tooting my own horn....

[VJ]

Well, the first step of my habilitation-process is done: I just finished a small presentation before the commission.

Actually it is the second step, I have written a book (which was a bit more work ) and am awaiting an American professor to write the foreword. Once I receive that, the book is scheduled to go for printing and the whole dossier can be submitted to an external committee. If all goes to schedule, that committee can approve it before June after which the reviewers are assigned. Hopefully it can all be finished by the end of the year.

Funny thing is that I did not know what a "habilitation" was earlier: in Belgium it does not exist anymore (since 1995), but in Poland it is still a requirement for maintaining a research position (you can only be on such a position for a limited time after the PhD).

[UtwigMU]

Wow, congratulations VJ, perseverance pays off! What topic is the book about, will we be able to buy one?

[Umfriend]

Or download it illegaly?

Congrats!

[VJ]

It won't be in books stores, it'll be only possible to order it directly via Springer. It is this type of research book that has to be written and that some institutes will buy, but IMO such books are ridiculously expensive and not really of this time anymore.

(as for illegal downloads: you'll probably find it faster that way than in a bookstore... )

The book is about my work in developing an artificial intelligent method (fuzzy inference systems) to process gridded geographic data, and the changes needed to create and evaluate fuzzy inference systems to make them work in a spatial context. There are quite some issues due to the fact that the spatial aspect makes that the data is not independent, which is not the case in normal applications of inference systems...

Meanwhile I got the outcome of the vote of the internal committee and I passed. So now all that is left is wait for the foreword, submit the book to the publisher and submit the entire dossier to an external committee...

[Umfriend]

The book is about my work in developing an artificial intelligent method (fuzzy inference systems) to process gridded geographic data, and the changes needed to create and evaluate fuzzy inference systems to make them work in a spatial context. There are quite some issues due to the fact that the spatial aspect makes that the data is not independent, which is not the case in normal applications of inference systems...

Goodbye Shakespeare, here comes VJ!

[VJ]

Goodbye Shakespeare, here comes VJ!

Now you have me wondering if I could not start the first chapter with "Now is the winter of our discontent..." Seeing as the developments have applications in modeling climatic change, it may even be possible......

[Elie]

Congrats!! When is the audio book edition coming out

[VJ]

Congrats!! When is the audio book edition coming out

A few months later. There are talks to have it recorded as the second volume in "Insomnia cures".

[Jammrock]

Congrats!

[Dr Mordrid]

[VJ]

Thanks!

Just in: newly proposed law regarding research institutes and so-on removes the habilitation as a requirement for becoming professor.
How come such things always happen to me (I have a whole list of such things)?

They wanted this law to come in effect in February, but did not do it. Now there is talk of passing the law in November (but with the party in power having absolute majority, the connected vote does not mean much), for it to have effect the next year.
Still a point of light: this professor position seems to be aimed at teaching classes. The habilitation would still be a requirement to guide PhD students, and to keep a research position for a longer time after the PhD.

Well, the procedure is ongoing and it won't hurt me anyway so I'll just do it and see later how it helps me...

[VJ]

Well, the habilitation procedure has officially been started.

I filed all the necessary documents with the national Commission for diploma's and titles, and they approved the formal aspects. My case (with this approval) then was voted and passed by the scientific council of our institute, who appointed reviewers. This information now goes back to the national Commission who will add more reviewers (most likely in September, due to the summer holiday), so now I have to wait for the review outcome. Hopefully this comes before the next meeting of the scientific council of our institute (which is twice a year), as that is the next necessary step. It would be a shame if the reviews come just after the next meeting (currently estimated for November)...

Meanwhile, the contract with Springer has been signed, so the book ought to be printed by September.

[Dr Mordrid]

Cool

And well deserved.

[VJ]

Last piece of the puzzle: the book is announced by Springer (e-book version is due Jan. 11, 2019; hardcover version Feb. 10, 2019). It is in this book series, volume 370

Now this can be communicated to the central commission, as an update to the file they have on my habilitation there, and then we just wait... Next scientific council at our institute is in November, so if the reviews return before that date then it all will finish this year. If not, it will have to wait till the next scientific council (approx. 6 months later).

[VJ]

Things went faster than planned: initially Springer said the book would be published in January/February, later moved they it to October/November, and yesterday I got the notification that it has been published!

The central commission will assign reviewers by September 7 and communicate this to my institute. And then the reviews can start. The next scientific council is scheduled somewhere in November (no certain date yet), so if the reviews return before that, the council can make the decision. I know that the person overseeing the reviews is quite strict, so he will urge the reviewers to be on time, helped by the fact that the date of the scientific council tends to be later than they initially anticipate (if they say November, it is more likely to be December or even January; they also plan it with some decisions in mind). So I may be able to add one more title-abbreviation to my name by the end of the year.