The Study Tour
Research
One of the goals of the study tour is of course to amass some knowledge. Hence we have to do research before and during the trip. The theme of this research is IT security, a subject that is becoming more and more important.
The main objective of the research project is to gain insight into current and future developments in the area of IT Security in the USA and their possible influences on the business, government and the higher educational environments in the USA and the Netherlands. To acquire this insight we perform three sub studies: macro, meso and micro level analysis.
During the macro analysis we will investigate the macro characteristics of the USA in order to establish its geographical, historical, (international/national) political, (international/national) economical, socio-cultural, and technological situation. A comparison will be made with The Netherlands.
During the meso analysis we will focus on six economical and technological sectors in the U.S.A. in order to gain insight into the developments in the these sectors. Moreover, this part will identify the meso level aspects that may have impact on companies, governments and universities.
Finally, companies that operate in the identified meso level sectors will be visited in the USA (see the table below), to gain detailed ‘first hand’ knowledge about how IT security is developed, researched and applied in current and future practice.
Contract research
In order to provide the study tour committee with sufficient financial means, each of the participant will have to work for a company for 120 hours. This is called contract research. I don´t have an assignment for the contract research yet.
Tour
The actual tour to the United States is in Fall 2006. On the 23rd of September we leave Enschede and fly with United Airlines flight 947 from Amsterdam (AMS) via Washington (IAD) to Boston (BOS). What we are going to do from then is shown in the tables below.
Boston
| Day | Date | Time | Activity |
| Sat | 09/23 | - | From Enschede to Boston |
| Sun | 09/24 | Morning | Duck Tour, Skywalk Observatory |
| Afternoon | Walk on the 'Freedom Trai' | ||
| Evening | Dinner with NFIA | ||
| Mon | 09/25 | Morning | Boston University |
| Afternoon | Philips Medical Systems | ||
| Tue | 09/26 | Morning | company visit |
| Afternoon | Harvard University | ||
| Evening | Historic Pub Crawl | ||
| Wed | 09/27 | Morning | Whale Watch |
| Evening | Baseball Match Red Sox vs. TB | ||
| Thu | 09/28 | Morning | MIT |
| Afternoon | RSA Security |
New York
| Day | Date | Time | Activity |
| Fri | 09/29 | Morning | From Boston to New York, by train |
| Afternoon | Deloitte | ||
| Evening | City tour by night | ||
| Sat | 09/30 | - | Weekend New York |
| Sun | 10/01 | Morning | Weekend New York |
| Afternoon | Flight from New York to Washington |
Washington DC
| Day | Date | Time | Activity |
| Mon | 10/02 | Morning | Maryland General Assembly / Dutch Embassy |
| Afternoon | Pentagon | ||
| Evening | City tour 'bike the sites' | ||
| Thue | 10/03 | Morning | Baltimore Washington International Airport |
| Afternoon | NIST | ||
| Evening | Dinner and bowling | ||
| Wed | 10/04 | - | Flight from Washington to San Francisco |
San Francisco
| Day | Date | Time | Activity |
| Thu | 10/05 | Morning | NBSO Seminar |
| Afternoon | company visit | ||
| Fri | 10/06 | Morning | Intel |
| Afternoon | Symantec / Cavium | ||
| Sat | 10/07 | Morning | Alcatraz |
| Afternoon | From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park | ||
| Sun | 10/08 | - | Weekend Yosemite National Park |
| Mon | 10/09 | Morning | From Yosemite National Park to San Francisco |
| Afternoon | Culture in San Francisco | ||
| Tue | 10/10 | Morning | Sun Microsystems |
| Afternoon | Verisign | ||
| Wed | 10/11 | Morning | Stanford University |
| Afternoon | Atmel | ||
| Evening | Stanford Campus | ||
| Thu | 10/12 | Morning | HP |
| Afternoon | Intertrust | ||
| Fri | 10/13 | Morning | Mission Dolores |
| Afternoon | Bay of San Francisco and Angel Island, by boat | ||
| Evening | Dinner and drinks | ||
| Sat | 10/14 | - | Start extension |
| Mon | 11/06 | - | Flight form San Francisco to Amsterdam |
Map
As you can see in the timeline above we will visit Boston, New York, Washington DC and San Fransisco during the three weeks of the official study tour. After these three weeks Dirkjan, Geert, Daniël and I will extend our trip and visit a couple more places in the west. (see Extension). The cities we will visit during the first three weeks of the tour are marked red in the map below, the places we will visit during our extension are marked blue.
Boston
Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. It is the largest city and unofficial capital of the region known as New England. Boston is one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most culturally significant large cities in the United States. Its economy is based on education, health care, finance, and technology.
Boston has many nicknames. The City on a Hill came from original Massachusetts Bay Colony´s governor John Winthrop´s goal to create the biblical "City on a Hill." It also refers to the original three hills of Boston. Beantown refers to early Bostonian merchants´ habit for making baked beans with imported molasses. The Hub is a shortened form of writer Oliver Wendell Holmes´ phrase The Hub of the Solar System, now more commonly The Hub of the Universe. William Tudor, co-founder of the North American Review, christened the city The Athens of America for its great cultural and intellectual influence. Boston is sometimes called the Puritan City because its founders were Puritans, and also called The Cradle of Liberty for its role in instigating the American Revolution. Citizens of Boston and the surrounding area are called Bostonians.
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The city lies at the center of the Boston CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area), the seventh largest in the United States. The area encompasses parts of the states of New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The city also lies at the center of Greater Boston, which also includes the cities of Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy, Newton, and many suburban communities farther from Boston. (Copied from Wikipedia)
New York
New York City (also known by the initials NYC), officially the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States and the most densely populated major city in North America. Located in the state of New York, New York City has a population of over 8.1 million within an area of 321 square miles (approximately 830 km²).
The city is a center for international finance, fashion, entertainment and culture, and is widely considered to be one of the world´s major global cities with an extraordinary collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations and financial markets. It is also home to the headquarters of the United Nations.
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The New York metropolitan area has a population of about 22 million, which makes it one of the largest urban areas in the world. The city proper consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. With the exception of Staten Island, each of these boroughs is home to at least a million people and would be among the nation´s largest cities if considered independently.
Nicknamed "the Big Apple", the city attracts large numbers of immigrants, with over a third of its population foreign born. Moreover, it attracts people from all over the United States, who come for its culture, energy, cosmopolitanism, and economic opportunity. At present, the city has the lowest crime rate among the 25 largest American cities. (Copied from Wikipedia)
Washington DC
Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. "D.C." stands for the District of Columbia, the federal district containing the city of Washington. The city is named after George Washington, military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States. The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are coextensive and are governed by a single municipal government, so for most practical purposes they are considered to be the same entity (this was not always the case, though, as Georgetown was a separate city within the District until 1871). However, although there is a municipal government and a mayor, as per Article I, Section VIII, of the United States Constitution, Congress has the sole authority over this federal district and thus the municipal government and mayor exist in the shadows of Congress. It is commonly known as the District, D.C., or simply Washington. Historically, it was called the Federal City or Washington City.
The District of Columbia, founded on July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution. The U.S. Congress has ultimate authority over the District of Columbia, though it has delegated limited local rule to the municipal government. The land forming the original District came from the states of Virginia and Maryland. However, the area south of the Potomac River (39 square miles or about 100 km²) was returned, or "retroceded", to Virginia in 1847 and now is incorporated into Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. The term "District of Columbia" is derived from an old poetic name for the United States, Columbia, which has fallen out of common use since the early 20th century.
The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are in Washington, D.C., as well as the headquarters of most federal agencies. Washington serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States, among other international (and national) institutions. All of this has made Washington the frequent focal point of massive political demonstrations and protests, particularly on the National Mall. Washington is the site of numerous national landmarks, museums, and sports teams, and is a popular destination for tourists.
The population of the District of Columbia, as of 2003 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is 563,384. The Greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area includes the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, with a population surpassing 4.7 million. If Washington, D.C. were considered a state, it would rank last in area behind Rhode Island, 50th in population ahead of Wyoming, and 36th in Gross State Product (GSP), ahead of 15 states. (Copied from Wikipedia)
San Francisco
The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the 14th-largest in the United States, with a 2004 population of 744,230. It is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and is the focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area, whose population is seven million. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major American city, after New York. The city is famous for its history in progressive social movements.
In 1776, the Spanish became the first Europeans to settle in San Francisco, which they named for St. Francis. With the advent of the California gold rush in 1848, and the Comstock Lode and silver mines in 1859, the city entered a period of rapid growth. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt and is today one of the most recognizable cities in the United States.
San Francisco has a unique mix of physical characteristics, including its months-long episodes of fog, its steep rolling hills, its eclectic mix of architecture (including Victorian style houses and modern high-rises), and its being bordered on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. Famous hallmarks and landmarks include the San Francisco cable cars, the Transamerica Pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. (Copied from Wikipedia)
Extension
Here you can read more about my extension plans.
Posted by Joost at May 15, 2006
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