In October 1985 the IIG-News succeeded in luring a contribution from Professor Ian Witten:

"Why am I here?"

Hello and goodbye, members of the IIG. As you read this I will be winging my way across the Atlantic towards the Great White North of Calgary, Alberta. So really the title should be, "Why was I here?". It's a frightening thing to be asked this kind of question. To have to justify yourself. To say what you have achieved, or to invent something to say. Nevertheless, having been asked, I will try to answer.

My goals in coming to Graz were

1 a) To recover from 3 years as Head of Computer Science at Calgary.
1 b) To give up smoking and get fit.
1 c) To see something of Styria.

2 To learn what is the state of the art in videotex and massmarket CAI.

The IIG's goals where, I suppose

3 To obtain some course material on MUPID in Computer Science.

4 To let me discuss the work of a number of institute members.

What has been achieved?

Significant progress has been made on Goal 1 a), although I'm not sure one ever really recovers from an experience like that! I have certainly given up smoking, for this summer at least (and I hope for ever) - until I left Calgary airport on June 29 I was a heavy pipe-smoker. As for getting fit ... yes, I have tried; but Austrian cooking (and especially icecreams and tortes) has done its best to defeat me and turn fitness into fatness. Finally, under the extremely knowledgeable guidance of your Institutevorstander, I and my family have seen a great deal of your beautiful province - from caves, castles, museums to coloured lakes, iron mountains, alpine meadows, and many wonderful Jausenstations.