Welcome

It is our privilege and great honor to welcome you to the 12th International Workshop on Acoustic Echo and Noise control (IWAENC) and to the city of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa. This is the first time IWAENC has come to Israel and we are excited to host you all. We wish to express our gratitude to the Technical and Steering Committee for their valuable assistance and to the sponsoring companies and institutions: Silentium, RIM (Blackberry), Google, Philips Research, Bar-Ilan University, Phoenix, AudiocCodes, Microsoft Research, and the Technion (SIPL).

IWAENC, which started in Berlin (Germany) in September 1989, has become an international biennial workshop and is one of the most prominent events dealing with all aspects of acoustic signal enhancement. This year, the papers cover a wide spectrum of topics, including microphone arrays and beamforming, blind acoustic source separation, speaker localization, speech enhancement, hearing-aid applications, dereverberation, and echo cancellation. The program consists of four keynote lectures, six poster sessions (70 papers) and a special session dedicated to research and development of some of our sponsoring companies. We have also allocated a special session to the six finalists of the "Eberhard Hänsler best student papers award".

So, stay tuned!

Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is a modern city with ancient roots. Historians believe that Jaffa is the only port in the world that can boast uninterrupted use throughout its entire existence. In biblical times, Jaffa's port served as the gateway to the Land of Israel. From here Hiram of Tyre imported the cedars needed to build King Solomon’s Temple, while the prophet Jonah set sail from Jaffa on his ill-fated voyage.

The Tel-Aviv-Jaffa metropolitan area is comfortably situated on the shores of the Mediterranean. Visitors to the beach benefit from dozens of kilometers of clean, fine golden sand, supervised beachfront and a vortex of activity all year-round. Tel-Aviv-Jaffa also boasts numerous fine museums and galleries, and it is home to the world-renowned Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Dramatic arts, music and dance are also considered part of Tel-Aviv’s artistic forte.

Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is famous for its abundance of restaurants, cafés, and food stalls. The city offers a variety of cuisines, ranging from street falafel stalls to Haute Cuisine. Rich and diverse culinary heritages are merged into the new Israeli cuisine, which is based on the rich variety of locally-grown fresh vegetables and fruits. Last but not least, Tel-Aviv-Jaffa, considered the liveliest city in the region, offers thriving nightlife for the late-birds. The fully-illuminated Rothschild Boulevard, the waterfront promenade, and the Yarkon river estuary are packed with people even at the wee hours past midnight. Bars and clubs will always welcome you for a drink or a party. Do not forget the lectures next morning…

Tel-Aviv, the first Hebrew city in modern times, was founded in 1909. The centre of the city is mostly a result of a pioneering urban design by Sir Patrick Geddes in 1927-1929. In July 2003, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, proclaimed the unique urban and historical fabric of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa, known as the “White City", as a World Cultural Heritage site. By this proclamation, the international community recognized the exceptional architectural qualities of the buildings, streets, squares and avenues of Tel-Aviv. This is the world's largest cluster of buildings in the International Style, also known as Bauhaus.

So, take your swimming suit and sun lotion along; do not forget your laptop and poster…and join us in IWAENC 2010, Tel-Aviv!

L’hitraot (See you soon),

Sharon Gannot Israel Cohen