HASLERSTIFTUNG - PEOPLE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR PEOPLE

Considering that :

• All the information of an Information Society can only be brought to use if information is communicated :
  • be it communicated between machines,
  • be it (more important) as the content of interaction between human beings and machines,
  • be it (most important) when information is exchanged between human beings ;
• Telecommunication is both a high-technology affair as well as one of the major vehicles for human interaction over more than the acoustic range of the individual ;
• Human interaction overcoming distances is a key element for economic, social and cultural deployment and development of societies ;
• Mastering telecommunications multiplies the possibilities of evolution of mankind ; considering also that :

• Mastering telecommunications requires substantial knowledge about its technologies, processes, maintenance and for its further development,
• Further development of telecommunications requires an active participation in research and development projects,
• Technology can be imported, but the know-how to put it to use must be learned, trained and developed,

It becomes obvious, that :

It takes people educated and trained in telecommunications
to bring telecommunications within reach of more people.

With this conclusion in mind, more than 50 years ago Mr. Gustav Hasler of Bern, Switzerland, founded the Hasler Foundation for the support of telecommunication research and education in Switzerland and by his will had most of his wealth be given to the foundation.

We welcome the Forum Engineering the Knowledge Society within the context of the World Summit for the Information Society 2003 in Geneva and are pleased to help to divulge the proceedings of this forum.

Hasler Foundation, Dr. Placidus A. Jaeger, managing director

Bern, november 2003