2004 July 29
2002-2004 – Report of Dr. Tuncer Ören, Member-at-Large to the Board of Directors
of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International
As a board member, my activities were concentrated in three areas: ethics, MISS, and M&SNet. In the sequel, I report my activities and express some views and/or recommendations for the period: 2004-2006
1. Ethics
:1.1 Background
(To highlight the sequence of work done and to give credits to the colleagues involved):
In July 2, 1999, I was invited to make a presentation in a Special Symposium organized at the Wageningen University, in Wageningen, The Netherlands. The symposium was in honor of Prof. ir. Maurice S. Elzas who selected the theme as “Simulation and Ethics.”
My presentation was titled: "Responsibility,
Ethics and Simulation” and was published
in a special issue of the Transaction of the SCS edited by Dr. Dik
Kettenis of the same university:
Ören, T.I. (2000). Responsibility, Ethics, and Simulation. Transactions of the SCS. 17: 4 (Dec. 2000) 165-170.
The article emphasized the need for a code of professional code of ethics for simulationists. Bruce Fairchild, the then President of SCS, offered me an opportunity to work on such a code. The task was assigned with a clear deadline of a year.
On the 18th and 19th of July 2002, associated with the SCSC, Bill Waite organized SimSummit and Roy Crosbie endorsed me as the representative of MISS to participate in. I came with a Code and a Rationale for the Code. Bill Wait and the participants of SimSummit supported the timeliness of and the need for a Code of Ethic (http://www.sisostds.org/webletter/siso/iss_91/art_516.htm).
The Code of Professional Ethics for Simulationists (the Code, for short) was developed by the founding members of the Ethics Committee of the SCS:
Prof. Emeritus Tuncer I. Ören (Chair) - Ottawa Center of the McLeod
Institute of Simulation Sciences
Prof. Emeritus Louis G. Birta - Ottawa Center of the McLeod Institute of
Simulation Sciences
Prof. Emeritus Maurice S. Elzas, Wageningen Univ., Wageningen, The Netherlands
Dr. Iva Smit, E&E Consultants, Netterden, The Netherlands.
The Code and its Rationale were presented at the SCSC 2002 (The Summer Computer Simulation Conference 2002, San Diego, CA) and were published in its Proceedings.
1.2 Report (of activities during 2002-2004):
The new executive of the SCS continued to support the work done on ethics and appointed me during the SCSC 2002, as the Associate Vice President (AVP) on Ethics which gave me a good platform to continue to work.
Bruce Fairchild accepted an invitation and joined the Ethics Committee.
Adoption of the Code:
As reported by Bruce Fairchild ( http://www.sisostds.org/webletter/siso/iss_98/art_557.htm), the Code is adopted by SCS on July 24, 2003:
"At the Society for Computer Simulation International (SCS) Board of Directors Meeting in Montreal, July 24, 2003, the SCS adopted a Code of Professional Ethics for Simulationists, effective January 1, 2004."
The other groups which accepted the code are: (In order of adoption):
AMSC, through the leadership of Bill Waite and Bruce Fairchild give the Code an eminent place – right at the beginning of the Web site of the AMSC.
Code of Ethics
MSIAC reprinted the Code in its winter 2004 issue (volume 5, no 2).
1.3 Views and/or Recommendations for the period: 2004-2006
Several activities are needed to be done for the organizations which adopted the Code and several others which did not yet adopted it. The following activities are deemed needed for the period 2004-2006:
The Web site of SCS does not have a reference to Code of ethics. Hopefully, soon there will be a statement similar to the exemplary statement of the AMSC .
The Web site of SimEthics is currently at http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~oren/SCS_Ethics/ethics.htm . It is highly desirable to host it at the Web site of SCS. I would gladly offer my services to port it and maintain it there as the AVP for ethics.
An important group to be contacted is M&SPCC . They will be contacted to include allegiance to the Code of Ethics, as a requirement for the certification to be a simulationist. Only after they add this requirement in their certification procedure that simulationists can be certified as responsible professionals.
MISS is an important organization of the SCS. Its Policy and Procedures document states the Code. However, in its Web site there is no explicit (nor implicit) reference to the Code of ethics. The topic will be brought to the attention of the Director of MISS.
SCS has a leadership role in the M&S field. However, there are many other associations active in M&S. For example, the list at http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~oren/links-MS.htm gives 46 associations (14 International Associations, 24 Associations by Country, and 8 Associations by Region / Language) and 4 other Groups/Organizations.
Most, if not all associations should be contacted for adoption of the Code.
2. MISS
(The McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International)2.1 Background
Ottawa Center of MISS (OC-MISS, for short) has been the first MISS Center established after the Centers in Chico and Calgary, where the founder of MISS, Ralph Huntsinger had strong ties. Since its formation, OC-MISS strongly supports MISS.
2.2 Report (of activities during 2002-2004):
In 2002, we had a good MISS meeting (2002 Reports) and I was appointed the Director of MISS. Some of the challenges I set for myself was to activate the organization and lay down, in writing its Policy and Procedures (Policy and Procedures). The PaP was ratified by the SCS Executive Committee on July 21, 2003. Among other things, the new PaP of MISS explicitly states (Section 5: Activities, 1: Professionalism, item 1.2) that: "The MISS supports professional ethics in M&S and cooperates with other professional organizations with same concern."
In 2003, the MISS meeting attracted 15 colleagues and was a successful one. Its agenda and minutes can be fetched from:
Agenda of the Annual Meeting of July 20, 2003 and
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of July 20, 2003
To distinguish the Active Centers from the Centers who did not participate in and even did not submit annual reports, the later was listed in a second time in 2003 Reports .
On July 24, 2003, the Board of the SCS ratified the Policy and Procedures of M&SNet and soon after I was appointed as the Director of M&SNet. With the new responsibility, I thought that it would be only fair to resign as the Director of MISS volunteering for a smooth transition, including transfer of knowledge to the new Web site. And for the records, I am very satisfied and I am in harmony with the current executive of MISS.
2.3 Views and/or Recommendations for the period: 2004-2006
I think, it might be useful to add to the new Web site of MISS ( http://www.liophant.org/miss_world/index.html ) a link to its Policy and Procedures as well as a statement about ethics (similar to the statement at the Web site of AMSC .
Ottawa Center of MISS, we will continue to be an active MISS Center.
3. M&SNet
(The McLeod Modeling and Simulation Network of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International)3.1 Background
The McLeod Modeling and Simulation Network (M&SNet) is a consortium of co-operating independent organizations active in professionalism, research, education, and knowledge dissemination in the modeling and simulation (M&S) domain. Additional information can be found at its Web site: M&SNet.
3.2 Report (of activities during 2002-2004):
Formation of M&Snet:
The Policy and Procedures document is ratified by the Board of the SCS on July 24, 2003. Soon after I was appointed as the founding director. Originally it was suggested that the director of M&SNet be appointed by the President of the SCS. However, during the Board meeting of the SCS on July 24, 2003, the following was decided:
"The M&SNet has a Director appointed by the Vice President of Education with approval of the President of the SCS. It has an Executive Committee formed by the directors of the member organizations of the M&SNet."
The first year:
In less than a year, M&Snet has attracted ten active and valuable member organizations. Now the goal of formation of the critical mass needed for fruitful joint activities is already satisfied.
The directors / representatives of the member organizations of the M&SNet; in order of joining the M&SNet:
Country
Member Organization
Member Organization – Full name
Director / Representative
Inter-national
McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences
Dr. Agostino Bruzzone
USA
Arizona Center for Integrative Modeling and Simulation
Dr. Hessam S. Sarjoughian
Italy
Genoa Center of the MISS
Dr. Agostino Bruzzone
Canada
OC-MISS, Ottawa Center of the MISS
Dr. Gabriel Wainer
USA
The Auburn Modeling and Simulation Laboratory
Dr. John (Drew) A. Hamilton
France
Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Information et des Systèmes (Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory)
Professor Norbert Giambiasi
Korea
Systems Modeling Simulation Laboratory at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)
Dr. Tag Gon Kim
USA
Institute for Simulation & Training (University of Central Florida)
Dr. Randall Shumaker
USA
Secure Network Systems Design Lab (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Dr. Sumit Ghosh
USA
(UCSF - University of California San Francisco)
Dr. C. Anthony Hunt
Meetings:
The first M&Snet meeting was hosted by ACIMS and was held on 2003-12-05, in Tucson, AZ, Presentations are already posted.
Activities:
For activities of the member organizations please refer to the Web pages of the Member Organizations.
Cooperation possibilities are posted at the Web site of the M&SNet.
Joint projects:
Joint activities including joint research are paramount for the success of M&Snet.
During the meeting to explore the power of synergy offered by the M&SNet to be held on 2004-07-25, in San Jose, CA, a first joint project possibility as well as other joint activities will be explored. The recommendations of the Directors of the member organizations will be posted as the minutes of the meeting of 2004-07-25 and every effort will be taken to transform the decisions into goal-driven actions.
Respectfully submitted,
Tuncer Ören
Emeritus Professor
http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~oren/
AVP for Ethics (2002-2004)
http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~oren/SCS_Ethics/ethics.htm
Past Director of MISS (2002-2003)
http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~oren/SCS_Ethics/ethics.htm
Founding Director of M&SNet (2002-2004)