Lectures in the academic year 2000 / 2001:

L1: Culture and information civilization

Prof. K. Krzysztofek (IK)

Cultural changes in the information society. Mass-media and culture industry. Power and political participation, freedom and control problems. Market and advertisement. Information society and the problems of globalization. Information society and the problems of social development. Sociology of the Internet.

L2: Information economy

Dr. M. Goliński (SGH), Prof. T. Szapiro (SGH)

Sources of telecommunication law. Telecommunication, software and information services. Permissions to run telecommunication services. Providing and sharing telecommunication services. Combining telecommunication networks and cooperation of telecom operators. Protection of telecommunication secrecy. Frequency management. Telecommunication administration. Trends in development of telecommunication law.

L3: Telecommunications and electronic media law

Prof. S. Piątek (UW)

Legal basis of telecommunications and electronic media. Status of telecommunications equipment. A right to conduct business. Restrictions on foreign investments. Cooperation of telecom operators. Requirements for the content of individual and mass communications. Administration of telecommunications and mass media. Harmonization of telecommunications and electronic media law within the EU.

L4: Information, knowledge, communication

Dr. M. Hetmański (UMCS), Prof. J. Lubacz (PW)

Information, knowledge, expertise and communication – philosophical analysis. Information and communication in the human and social sciences – a review of theories and positions. Concept of information and communication in technology sciences – information theory, cybernetics, artificial intelligence.

L5: Symptoms of structural changes in the mathematical models

Prof. S. Janeczko (PW)

Phenomena in mathematical spaces. Methods for modeling structural changes. Elementary models of catastrophe theories. Geometry of the catastrophic surfaces and sets of catastrophic disasters. Anticipating changes – models of functioning of the collective structures. Bifurcation points – undetermined choice. Symptoms of critical phenomena. Use of catastrophe theories in physics, economics and medicine.

L6: Information society as a sociological category

Prof. A. Siciński (PAN)

Variety of descriptions concerning society in the second half of the twentieth century. Selected features of the information society. Information society versus civil society. Information society: opportunities and threats. Visions of the information society.

L7: Arts and culture in view of the information society

Prof. M. Duchowski (ASP) with his assistants

Aesthetics, ethics, politics and mass-media in the information society. New forms of artistic expression and the role of art in a society where electronic media and “virtual reality” are present: architecture, fine arts and film. Socio-cultural aspects of development of communication technology and organization.

L8: Information infrastructure

Prof. Józef Lubacz (PW), Dr. ing. M. Średniawa (PW)

Telecommunications, information technology, electronic media – the evolution of services, technical and institutional resources. Convergence versus integration of the components of the information infrastructure. The essence of digital technology. Architecture and functionality of information networks. Syndrome of the Internet network. Concepts regarding development of global information infrastructure.

L9: Information technology in education

Prof. A. Kraśniewski (PW)

Role of education in the information society. Evolution concerning the model and system of education. Education “at a distance” – synchronous and asynchronous techniques. Systems and telematic services used in education. Integrated learning support environment based on the Internet – opportunities and threats. Virtual university. Use of the information technology in education – current state and perspectives.

L10: Brain and artificial neural networkse

Prof. R. Kosiński (PW), Dr. W. Koszewski (AM)

Basis of physiological perception. Characteristics of sensory cognition. Stenting of brain function. Neuron models. Artificial neural networks – structure, function and application. Open problems – awareness and abstract thinking.