Earlier this month was the NORDUnet conference where me and 2 colleagues from Jisc joined 270 other delegates from NRENs across the world to share, learn and collaborate.
The event took place in Bergen, Norway:
NORDUnet represents the 5 Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – so the event has a strong focus on activities in that part of the world, and it’s relevant to Jisc in many ways:
- Networking is global. Whether it’s resilient connectivity from the UK to the rest of the world, or capacity to cloud service providers, working globally is very much part of our day job at Jisc, directly supporting our remit to serve UK R&E.
- The Nordics are obviously geographically close to the UK, and like Jisc have close ties to the wider European NREN community, so there are strong synergies with what we do on Janet, and many cross-European collaborations that we’re involved in are represented and discussed at the event.
- Jisc remains a prominent NREN, both in Europe and globally, and it’s important to maintain that reputation and standing by sharing technical and strategic insight, and disseminating thought leadership with partner NRENs. To that end, both myself and Rob Evans (Chief Network Architect at Jisc) took to the stage at various points during the week to share how we’re developing the Janet network and enhancing service to our members.
On the ground the content was as interesting as it was varied:
- On day 1 we heard about living with volcanoes and fibre to Greenland.
- On day 2 it was AI and polar ice breakers.
- On day 3 intercontinental connectivity, research engagement and geopolitics.
And so much more in between, a total of 80+ talks across the 3 days and with a bit of coordination the Jisc team were able to attend almost all of them. The full programme is HERE if you’re interested.
Notable topics and sessions that stood out for me:
Polar Connect – a feasibility study at this stage on laying fibre cables across the Arctic to connect Europe directly to Asia (Japan and South Korea), also providing additional capacity and resilience to North America. Will be of huge benefit to global R&E if/when it goes ahead.
Advanced North Atlantic Collaboration – a consortium of NRENs from Europe and North America that have delivered high capacity (2.4Tbit/s and counting) across the Atlantic for the sole use of R&E networks. Already live and continues to evolve.
Connecting remote regions – NRENs in parts of the world more remote than the UK (Uganda, Greenland, Svalbard, and the far north of Canada) have done a lot of work in providing connectivity to those locations via many different means – fibre, cellular, satellite – something Jisc is doing to some extent via our extending eduroam product, and there are exciting opportunities to work with partner NRENs to develop our offering further to ultimately provide additional benefits and value to our members in the UK.
AI and Automation – lots of insight from other NRENs and also vendors on how AI tools and systems are supporting network operations and network evolution, something we’re focused on in the UK and are looking to develop further.
Add to that a whole host of other sessions on Cyber Security, Diversity and Inclusion, T&I, Quantum (I could go on), and the result was a packed and inspiring agenda that provided valuable insight to the entire global delegation.
Needless to say Jisc has a keen interest in supporting a lot these activities as an important way of informing what we do in the UK, and we’ll continue to monitor and contribute as necessary.
On a personal note it was a great chance to engage with friends and colleagues from the NREN community from all across the world as they gathered in Bergen – CANARIE, Internet2, ESnet, GEANT, SURF, Sikt, and many many more. Stories shared and relationships strengthened.
The global NREN community is unique – we’re all similar organisations with a similar purpose, we collaborate rather than compete, and we’re better and stronger together. It’s an important community for Jisc to be active in, from a networking perspective, and for the benefit of our members and customers in the UK that rely on the GREN to educate and research on a global scale.
“I went to NDN24 to connect with people from around the world, and it was fantastic for that. The event was full of opportunities to meet senior leaders and peers, helping us understand their strategies and needs better. This fits perfectly with our goal of working together with our partners and fostering cooperation.
The conference also showed how global collaboration can drive research and innovation. The sessions highlighted the positive impacts of international education and research on our economy, culture, and society.
The technological and infrastructure advancements presented were truly inspiring. Being there kept us updated on the latest developments, allowing us to bring back valuable insights and innovations to Jisc and our members.
Strengthening our relationships with the NREN community in the Nordic region was another key benefit. These connections are essential for ensuring Jisc has the technology and support needed to be a global leader in education and research. The conference provided a platform to build and reinforce these strategic links, enhancing our ability to support our members and customers.
For me, attending NDN24 was not just about being there; it was about actively contributing to the future of global education and research. The insights, collaborations, and innovations gained from this conference will undoubtedly benefit Jisc and the broader community.”
David Patterson, Head of International, Jisc
Key
NDN24 = NORDUnet conference 2024
R&E = Research and Education
NREN = National Research and Education Network
GREN = Global Research and Education Network