In the joint conduction of IEEE Peking Branch, China Computer Association and HUST, the Third International Conference on Grid and Computing Conference 2004 was held in HUST on Oct. 21.

Grid, namely virtual computing environment, is a fresh hotspot in information industry and a new development of Internet application. This technology enables computer users to share Internet resources by connecting computers distributed everywhere. Similarly to the power supply of electric power net, the core of grid computing is to realize virtual share, administration and accessing of Internet resources spanning an entire enterprise, a government or a work team.

President of the Conference, Deputy Dean of School of Computer Science & Technology, Professor Jin Hai reported that Europe has taken the leading in grid computing, and successfully united computing competence of several computers in European joint lab, exceeding that in any self-help lab in America. No more than ten countries in the world applied grid computing. China mainly work over China National Grid and ChinaGrid and in the joint effort of Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Beihang University and HUST, the platform of ChinaGrid has made a good winning.

Over 300 experts, governmental celebrities and delegates of enterprises from more than 20 countries and areas attended the Conference. Leader of American grid computing program Professor Ian Foster, senior scientist Charlie Catlett in America Argonne National Lab, Professor Jack Dongarra from Tennessee University and Tony Hey from Southampton University aired their opinions on the Conference.