Event Concept and Objectives

The 2013 edition of the annual event of the Digital Enlightenment Forum (DEF) will take place from September 18 to 20, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Brussels on the theme “Personal data and citizenship in the digital society”. The event includes, on September 20, a “Digital Futures Workshop” on the theme “The future of personal data and citizenship”, co-hosted by the Digital Enlightenment Forum and the Digital Futures Task Force of European Commission’s DG CONNECT.

In line with DEF’s overall objectives, the event aims at informed, challenging and yet open dialogue, seeking to understand how business, institutions and governments can become more effective and fit-to-purpose through relationships with digitally empowered individuals. The focus is on finding game-changing solutions that stimulate innovation and sustainable evolution, and are therefore beneficial to all. We welcome all persons from science, technology, law, industry and policy who are interested and can contribute to the debate and policy developments on Personal Data and Citizenship in the Digital Society.

The FORUM will stimulate broad participation of all participants through group discussion sessions in Day 1 and Day 3 in particular, and sufficient time for involvement of the audience during in the Panel discussions on day 2. There will also be ample opportunity for socializing, e.g. a cocktail on 18 Sep, a lunch with additional invitees from the EU institutions on 19 Sep, a gala dinner on 19 Sep and coffee breaks during the days.

Detailed and updated information can be found on the www.digitalenlightenment.org web site.

About the Digital Enlightenment Forum

The Digital Enlightenment Forum is a not-for-profit organisation founded under Luxembourg law in 2011 in Luxembourg aiming to shed light, stimulate debate and provide guidance on today’s rapid technological changes and their impact on society and its governance. By doing so, it takes reference from the Enlightenment period in the 18th century as well as from transformations and evolutions that have taken place since. It examines digital technologies and their application openly with essential societal values in mind. Such values might need to be given novel forms taking advantage of both today’s knowledge and unprecedented access to information.

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Honorary DEF members

Sir Tim Berners Lee (Professor at MIT, US)

Ann Cavoukian (IP Commissioner, Ontario, CA)

Masao Horibe (Em. Professor Hitotsubasi Univ, JP)

Michael Kirby (The Hon Michael Kirby, AC MMG)

Hamadoun Touré (Secretary-General ITU, CH)

DEF Board members

Jacques Bus - Secretary-General (Advisor DigiTrust.EU, NL)

Kim Cameron (Distinguished Engineer Microsoft, CA)

Malcolm Crompton (Managing Director IIS, AU)

Willie Donnelly (Vice-President Research, WIT, IRL)

Mireille Hildebrandt (Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen, NL)

George Metakides - President (Professor at University of Patras, GR)

Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (Former Member European Parliament, NL)

Bjorn Ottersten (Professor at University Luxembourg, LU)

Reinhard Posch (Professor at Graz University, AUT)

Kai Rannenberg (Professor at Goethe University, DE)