GLORIAD (Global Ring Network for Advanced Application Development)

Linking Scientists in US, Russia, China, Korea, Canada, Netherlands and the Nordic Countries with Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
GLORIAD is built on a fiber-optic ring of networks around the northern hemisphere of the earth, providing scientists, educators and students with advanced networking tools that improve communications and data exchange, enabling active, daily collaboration on common problems. With GLORIAD, the scientific community can move unprecedented volumes of valuable data effortlessly, stream video and communicate through quality audio- and video-conferencing.
GLORIAD exists today due to the shared commitment of the US, Russia, China, Korea, Canada, the Netherlands and the five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, to promote increased engagement and cooperation between their countries, beginning with their scientists, educators and young people. The benefits of this advanced network are shared with Science & Education (S&E) communities throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
GLORIAD provides more than a network; it provides a stable, persistent, non-threatening means of facilitating dialog and increased cooperation between nations that often have been at odds through the past century. This new era of cooperation will provide benefits not only to the S&E communities but to every citizen in the partner countries through:
• Improved weather forecasting and atmospheric modeling through live sharing of monitoring data;
• New discoveries into the basic nature and structure of the universe through advanced network connections between high energy physicists and astronomers - and the expensive facilities GLORIAD makes it possible to share;
• Support of the global community building the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), creating a technology which will someday provide a practically limitless supply of energy;
• Advancing joint geological sciences related to seismic monitoring and earthquake prediction;
• Enabling new joint telemedical applications and practices;
• Strengthening current programs in nuclear weapons disposal, nuclear materials protection, accounting and control and active discussions on combating terrorist threats.
• Increasing classroom-to-classroom cooperation to accessible scientists and students in other countries through the 24/7 EduCultural Channel, the “Virtual Science Museum of China,” the Russia-developed “Simple Words ” global essay contest, and a special partnership with International Junior Achievement.
Reference: http://www.gloriad.org/gloriad/index.html