Achieving critical mass: a global research network in systems engineering

It is no coincidence that the universities were pioneers of the internet, for the medium lends itself uniquely well to academic debate and collaboration. We call this process of sharing ideas in cyberspace “virtual learning”, and the main goal of any such community is to create a shared understanding that will inspire research and development. This paper describes trends and issues in creating a Virtual Learning Community in systems engineering, drawing upon the results of an European ALFA‐funded project named COSME.