to four centuries of contemporary paintings (picture). A real spectacle of dance and live music! An incredible living sculpture embodies the poetry of sign language. Budding actors and guides animate the works of Rubens and Brueghel. An entertaining evening guaranteed!
More: http://www.extra-edu.be/News-72?lang=en
Call for nomination: The Holberg International Memorial Prize 2014
The Board of the Ludvig Holberg Memorial Fund calls for nominations of candidates for the Holberg International Memorial Prize 2014. It is an international prize for outstanding scholarly work in the fields of the arts and humanities, social science, law and theology. The prize winner must have had a decisive influence on international research, either within these fields or through interdisciplinary work. The nomination deadline is 15 June 2013.
More: http://www.holbergprisen.no/en
Royal Institute of Natural Sciences: 250 Years of Natural Sciences
The history of the museum is filled with amazing tales. Discover how an 18th century cabinet of curiosities was transformed into a modern research centre and innovative museum. This historical monastery wing next to the Dinosaur Gallery features a path which you can follow via 20 milestones to discover 14 splendid specimens, each of which has a remarkable story to tell about the history of the Museum and its Institute.
More: http://www.naturalsciences.be/museum/250
UNESCO - Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB): Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management 2013
The efforts of Dr Michel Batisse to manage biosphere reserves in line with the recommendations of the Seville Strategy are internationally recognized and rewarded periodically. The application form for the Michel Batisse Award (see link below), sent by mail, should reach Federal Science Policy no later than 10 January 2013.
Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society: Belgian War Press soon available online. Result of digitisation project will be presented on 14 December 2012
From 14 December onward, no one will need to travel in order to consult Belgian clandestine papers of both world wars. La Voix des Belges, De Werker, België Vrij and La Libre Belgique…are only a few of the several hundred titles that are now available via a new website. On 14 December, the new website on war press will be presented to the public. An interesting study day, with contributions by six specialists in the field, will accompany the launch.
More: http://www.cegesoma.be/cms/index_en.php?article=2144&pag0nbr=17&pagofs=0
Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage: Open day on Sunday 25 November
On Sunday 25 November IRPA-KIK opens its doors at the occasion of the Flemish Community’s Dag van de Wetenschap (Science day). You can explore the different services at your own pace while keen specialists elucidate their work.
More: http://www.kikirpa.be/EN/263/0/activities/195/25%7C11%7C2012+Open+day+at+IRPA-KIK%21.htm
Ninth European Space Weather Week from 5 till 9 November 2012
The Ninth European Space Weather Week will take place at the Académie Royale de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium between 5 and 9 November 2012. This meeting is being jointly organised by the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence (STCE), the COST ES0803 communities, ESA and the Space Weather Working Team. The local organisation is done by the STCE. This event will build on the advances made during previous European Space Weather Weeks and preceding ESA Space Weather Applications Workshops.
More: http://www.stce.be/esww9/index.php
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy: Belgian Operations Center gets the ISS rotated
For the very first time, the International Space Station (ISS) will be rotated for science objectives in December 2012. It was the Belgian Operations Center B.USOC that managed to get this scoop. B.USOC is responsible for the SOLAR platform, which is mounted on the exterior of the European Columbus Module. SOLAR carries three Sun observing instruments, of which one, SOLSPEC, was developed at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) in collaboration with the French LATMOS.
More: http://www.aeronomie.be/en/news-press/2012-10-09-iss-solar-busoc.htm
Publication GreenFacts: Scientific Facts on Diethylhexyl phthalate
Diethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP) is a substance that is mainly used as an additive in plastics to make them more flexible. Its widespread use in everyday and medical products has raised some concerns about its safety. Does DEHP pose a risk to health or the environment?
More: http://www.greenfacts.org/en/dehp-dietylhexyl-phthalate/index.htm
MUMM-IRSNB-KBIN: Monitoring of the effects of windmills at sea: report 2012
With the installation of already 91 windmills, the first two offshore wind farms on the Thorntonbank (C-Power project) and the Blighbank (Belwind project) are nearing completion. Since such major constructions are known to affect the marine environment, a mandatory monitoring programme keeps a close eye on possible major impacts. This year’s integrated report, written by the Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea (of the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences), in cooperation with the Marine Biology Research Group (UGent), INBO and ILVO, confirms wind farms to be hotspots for biodiversity and to be affecting seabirds and marine mammals.
More: http://www.mumm.ac.be/EN/News/index.php
Call for nomination: The Holberg International Memorial Prize 2013
The Ludvig Holberg Memorial Fund invites nominations for the Holberg International Memorial Prize for outstanding scholarly work in the academic fields of the arts and humanities, social science, law and theology. The prize is awarded to scholars who have made outstanding contributions to research in the arts and humanities, social science, law or theology, either within these fields or through interdisciplinary work. The prizewinner must have had a decisive influence on international research. The winner of the 2013 Holberg International Memorial Prize will be announced in March 2013. The award ceremony takes place in Bergen in June 2013.
More: http://holbergprisen.no/en/nomination.html
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences: Discovery of unique insect fossil near Namur
Together with a team of paleontologists, our museum‘s researchers Sébastien Olive and Cyrille Prestianni discovered a complete fossil belonging to an insect from the Late Devonian. The insect, which was named Strudiella devonica, was discovered in a quarry in the Belgian village of Strud, near Namur. The is one of the most promising paleontological sites of the Late Devonian.
More: http://www.naturalsciences.be/active/sciencenews/Strudiella
Federal Science Policy (BELSPO): Management Agreement 2012-2015
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/managAgree_en.stm
Royal Observatory of Belgium: The 1st of July 2012, 02h 00m 00s Belgian time, all clocks will be delayed by one second.
The time scale in the world is officially UTC (Universal Time Coordinated). This time scale is performed using the average of about 400 atomic clocks in the world, 5 of them are at the Royal Observatory of Belgium.UTC must occasionally be delayed by one second to be consistent with the rotation of the Earth when it slows. It will be the case on the 30th of June 2012 at 23h 59m 59s UTC.
More: http://www.astro.oma.be/GENERAL/INFO/hotnews/leap_secEN_juin.pdf
European Commission: On-line consultation on the future rules on the entry and residence of non-EU researchers and students
The EU recognises the mutual benefits and importance of increased mobility of talent. For instance, the EU has set up special programmes which stimulate mobility of non-EU students and researchers from outside the EU, like the Erasmus Mundus or Marie Curie programmes. EU support for mobility, scholarships and for promoting the EU as an attractive venue for education and research, will continue in future programmes. In order to support this reflection, your views, experience and concerns are vital. We would like to know about any obstacles faced by non-EU nationals concerned when trying to access the EU. You are kindly invited to propose ideas about how to remove these obstacles and further develop the EU as a place to study, carry out research, volunteer, and participate in school pupil exchanges or unpaid training. The consultation is addressed to the broadest public possible, as it is important to get the views and input from all stakeholders. Deadline to respond is 23 August.
More: http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=Immigration2012
Biodiversity research back on the agenda
The European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy and the Belgian Biodiversity Platform are pleased to announce the release of two videos that aim to put biodiversity research back on the agenda: - Biodiversity Research, a key to our future: Video featuring prominent biodiversity scientists explaining how and why biodiversity research should be back on the agenda of the Heads of States and European institutions (Script of the video). - Biodiversity Research, an answer to societal issues: Video on concrete examples of how biodiversity research can help solving societal issues such as resources management, public health, climate change, species adaptation and poverty reduction (Script of the video).
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/actua/Videos_Biodiv_en.pdf
Solar Annular Eclipse: Not visible in Belgium but observed by Belgian space instruments onboard PROBA2. May 20-21, 2012
On Monday May 21, between 00:10 and 03:36 Belgian time, the shadow of the Moon swept over the Earth. An observer in this shadow band could see for several minutes the Sun partially covered by the Moon. If you were in the center of the shadow band, you could watch an annular eclipse: the Moon covers the solar disk, but not completely; the outer ring of the solar disk will still be visible. In Belgium, we were not able to watch the solar eclipse since the Moon’s shadow did not pass over Belgium. It was nighttime and we were on the backside of the Earth at the time of the eclipse. But, PROBA2, an ESA micro-satellite with Belgian instruments onboard observed the solar eclipse, up to 4 times!
More: http://proba2.oma.be/index.html/outreach/breve/solar-eclipse-20-21-may-2012
European Museum of the Year Award 2012 to be announced at a Ceremony in Penafiel, Portugal
As a leading stakeholder in promoting high museum standards throughout Europe, European Museum Forum (EMF) is dedicated to the encouragement of innovation and exchange of best practice amongst European museums. Operating under the auspices of the Council of Europe, EMF fosters excellence in museums through a scheme of annual awards of which the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) and the Council of Europe Museum Prize are the main awards. This year’s winners will be named at the EMYA 2012 Ceremony, which is to be held in Penafiel, Portugal, on 19 May 2012, as part of the 35th EMF Assembly starting its work on 16 May.
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/actua/EMF_16-19052012_en.pdf
ERA-ENVHEALTH’S Final Conference: Sharing a vision for Environment and Health research in Europe
You are an active stakeholder in E&H in Europe? Join us at the ERA-ENVHEALTH final conference to share experiences and take part in high-level discussions on Environment and Health (E&H) research and policy in Europe. Banner
More: http://www.era-envhealth.eu/servlet/KBaseShow?sort=-1&cid=23174&m=3&catid=23185
Publication GreenFacts: Products that resemble foods and appeal to children - Potential risks of accidental ingestion
Some consumer products on the European market are packaged to imitate food or appeal to children. This is for instance the case of certain shower gels, shampoos, body lotions, soaps, liquid soaps and dish-washing liquids. It is reasonable to expect that the closer a product resembles food and the more attractive it is to children, the more likely it is to be confused with food and swallowed. Who runs the greatest risk and what properties and circumstances might increase the likelihood of serious poisoning?
More: http://copublications.greenfacts.org/en/accidental-poisoning/index.htm
Ceges/Soma: Prosecution files of Nazi heads in Belgium only accessible
At the end of 2005, as part of the large digitization project of the federal scientific institutions the Ceges/Soma started the describing and digitization of the judicial files with regard to the persecution of a number of important representatives of the German occupation authorities. The project has now been concluded and the inventory and digital images can be consulted in the reading room of the Ceges/Soma. In view of the protection of privacy, the documents cannot be put on the web.
More: http://www.cegesoma.be/cms/index_en.php?article=1971
Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage: Launching of the website 'Closer to Van Eyck'
Unprecedented Imaging Project supported by the Getty Foundation reveals master work in minute detail—online. It is now possible to zoom into the intricate, breathtaking details of one of the most important works of art in the world, thanks to a newly completed website focused on the Ghent Altarpiece.
International Workshop on Water Governance: New opportunities and challenges in water governance - February 16th 2012
This seminar is a joint organization of VUB CROSSTALKS and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in the framework of the European Project Places. The management of water and water-related issues will become central to sustainable adaptive actions. Hence CROSSTALKS, in her own interdisciplinary and bottom up way, uses its network and open exchange platform to build bridges between the sciences and society. Through the exchange of academic and corporate research, CROSSTALKS wants to bridge the gap between the perils for our Earth and the priorities on the political agenda.
More: http://rd-ir.vub.ac.be/en_GB/events/show/id/2684
First "Museum Policy Talk"
First 'Museum Policy Talk', a joint organization of ICOM Belgium/Flanders and FARO, Flemish Interface for Cultural Heritage. Theme: Museums matter! Monday 19 March 2012, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. FARO, Priemstraat 51, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
More: http://www.faronet.be/kalender/museum-policy-talk-museums-matter
Seminar ‘Estimating social inequalities in Healthy Life Expectancy: Challenges and opportunities’, Brussels
On the 10th of February 2012, the Federal Public Service Social Security and the Scientific Institute of Public Health are organising a seminar on the challenges and opportunities of estimating the indicator Healthy Life Years by Socio-Economic Status (HLY by SES). The occasion for the seminar is the finalization of a research project on HLY by SES by the Scientific Institute of Public Health, financed by the Federal Administration for Science Policy and proposed by the Federal Public Service Social Security. Registration
More: http://www.belspo.be/belspo/organisation/actua/SES_progr_en.pdf
REStARTS Workshop 2012 - ECOLE ROYALE MILITAIRE - 29 February 2012
Raising European Students Awareness in Aeronautical Research Through School-Labs’ is the main objective of the project REStARTS. The objective of the project is to contribute in reversing the current trend of disinterest of young people towards aeronautics. In this project,the partners of the aeronautical research and training institutes develop informative material about current research topics in aeronautics including basic aerodynamic fundamentals like ‘How does an airplane fly?’ or special challenges the aeronautical research is facing like ‘How greening air transport?’ or ‘How to ensure satisfaction, safety and security of the passengers?’
More: https://events.vki.ac.be/restarts2012/
See also : Archives