The selection process is completed.

VLDB, one of the world's foremost international database conferences, throws its doors open to all database researchers in Central and Eastern Europe. VLDB takes place in September of 2003 in Berlin within easy reach of all countries east of the Oder and Danube rivers. One of the primary goals of VLDB 2003 is to acquaint young database students and scientists from the East with their colleagues from the same region and from all over the world, to foster a viable database community in the East and to strengthen an atmosphere of congenial partnerships with researchers from the rest of the world.

VLDB 2003 offers a unique opportunity to meet people who have had a major influence on the evolution of the field, and others who hold promise to do so in the future, and to learn about the technical and scientific challenges to the community over the next years. Many who attended one VLDB conference have made it a habit to repeat the experience.

The VLDB organization is aware of the financial limitations for our colleagues in the East. Several companies, not-for-profit foundations and the VLDB Endowment have generously contributed funds for the financial support of up to 50 to 60 colleagues from Poland, the Baltic states, Belorussia, Ukrainia, Russia, Czech Republic, Slowakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the states from former Yugoslavia.

Support includes the full registration fee, either at the student or full delegate level, and a fixed amount that should cover moderately-priced accommodations in Berlin and daily expenses. We expect that recipients contribute their own funds for their travel expenses to and from Berlin.

VLDB 2003 hopes to attract the best minds from Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, expect an element of competition if you apply for support. If you register with this site we will ask you to supply data on you academic curriculum and activities, database background, list of publications if there are any, and a short sketch of what you hope to gain from your participation with the conference. Those of you who submitted a paper are considered particularly serious contenders. A small committee of W. Cellary, L. Kalinichenko, J. Pokorny, H. Schweppe and B. Thalheim will make the final decisions after the closing date for applications.

We advise you to continue to visit this Web site. As we go along we will publish information on special events dedicated to our visitors from the East. For example, students are encouraged to apply to a Ph.D. workshop. For visitors to ADBIS 2003 in Dresden who go on to VLDB we plan a workshop over the intervening weekend.

The VLDB 2003 organizers encourage all database students and scientists from the East to take the opportunity and to apply right now.