March 15, 2007, Putrajaya Malaysia
Keith has been invited to speak at the Next Generation Network Symposium on March 15, 2007, in Putrajaya Malaysia. The National Advanced IPv6 (NAv6) Center, Universiti Sains Malaysia in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Water & Communications (MEWC), Malaysia will be organizing the Next-Generation Networks Symposium. This event is the first to be held in Malaysia and will be attended by many renowned speakers from the region and abroad. The main objective of this event is to create a better collaboration in research and development in Next Generation Network between scholars and researchers from the developed and developing countries.

In his presentation entitled, “Crossing Oceans: Using Myren/Internet2 to Enhance Education, the Environment, and Artistic Expression,” Keith will debut a few short clips of his underwater video work  and discuss many of the challenges and success in developing and using Internet2/MYREN as it relates to cross-disciplinary education collaboration. As a case study, Keith is using MYREN/Internet2 to connect faculty and students at Parsons School of Design’s Communication Design and Technology Department, Harvard University’s Extension School Environmental Management Program, the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Computer Science Department and Center for Marine and Coastal Studies Program, and EarthEcho International. Other collaborators include: Internet2 K20 Initiative, Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange, and the U.S. Fulbright Program.

December 18, 2006-March 5, 2007, Islands off of East Sabah: Mabul, Sipadan, Kalapai, and Lankayan
During the next couple of month,s EarthEcho Fellow Keith Ellenbogen will be in the field traveling to the beautiful islands off of Sabah  to acquire a substantial portion of his underwater photography and videography for his U.S Fulbright Grant. While there he will be diving with SMART Resort on Mabul Island.  Please feel free to join him as he plunges into one of the world’s most biodiverse regions by following his online journal entries.

November 2006, Kuala Lumpur and Langkawai
In November 2006, Keith was invited to join seven other international academics, government officials, and scholars to engage in dialogue to enhance the understanding of government and business practices within Malaysia. The Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia (ISIS) is an autonomous and non-profit organization engaged in a wide range of activities focusing on objective and independent policy research and fostering dialogue and debate between the public sector, the private sector, and academia. In general, its programs are directed towards the central areas of national interest.

The participants met with the Governor, Bank Negara, The Inspector General Police, Human Rights Commission, Petronas HQ (Malaysia’s National Oil Company), Multimedia Development Company MDeC, Minister in the Prime Ministers’ Department National Economic Action Council, Minister Foreign Affairs, among others.

October 13-15, 2006, Brooklyn, NY
EarthEcho Fellow Keith Ellenbogen has been selected to participate in the d.u.m.b.o. arts center 10th annual art under the bridge festival, October 13-15, 2006, in Brooklyn, NY. Keith’s piece, entitled Under One Thousand Waves, will cover the Fulton Ferry Barge with underwater footage of Malaysian coral reefs. Visit the d.u.m.b.o. arts center website for more details on this free, three-day, public art festival.

Distance Learning

One of the goals of this project is to connect university students from distant countries and various fields of study on the subject of Malaysia’s coral reefs through video conferencing and emerging technologies. By creating a new forum for students with an artistic and technical background as well as an interest in marine sciences, this project will set the stage for an international dialogue and be a first of its kind. Looking to the future, Keith hopes that these initial relationships will develop into productive collaborations and new ways of thinking.