tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post8415013281089887026..comments2024-02-14T10:14:17.831+00:00Comments on Edinburgh Fire Research Centre BLOG: The Endemic of the AcademicsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post-77312117669647184472011-09-22T03:28:35.190+01:002011-09-22T03:28:35.190+01:00I agree that our community is far from being perfe...I agree that our community is far from being perfect and they are even historical reasons for that (one of them being the lack of funding during the last 15 years). However, I prefer to look at positive aspects like Michael. One of them is the increasing multidisciplinarity, which is necessary to tackle "Fire" problems. Seeing more in more people from other communities like "Structures" or "wildfires" (hurray!!) is really encouraging to me. We also have more in more young and talented scientists that are publishing in "combustion" journals and that is very good to me too because it was lacking since the massive contribution of the "old" generation that we all admire. So, globally, I have good hope in our field and in our association. Roma was not built in one day and our field is still recent and immature.Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11329711596887560532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post-36492976942597690312011-09-16T20:45:30.458+01:002011-09-16T20:45:30.458+01:00Something interesting from Carlos Fernandez-Pello’...Something interesting from Carlos Fernandez-Pello’s keynote was his comment about the bridge between combustion research and fire “science” research. My own experiences have been exactly the same as those of Carlos. When I attend a Combustion Institute meeting I am often regarded as a “fire” researcher, out of place at the combustion meeting. (Experienced at my very first conference, by rude comments from an unnamed, quite well-regarded professor). While attending a fire science or fire protection engineering conference, I am regarded as a “combustion” researcher, out of place at such a fire meeting. My impression was that at the International Association for Fire Safety SCIENCE, this would cease to occur! Fire science is itself intrinsically coupled to combustion, and those of us who apply combustion theory to fire-related problems should be at the heart of the community! I still find this odd, however it did not detract from my experience at the conference. <br /><br />Andre Marshall also gave an outstanding keynote, but I was really glad to see the wildfire research community become more involved with Domingos Viegas’ presentation. I hope this will become a staple at the IAFSS meetings, and that researchers in both fields will become more involved. Both communities have a lot to learn from one another.Michael Gollnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01509393815962064257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post-68784062773472576912011-09-16T20:45:02.075+01:002011-09-16T20:45:02.075+01:00Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Dave!
This ...Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Dave! <br /><br />This IAFSS conference was the first in which I attended, and I thought it was, overall a very positive experience, however not quite in the ways I had expected. <br /><br />I was really looking forward to the presentations of scientific work at the conference. Coming from a university where I am one of few studying anything related to fire, I felt this would be the best opportunity to see the latest and greatest scientific developments in the field. I have to agree with you that I was surprised at the apparent lack of rigor of SOME work presented. There were several presentations that I was thoroughly impressed and inspired by, however I personally feel that I have seen a better selection of works in the fire sciences at other conferences. An added disappointment was the lack of discussions accompanying the presentations. I recall the discussions at Interflam being very active and heated - the best you can have! Discussions seem to make conference presentations so much more worthwhile; however there were only a few presentations in which discussion really started at all. Some of this I know was due to time constraints; however I hope that in some way the organizers and especially the committee reviewing papers for the next conference will find a way to address this issue. I think that incorporating more expert researchers in the reviewing process may help some of this by encouraging a greater proportion of fundamental research which leads the field, rather than focusing solely on applied problems. (There should be equal proportions of both to drive the future of the field, in my opinion).<br /><br />Despite the fact I was disappointed with some conference presentations and discussions, I was very pleased by the side discussions, workshops and plenary lectures. While some select groups may have been more of an "old boys club," I really felt that many people were very happy and willing to interact, and in fact some comments were among the best scientific advice I have received at any gathering. There were a few people who were not very open to interacting with people they did not know, but I felt that those individuals were few and far between. Most people that I talked with were very happy to engage and discuss their research and my own, and I met so many people from different fields it was an enlightening experience. Even the "unofficial" student gatherings at night were quite fun, and I met a few students I am still keeping in touch with. <br /><br />Sadly, due to Delta Airlines' inability to get a flight in on time I was also unable to attend the student networking session, however I think the event is a great idea and should be continued. I have always thought of these student sessions as a short, low-pressure occasion to meet other students rather than senior researchers. The benefit of having such an event is to quickly meet a group of people you can talk to throughout all the breaks and meals during the conference. During my first-ever conference I did not know anyone, and spent the majority of my time with one or two students I met at the beginning of the conference. I think knowing a whole group, from a wide range of institutions, would have allowed me to interact with not only students, but also the student’s groups who often sit and talk with them during the conference. It’s a great way to get new students talking with a new group of people. <br /><br />I have to agree with Guillermo on the workshops – they were great! I had never seen anything quite like them before, and I was happy to listen and contribute.Michael Gollnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01509393815962064257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post-73298363795360455202011-08-18T12:58:39.254+01:002011-08-18T12:58:39.254+01:00I enjoy your views Dave. Thanks for making them pu...I enjoy your views Dave. Thanks for making them public.<br /><br />I agree with the ending part of your post, about the association being too close at times. I heard once before that the IAFSS behaved as an "old boys club". However, if you had attended the Friday Workshop on Fire Modelling, you would had added evidence of the contrary. I presented the Dalmarnorck conclusions about uncertainty in fire modelling, a very controversial issue for the last five years, and the debate was very "lively", and far from "too close". But it was engaging.<br /><br />Also, I want to emphasize the best of the Symposium: the workshops. For second time in a row, I found the best scientific debates were around the workshops (at least the two I particiapted in). They are seeing as extra-events, but I am sure they will end up being absorbed into the Symposium Programme as core of it.<br /><br />NOTE II: In 2009, I wrote in this same blog a rather different summary of the 9th IAFSS Symposium:<br />http://edinburghfireresearch.blogspot.com/2008/12/short-report-on-9th-iafss-symposium-in.html<br /><br />NOTE III: And my favorites Keynotes were by Andre Marshall (for scientific strengh and inspiration), Carlos Fernandez-Pello (for rigurosity and exploring an often neglected but essential problem) and Domingos Viegas (to communicating all the exciting opportunites for fire research in the realm of forest fire safety).Guillermo Reinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253104222082231355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696514341454100393.post-90419585926880995952011-08-18T12:56:32.419+01:002011-08-18T12:56:32.419+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Guillermo Reinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253104222082231355noreply@blogger.com