cations. Topics explored at the meetingincluded the following:

A new family of photonic componentsbased on optoelectronic polymers to mod-ulate or transmit light signals. These newpolymers will speed up key optical telecom-munications functions to record-breakingrates beyond a hundred Gigabits a second.Such high speeds are urgently neededbecause of tremendously increasing demandfor Internet-provided services that rely onoptical communications.

Electroluminescent-type polymers - a newfamily of materials for flat-panel displays.These materials represent a major advancecompared to such current technologies as

eptember 18 and 19 marked the firstFrance-Canada bilateral meeting on

Molecular Photonics and Plastic Elec-tronics: In Search of a New TechnologicalParadigm for the 21st Century. Meeting atthe École Normale Supérieure de Cachan,France, the participants were the Nortel Insti-tute for Telecommunications (NIT) of theUniversity of Toronto, the National ResearchCouncil of Canada (NRC), and the NationalScientific Research Center of France(CNRS). The goal was twofold. The partici-pants sought to develop a vision foradvancing the cutting-edge field of molec-ular photonics and plastic electronics. Theyalso wanted to define how Canada andFrance can work together to realize the vastpotential of a field that is revolutionizingtelecommunication and information tech-nologies.

The meeting was opened by Dr.Geneviève Berger, Director General ofCNRS, followed by Dr. Arthur Carty, Presi-dent of the NRC, Prof. Peter Smith, Director,NIT, and Dr. Claudine Simson, Vice-Presi-dent, Disruptive Technology, Network andBusiness Solutions, Nortel Networks. Co-chairs were Prof. Joseph Zyss, Director,Quantum and Molecular Photonics Labora-tory, ENS Cachan, and Prof. Ted Sargent,Nortel Junior Chair in Emerging Technolo-gies, University of Toronto. Also attendingwere high-level researchers and institutionaland industrial decision makers.

It was clear that both France and Canadahave outstanding research strengths and gov-ernment, university, and industry laboratoriesthat complement each other in the domain ofmolecular and plastic optoelectronics. Thisemerging field, all agreed, has the potentialqualitatively and quantitatively to improvehuman-machine interaction in telecommuni-

Issue 2, Fall 2000

In this issue

Canada and France launch 1new bilateral initiative

Director’s Message 2

New Research Lab for NIT 3

Research 4Estimation of Mobile Terminal

Position in cellular networksUnified Policy-Based Management

in an experimental testbed

People 6Award winnersNew MET Program Director

Education & Training 7Summer School a great successGroundbreaking ceremonyNIT Graduate Scholars

Announcements 8

NIT provides Canadian university-based global leadership in advancedinformation technology and telecom-munications research and innovation,strategic analysis, education, andtraining.

@NIT is published by the Nortel Institute forTelecommunications. We welcome yourcomments and suggestions.

Nortel Institute for Telecommunicationsof the University of TorontoSandford Fleming Bldg., Rm. 110210 King's College RoadToronto, ON M5S 3G4CanadaTel: 416.946.5610Fax: 416.946.5635E-mail: nortel.institute@utoronto.ca continued on p. 8

Canada and France launch newbilateral initiative in

Molecular and Plastic Optoelectronics

S

Nortel Institute for Telecommunicationsof the University of Toronto

@NITwww.nit.utoronto.ca

Both France and Canadahave outstanding researchstrengths and government,

university, and industry labo-ratories that complement

each other in the domain ofmolecular and plastic

optoelectronics.

Nortel Institute

n this, our second newsletter, you willread of our progress in a number of areas.

We have been working hard on devel-oping a new NIT research thrust in the areaof polymer and organic optoelectronics. Thearea has been identified as one with excep-tional potential for important new scientificand engineering breakthroughs and one thatmay hold the key to revolutionary advancesin future information networks. It is clearthat progress will require multidisciplinarycollaborations among researchers in manyareas, including chemistry, physics, engi-neering, and materials science.

Over the last six months, we have beensuccessful in putting in place the resources tomount a major effort in this area. Assisted bygenerous equipment donations from Wes-taim/iFire, the National Research Council ofCanada (NRC), and Kurt J. Lesker Company,and by commitments of support from NortelNetworks, we have successfully applied forover $4 million in infrastructure and opera-tional support from the Ontario and federalgovernments. With this funding, two newlaboratories are being built at the Universityof Toronto - one for growing and character-izing new organic and polymer materials,and the other for measuring not only theirultrafast optical response, but eventually theperformance of all optical devices made fromthem.

As part of this initiative, we have held aworkshop in partnership with the Quantumand Molecular Photonics Laboratory of theÉcole Normale Supérieure de Cachan,France - one of the top laboratories in theworld in this area. This workshop has led notonly to new research collaborations betweenNIT and the Quantum and Molecular Pho-tonics Laboratory researchers, but also tonew government-funding opportunities (seelead article).

Our polymer and organic optoelec-tronics initiative involves new industrialpartners, new research collaborations (bothlocally and internationally), new NIT labora-tories, and new NIT researchers (includingadditional students and postdoctoral fel-lows). It is an important initiative that fur-thers our strategic goals to developlarge-scale interdisciplinary programs.

Among other items of note in thisnewsletter, you will learn of our developingplans for the NIT Open Research Facilitylaboratories in the Bahen building currentlyunder construction. We are drawing on the

services of expert consultants to plan thecleanroom and prototype fabrication labora-tories, and are well on the road to completingthe plans for the laboratory and the initialcomplement of equipment. We also report onthe successful completion of our third Pro-fessional Summer School and the recordenrolment in the NIT Master of Engineeringin Telecommunications program.

Of course, such accomplishmentsdepend on the efforts of many members ofour NIT family. The professors and studentswho perform the research and participate inplanning and carrying out our programs arethe keys to building our reputation forresearch excellence. I would also like toacknowledge the support and guidance ofour Advisory Council, the initiative and hardwork of our NIT Program Manager HelenLasthiotakis and Secretary Marjorie Boyle,and the liaison activities of our Nortel Net-works On-Site Manager Dr. DavidMacLean.

Who’s who at NITDirector: Prof. Peter W.E. Smith

Advisory Council Frank Dunn, CFO, Nortel Networks Adel Sedra, Provost, University of TorontoClaudine Simson, VP, Nortel NetworksPeter W.E. Smith, NIT DirectorSafwat Zaky, Chair, Electrical & Computer

Engineering, University of Toronto

Research Thrust LeadersNetwork Architecture & Management:

Prof. Alberto Leon-GarciaEmerging Technologies/Device Prototyping:

Prof. Peter W.E. Smith & Prof. Ted SargentOrganic & Polymer Optoelectronics:

to be selectedRF/Satellite: Prof. Keith BalmainWireless: Prof. John Long

Nortel Chairs Network Architecture & Services: to be selectedEmerging Technologies: to be selected

Nortel Junior ChairsEmerging Technologies: Prof. Ted SargentSoftware Engineering: Prof. Angelos BilasCommunications Network: Prof. Jinwoo Choe

NIT AssociatesProfs. Angelos Bilas, Jinwoo Choe, Al-Amin Dhi-rani, George Eleftheriades, Deepa Kundur, EddieLaw, Zheng-Hong Lu, Farid Najm, Kostas Platan-iotis, Ted Sargent, Jianwen Zhu

Nortel On-site Manager: David MacLeanProgram Manager: Helen LasthiotakisSecretary: Marjorie Boyle

I

Peter W.E. Smith

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

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he Nortel Institute has been awarded$3 million in funding for a new

Organic and Polymer Optoelectronics Lab-oratory from the Canada Foundation forInnovation (CFI), matched by the OntarioInnovation Trust (OIT). The laboratory willinclude major in-kind equipment donationsfrom Kurt J. Lesker Company,Westaim/iFire, and the National ResearchCouncil of Canada (NRC).

Peter W.E. Smith, Director of theNortel Institute, hails this award as animportant step. It will help develop newresearch capabilities forexploring the emergingleading-edge technologiesthat will shape Canada'stelecommunications andinformation networks ofthe future.

The Organic andPolymer OptoelectronicsLaboratory (OPOL) willlaunch a new thrust for NIT.OPOL will explore and exploitan emerging class of novel organic mate-rials and devices for IT applications. Someare based on thin films made out of smallorganic modules. Others derive from conju-gated polymers and oligomers that have theflexibility and robustness of plastics, butcan process information in electronic form,generate light, sense heat and pressure -perhaps even act on information.

Two distinct research dimensions willbe investigated: fabricating and character-izing the materials, and realizing andexploring the devices. The labs will belocated within the Departments of Metal-lurgy and Materials Science, and Electricaland Computer Engineering at the Universityof Toronto.

Working synergistically, across disci-plinary boundaries and the full spectrumfrom synthesis to application, will buildOPOL's innovative strength and enable it todo breakthrough research. Its concentrationof advanced infrastructure and outstandinginternational expertise in organic andpolymer optoelectronic materials, devices,and systems will be unique in the world. Dr.David W. Strangway, President and CEO ofthe CFI, announced, “This extraordinarylevel of partnership will not only benefitCanada's research community, but will also

NIT NEWS

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New NIT research lab receives $3 millionplay a critical role in strengtheningCanada's position in the global economy.”

The CFI is an independent, not-for-profit organization, established by the fed-eral government in 1997 to address theurgent need for new, state-of-the-artresearch infrastructure. The Ontario Inno-vation Trust was created in 1999 to helpOntario’s universities, community colleges,hospitals, and research institutions enhanceinfrastructure for scientific research andtechnological development.

The Organic and Polymer Optoelec-tronics Lab was approved by

the CFI Board of Directorson the recommendationof a multidisciplinaryassessment committeemade up of world-classexperts from a widerange of fields and disci-plines. To receivefunding, OPOL had to

demonstrate the excel-lence and innovative thrust of

the projects and the ways the organizationwill benefit Canada. In announcing the CFIawards, Dr. Strangway stated, “Our univer-sities and research institutions play a criticalrole in ensuring Canada’s research leader-ship, and in ensuring that communitiesacross Canada reap the benefits of theknowledge-based economy.”

T

“new researchcapabilities to explorethe emerging leading-edge technologies thatwill shape Canada'stelecommunications

and informationnetworks”

Plastic Optoelectronics researchers & principal collaborators

Marie D’Iorio, Institute for Microstructural Sciences, National Research Council of CanadaZheng-Hong Lu, Metallurgy & Materials Science, University of TorontoIan Manners, Chemistry, University of TorontoAlmeria Natansohn, Chemistry, Queen's UniversityTed Sargent, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of TorontoPeter W.E. Smith, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of TorontoWayne Wang, Chemistry, Carleton UniversityJoseph Zyss, Molecular Quantum Photonics Lab., École Normale Supérieure de Cachan

CanadaFoundationfor InnovationFondationcanadiennepour l’innovation

OntarioInnovationTrust

ireless technology is an increasinglypopular way to access cellular net-

works. Furthermore, no longer is the well-known cellular telephone the only methodused, as industrial and academic researchersworldwide explore the wireless potential of theInternet. In our increasingly mobile society,the value of a network with location-sensitivedata-browsing is critical. It allows for mappingbetween the real-world locations of serviceproviders and the Internet. This capacity canhave many uses; for example, in emergencyservices and merchandising.

The next generation of wireless ter-minals is going to offer broadband applicationssuch as real-time video-on-demand, videocon-ferencing, and telemedicine. These applica-tions require high-capacity networks able tosupport different types of data links for varioususers. However, to create a cellular networkthat supports these applications, certain issuesmust be addressed. First, the capacities of thecellular networks must be enlarged to handlethe increased traffic. Second, ways to managethe resources of high-bandwidth multimedialinks must be created so that users can movefreely without interruptions in service. Toovercome these problems, the network mustbe able to estimate the positions of its users.

The Mobile Terminal Location EstimationGroup at the University of Toronto isresearching solutions for such a wireless net-work. The Group is supervised by NIT Asso-ciate Prof. K.N. Plataniotis and by Dr. A.N.Venetsanopoulos. Working in the group, andsupported by NIT, are graduate studentsMichael McGuire and John Kountouris of theDigital Signal Processing Group, Departmentof Electrical and Computer Engineering. As

Estimation of Mobile Terminal Position in cellular networks

RESEARCH

W

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well, six senior undergraduate students willwork in three projects in this area, under thesupervision of Prof. Plataniotis, as a require-ment of their fourth-year design project.

NIT Associates are selected by the NITResearch Program Committee and receiveresearch support of $50,000 over two years.The program funds new faculty memberswho have innovative and significant researchthat fits the general mandate and scope of theInstitute. In return, Associates bring value toNIT by contributing to the growth and visi-bility of our research programs and reputa-tion for excellence.

The most frequently proposed methodfor enlarging the capacity of cellular net-works is to make the elementary networkareas, called cells, smaller. This reduction insize has the undesirable effect of increasingthe processing needed to manage resourceswhen users move. With smaller cells, when auser’s resource demands vary, good perform-ance depends on anticipating the user’smovement. The network will predict thecells that a given user is likely to inhabit inthe future and will allocate resources in thoseregions. Figure 1 shows a simplified versionof this architecture.

To make such predictions, a filter is cre-ated that has an accurate dynamic model ofthe mobile terminal motion. This dynamicmodel describes how a mobile terminalchanges its speed and direction and com-bines this information with the location esti-mates to make predictions. Figure 2 showshow a dynamic model can dramaticallyimprove the estimates of mobile terminalmotion. Note how the estimates using the

A filtering system to makeoptimal use of the informationgathered from the cellular net-work, and a realistic dynamicmodel to locate and predictmobile terminal positions.

No dynamic model With dynamic model

.continued on p. 5

Figure 1

Figure 2

Resource Reservation MessageLink MeasurementsWireless LinkMobile Motion

Base Station Base Station Base Station

Wireless Network Controller

True Mobile Terminal PathEstimated Mobile Terminal Path

True Mobile Terminal PathEstimated Mobile Terminal Path

- 5 -

dynamic model not only follow a path that iscloser to the true mobile terminal motion, butare “smoother”. This “smoothness” allowsfor predicting future locations.

The Mobile Terminal Estimation Loca-tion Group focuses on developing twothings: a filtering system to make optimal useof the information gathered from the cellularnetwork, and a realistic dynamic model tolocate and predict mobile terminal positions.As well, the group will study how these pre-dictions can be combined with managing net-work resources.

For more information, contact Prof. Kostas Plataniotis, NIT Associate

kostas@dsp.toronto.edu

he Internet Engineering Task Force(IETF), an open standards body, is pro-

posing policy-based management for theInternet. The latest policy framework sug-gested in a Request for Comments (RFC) con-tains not only a policy-rule database-accessmechanism, but also a two-level system archi-tecture. To provide greater flexibility anddynamism, Professor Eddie Law, NIT Asso-ciate, has taken the architecture a step furtherby designing a multilevel policy-based frame-work, the Unified Policy-Based Management(UPM). The UPM would be the first cross-vendor platform design that allows foradding/dropping policy managers and policyrules transparently.

The novel UPM design introduces anintermediate entity, the policy-enforcementagent, to the middle of the system architec-ture. The policy-enforcement agent allowstransparent communications between servicerequest and decision points. It can intercept orbypass decisions that depend on the content ofthe messages from and to the edge-networkrouters and policy managers/servers. Addinga dynamic new information model midwaybetween multiple policy managers and agentslets the agent operate on any of the versions ofthe stored policy rules in the database serverby interpreting and translating request anddecision messages on the fly. The design pro-vides a powerful scalable structure that sharesand balances loads between managers and

agents.Graduate student

Achint Saxena is respon-sible for implementingand verifying a prototypeof the UPM system in theNIT Client/Server labora-tory currently housedwithin the Network Archi-tecture Laboratory in theUniversity of TorontoGalbraith Building. At themoment, the client/serverexperimental testbed isequipped with two high-end layer-three routers,the Black Diamond andthe Extreme 7i; ten 4-portLinux routers, and fiftypersonal computers thatoperate as end-host sys-tems and service servers. The layer-threerouters can create any number of virtual LANs,thus resulting in many different networktopologies. Moreover, with the ten Linux routersystems, many kinds of network designs can becreated and tested by modifying both the kerneland application layers. All new software pro-grams for the project are written with freeware;for example, open-source implementationLightweight Directory Access Protocol(OpenLDAP), and Linux Transmission ControlProtocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) ker-nels.

The testbed provides an excellent setup formany research projects to be run simultane-ously. For example, graduate student RichardChen is currently carrying out a voice-over IPproject using the testbed. The goal of thisproject is to connect the Internet-networkdomain with the real-telephone voice domainby using a gateway-protocol prototype, theMegaco Protocol. This innovation will enablevoice and video communications (if supported)between computers connected to the Internetand normal telephone sets. The group isworking on several other projects in the exper-imental testbed, with promising results thatmay produce a potentially tremendous payoff.

For more information, contact Prof. Eddie Law, NIT Associate

eddie@comm.toronto.edu

Unified Policy-Based Management in anexperimental testbed

RESEARCH

T

Estimation of Mobile TerminalPosition in cellular networks

This is the first cross-vendor platform

design to control all vendors’ network

routers in the Internet.

Graduate students Achint Saxena (left) andRichard Chen (right).

Phot

o: G

PS/U

ofT

Pres

s

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PEOPLE

NIT Student Affiliatereceives

Centennial Award

NIT Associates win prestigious Premier's Research Excellence Awards

wo Research Associates of the NortelInstitute have won the prestigious Pre-

mier's Research Excellence Award (PREA) inround three of the competition: Profs. Al-Amin Dhirani and Zheng-Hong Lu.

Prof. Dhirani, of the Dept. of Chemistry,cross-appointed to Physics, was recognizedfor “research into nanotechnology with a goalto develop a hybrid microscope that canobserve single molecules.” Prof. Lu, of theDept. of Metallurgy and Materials Science,was cited for “research into advanced mate-rials and nanostructures to enable future gen-erations of communication systems.”

Another NIT Research Associate, Prof.Edward H. (Ted) Sargent, of the Dept. ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, wonthe PREA in round two for theory, design,and realization of 3-D photonic crystals andfunctional photonic devices.

The PREA program assists giftedresearchers in Ontario in attracting talentedpeople to its research teams, helping toreverse the brain drain. By investing $75 mil-lion over 10 years, it intends to ensure thatOntario attracts and retains the pre-eminentresearchers it requires for an internationallevel of excellence. The recipients are prin-cipal investigators at Ontario universities,colleges, hospitals, and research institutes,who are funded for teams of graduate stu-dents, post-doctoral fellows, and researchassociates. The PREA recognizes researcherswho can “make a difference” through theexcellence of their work, the vision they bringto their endeavours, and the impact theyforesee resulting from their achievements.

t the June University of Toronto Engi-neering Convocation, Suzanne (Sue)

Erickson received the Centennial Award forthe best undergraduate thesis among the 108recipients of the B.A.Sc. degree in Engi-neering Science. Her research, entitled“Electrical Properties of SpacecraftDielectrics”, was conducted with the super-vision of Prof. Keith Balmain, Nortel Insti-tute Research Thrust Leader.

Suzanne's thesis included an extensiveseries of DC and RF/microwave tests on theconductivity and permittivity of bothfamiliar and novel spacecraft-insulatingmaterials, the novel materials having beensynthesized by Prof. Ian Manners of the Uni-versity of Toronto Chemistry Department.The experiments were conducted in the NITmaterials measurement and characterizationlabs. The NIT labs are currently located inthe Sandford Fleming Building, but will berelocated to become part of the NIT OpenResearch Facility in the Bahen Centre forInformation Technology, scheduled for com-pletion in 2002.

This work represents the start of what isexpected to be a major research activity. Itwill explore the properties of novel materialsfor both spacecraft and earthbound elec-tronics, with emphasis on high-speed digitalcircuits and microwave/millimetre waveapplications. The NIT Microwave/Satelliteresearch thrust is intended to capitalize onthe unprecedented surge in the planned andimplemented use of microwave and satellitetechniques in telecommunications in Canadaand, even more so, in countries with lesswireline infrastructure. Research in this areacuts across a broad range of specialties,including millimetre-wave systems, inte-grated-circuit planar antennas and arrays,high-speed backplanes and interconnects,and novel electromagnetic materials leadingto entirely new devices. Prof. Balmainnoted: “The NIT investment in instrumenta-tion for materials measurement and charac-terization paid off both quickly and well.”

s of July 2000, Prof. Tony Yuen has been appointed Director of theMaster of Engineering in Telecommunications (MET) Program at

the University of Toronto. This innovative and focused program is taughtby faculty from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,Faculty of Law, and Rotman School of Management, as well as industryprofessionals.

Prof. Yuen is an adjunct full professor in the Faculty of Applied Sci-ence and Engineering and the Rotman School of Management at theUniversity of Toronto, where he teaches courses in the Management ofTelecommunications and Information Technology at the graduate level.Prof. Yuen's current research areas include Management of Innovationand New Technologies, the Convergence of the IT/Telecom/InternetIndustries, and the Impact of E-Business/E-Commerce on the NetworkEconomy.

New MET Program Director

TA

A

Tony Yuen

Al Amin Dhirani and Zheng-Hong Lu

EDUCATION & TRAINING

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NIT Professional Summer School a great successor the third year in a row, the NIT Pro-fessional Summer School has been

filled to capacity by students and profes-sionals. This short course is designed for thenetworking and information technology(IT) professional to learn about the forcesdramatically restructuring the networkingindustry.

This year’s theme was the Impact ofNew Technologies on the Telecom Industry,with special focus on disruptive businessand architecture solutions that could changethe structure of the entire global telecom-munication service-provider industry. As inprevious years, an overview was providedof the current trends in the converging ITindustries, including computing and con-sumer electronics. A panel discussion

F included a debate on the implications for theCanadian market. Industry experts zeroed inon the three areas key to networks: security,storage, and performance.

Prof. Tony Yuen, Director of the Masterof Engineering in Telecommunications(MET) program, notes: “The SummerSchool provides a unique opportunity forindustry professionals and the University ofToronto faculties to interact in a real-timeenvironment on critical business and tech-nology issues. The leadership and contribu-tions from the combination of Universityresearchers and industry professionals areinvaluable.”

For further information about the Professional Summer School, visit www.nal.utoronto.ca/ExecCourses

Impact of New Technologies on the Telecom IndustryJuly 25-26, 2000University of Toronto

NIT Graduate Scholars 2000-2001As part of establishing the Nortel Institute, together the Universityof Toronto, Government of Ontario, and Nortel Networks have setup the Master of Engineering in Telecommunications (MET)scholarship program, under the Ontario Student Opportunity TrustFund. The scholarship is awarded to exceptional students who areattending the MET program full-time. It is based on academicmerit and financial need.

Congratulations toFiras Albanna

Yongfeng ChenHong (Rose) Wu

Luming Xu

n Wednesday, May 31, the University of Toronto held agroundbreaking ceremony for the Bahen Centre for Informa-

tion Technology. On the corner of St. George and Russell Streets,the building will be the future home of the Nortel Institute OpenResearch Facility. The facility will cover an area of 900 squaremetres and will include cleanrooms, network architecture testbeds,baseband signal and microwave/RF, and millimetre-wave pro-cessing labs.

The $88 million Bahen Centre will enable the University toposition its information technology (IT) programs with the best inthe world and help meet Canada's growing demand for well-edu-cated IT practitioners. The provincial government has provided $43million towards the Centre and its activities through the OntarioInnovation Trust, the Ontario Ministry of Education and TrainingAccess to Opportunities Program, the Ontario Research and Devel-opment Challenge Fund, and the SuperBuild Fund. The federal gov-ernment, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation program,will also be supporting the Centre.

Groundbreaking ceremony for future home of NIT Open Research Facility

O

Groundbreaking ceremony at the University of Torontofor the Bahen Centre for Information Technology.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Visit our web site atwww.nit.utoronto.ca fordetails regarding NIT

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTOTHE NORTEL INSTITUTE and theEDWARD S. ROGERS SR. DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Nortel Institute Chair in Network Architecture and Services

The Nortel Institute for Telecommunications has been established at the University of Toronto to further research andeducation in communications and emerging technologies. It has excellent research facilities.

Applications are invited for the Nortel Institute Chair in Network Architecture and Services. The Chair holder isexpected to play a leadership role in the evolving research programs of the Department and the Institute. Areas ofinterest include network architecture and management, optical and wireless networks and network services, hardware andsoftware. The successful applicant will have an opportunity to engage in significant research interactions with NortelNetworks.

Applicants must have a doctoral degree, an outstanding research record, and a strong interest in teaching. Additionalinformation can be found at: http://www.ece.toronto.edu

Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a statement concerning teaching and research interests, and a list of at leastfour references by January 15, 2001, to Professor Safwat G. Zaky, Chair, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering;University of Toronto; 10 King's College Road; Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4; Canada.

The University of Toronto is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from women, visible minori-ties, aboriginal people, and physically challenged persons.

A.J

. Dia

mon

d, D

onal

d

Canada and France launch new bilateral initiativeContinued from page 1

cathode and plasma screens, electrolumines-cent diodes containing semiconductors, orliquid-crystal displays. The benefits of elec-troluminescent-type polymers are many. Theyincrease luminosity. They provide a rich spec-trum of emitted colours. The diversity andstructural flexibility of the polymers may oneday lead to printing flexible screens on verylarge areas with inkjet-type techniques orrotary presses.

In the field of bioelectronics, combiningmicroelectronics and biochemistry createsnew concepts and achievements, such as chipswith DNA for sequencing and the first bio-mimetic devices.

Outcomes of the Workshop

� Canada and France will build on their com-plementary research strengths through con-certed, strategic programs. Their bilateralresearch partnerships will use the novel prop-erties of emerging organic and molecularmaterials in two particular ways. They willbring new paradigms to telecommunicationsdevices for the Internet economy, and theywill create displays, sensors, and otherdevices that redesign human experience.

To make rapid, lasting progress in thefield requires a framework to support and pro-mote bilateral projects. The framework mustensure that Canadian and French government,university, and industry laboratories work inpartnerships with suitable human and physicalcapital. In view of the vast industrial potential,programs will be targeted towards the mostpromising industrial applications.

� A Canada-France Conference on MolecularPhotonics and Plastic Electronics (MPPE2001) will be held October 10-12, 2001. Theconference will be sponsored by theNRC/CNRS/Nortel Institute and will be heldin Canada. The conference will be coupledwith the first preliminary review of Canada-France projects.

In connection with the Canada-Francepartnerships, NIT has initiated a new researchthrust entitled “Organic and Polymer Opto-electronics”. The research has attractedfunding to develop new laboratories, acquireadvanced research infrastructure, and trainhighly qualified personnel in this area of crit-ical importance to the communication andconsumer-product industries.