Author: Aileen Orr

SICSA opening doors for open education research

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by Vidminas Vizgirda
6 November 2023

For a week in October 2023, I travelled to Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan in Cree, one of the indigenous languages, meaning “Beaver Hills House”) in Canada to attend the GO-GN 10th anniversary workshop and the Open Education Global 2023 conference.

GO-GN (Global OER Graduate Network; Celebrate 10 years of GO-GN! | GO-GN) is a support network of PhD students, alumni, and supervisors researching fields related to open education. The OE Global Conference 2023 – Building a Sustainable World through Open Education is an annual event bringing together educators, policy makers, advocates, researchers and students to talk about open education – with topics like public sharing of educational resources, removing barriers for access to education, and decolonising curricula, there are always lots of great presentations and workshops! This year’s themes were two-eyed seeing and braiding: what can Western cultures learn from indigenous ways of knowing and how can we benefit from seeing the world from both Western and indigenous perspectives?

At the conference, I organised an “action lab” (interactive workshop) titled “Reinvent the Wheel or Find the Needle? Technology for Addressing Resource Reusability Barriers”. We discussed a competition between “reinventing the wheel” (making new educational materials from scratch) faster using generative artificial intelligence versus “finding the needle in a haystack” (reusing existing educational materials) faster using user-centred design and information theory, and some ideas how we could address the latter with adjustments to major search engines.

OE Global was a wonderful venue to make new connections and open doors for potential future collaborations. Attending the conferencing so far from home was only possible by piecing together multiple sources of funding and I am very grateful to SICSA, GO-GN, and the University of Edinburgh ILCC and IGS travel funds for their help in making it happen!

Thank you SICSA for helping me “open the way for future partnerships”

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by Nick Louloudakis
23 October 2023

My name is Nick Louloudakis, and I am a 3rd-year Informatics PhD Candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Last September, I had the privilege to present my work, “Fault Localization for Buggy Deep Learning Framework Conversions in Image Recognition” at the 38th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE), a top-tier conference on software engineering and automation, held at Kirchberg, Luxembourg.

I am grateful for the support I received from SICSA, which covered my registration costs. For me, attending and presenting at an event such as ASE, was a fantastic experience. In particular, I had the chance to widen my knowledge about the cutting-edge research in software engineering automation, by attending keynote talks and presentations of world-leading scientists in my area of research, coming from top institutions and companies, such as IBM Research and Google, to name a few.

In addition, I had the unique opportunity to discuss and network with a vast number of researchers working on a variety of research topics, both similar and different to the topic I currently focus on. This helped me consider additional aspects in the direction of my research, and it broadened my horizons to think of potential expansions of my work, as well as opened ways for future collaborations with people I met at the conference.

In terms of the presentation of my work, it was a great success, as it received a number of thoughtful questions and the audience found it quite interesting. In addition, I received follow-up communication from scientists working in the same field with me, opening the way for future partnerships.

As I increase in seniority in my PhD studies, I am enthralled to have the opportunity to publish my work in world-class events, but also meet new people, network and live new experiences, and I am really appreciative that SICSA supported me in this direction.
Thank you.

New SICSA Deputy Director of Education

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by Dr Matthew Barr, SICSA Education Director
20 September 2023

We are delighted to announce that Dr Debbie Meharg, Associate Professor and Head of Applied Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University, has been appointed as SICSA’s Deputy Director of Education.

Debbie brings more than 20 years’ experience in teaching, management and research to the role, and has previously served as a SICSA Education Champion. As a member of the SICSA Directorate, Debbie will contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation, and work closely with our network of Education Champions to develop and disseminate best practice in Computing Science and Informatics education. Debbie will also contribute to the design and delivery of the Education strand of the annual SICSA Conference.

SICSA’s Director of Education, Dr Matthew Barr, said, “I’m excited to have Debbie join the team. She brings so much experience to the role, and I’ve already had the pleasure of working with her via the Education Champions network – I know she’ll be fantastic!”

Apply now for the 2023-24 SICSA Education Learning & Teaching Scholars Programme

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By Dr Matthew Barr, SICSA Education Director
16th September 2023

Early to mid-career colleagues involved in teaching Computing Science and related subjects at SICSA member institutions are invited to apply for the 2023-24 SICSA Education Learning & Teaching Scholars programme.

The Scholars programme is designed to develop and support early-to-mid career CS academics with a focus on education. Successful applicants will take part in a series of online and in-person activities to develop their scholarship, culminating in the presentation of an idea that can be taken forward into a publication. Please see below for an indicative schedule.

The programme will also include an online workshop on Learning & Teaching leadership, delivered by an experienced external partner. In addition, Scholars will be assigned a mentor, with whom they will meet a minimum of twice over the course of the programme. At the end of the programme, Scholars will be invited to write about their experience for the SICSA Education blog.

Applications from academics on Learning & Teaching contracts are particularly welcome. If you’re not sure if this is right for you, or if you have any questions about the programme, please contact our Director of Education, Dr Matthew Barr: Matthew.Barr@glasgow.ac.uk.

Apply here: https://forms.office.com/e/qL3yTVmvKi

Schedule

30 August 2023 Applications open
20 September 2023 Applications close
22 September 2023 Scholars announced
Week beginning 9 October 2023 Speed networking event for scholars (online)
Week beginning 16 October 2023 Mentors assigned
Week beginning 4 December 2023 Scholarship project kick-off (in-person)
February 2024 L&T leadership workshop (online)
May 2024 Final poster presentations (online/in-person TBC)
June 2024 Scholar blog posts published.

 

SICSA PhD Conference 2023 – Registration is now open!

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We are excited to take the SICSA PhD Conference back to Stirling this year!  The event will take place on 11th & 12th September at the University of Stirling

The Scottish Informatics & Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) Conference has been an annual event since SICSA began in 2008. It marks a time where PhD students and early-career researchers attending universities all around Scotland get together for a couple of days. During the event, attendees get to attend interesting workshops, talks, and social events and this year we are incorporating a Pitching Session competition. The event is open to all PhD students and early-career researchers in Computer Science and Informatics in Scotland. There are no registration fees and one night’s accommodation is provided for students who require to travel to the event free of charge as the event is fully funded by SICSA.

This year, the focus of the SICSA Conference will be on building research programmes to address interdisciplinary challenges. Increasingly, research focus and funding is led by societal challenges that are of international concern. Although computing science research will be fundamental to addressing these challenges, they will also need to collaborate across disciplines and a wide range of stakeholders. The aim of this conference is to expose research students to the opportunities of interdisciplinary research as well as skills and tools they will need to work effectively in this context. The conference will include keynotes from high-profile speakers on the challenge-led research landscape, as well as workshops on research programme road mapping and interdisciplinary collaboration. Students will have opportunities to practice these skills in small teams drawn from the diverse fields of our discipline, in order to develop their own collective research visions.

For more information on the Conference and how to register, please see https://sicsaconf.org/ 

“it was an unforgettable experience” Read how SICSA research scholarship funding helped support student’s attendance at the CIX23 Summer School

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by Songpei XU
12 July 2023

As a senior PhD student at the University of Glasgow, I was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the Human-Computer Interaction related summer school CIX23 at the University of Michigan in the U.S. It was an unforgettable experience. During the course of my studies, I presented my work to HCI researchers from all over the world and learned about the research directions and fields of PhD students from other universities such as Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, etc. This gave me some positive impact.

In addition, the rich curriculum of the summer school not only gave me the opportunity to interact with famous professors and scholars in the field. I also learned new knowledge from their lectures and courses. These have given me new ideas and thoughts about my research.

During the summer school, I met some interesting people and we had deep discussions about our research, PhD studies, life, and future directions and future developments of AI. It was really exciting to be exposed to the ideas of people outside my social circle and with different education. I am sure we will also connect, learn from each other, and stay in touch with each other in our future research and studies.

I am very grateful for this opportunity and for the support I received from SICSA. The experience of attending the summer school not only expanded my knowledge, but also gave me new insights into the development of the industry and I have a new group of friends. This is the motivation for me to continue my research.

SICSA support to attend CHI 2023 has made me more excited and eager to be a part of this community

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by Noora Alsakar, University of Glasgow
18 May 2023

At the beginning, I would like to thank SICSA for covering my registration fees to attend CHI 2023. I am a second-year PhD student conducting research at the intersection of HCI and privacy in the field of eye tracking. It was my first time attending the conference, and I had an amazing experience and learned a lot.

CHI is the premier conference for human-computer interaction research, and it provided an incredible opportunity for me to meet and learn from experts in my field from all over the world. I attended a variety of talks and workshops and was amazed by the quality of the research being presented. I also had the chance to network with other researchers and make valuable connections.

In addition, attending the conference allowed me to see the enthusiasm that researchers have for their work. It was inspiring to become aware of the great opportunities provided for researchers by prominent companies in the technology market.

My experience at CHI 2023 has made me more excited and eager to be a part of this community. I am now more motivated to continue my research and to make a positive impact in my field. I am also more eager to publish my research at the upcoming CHI conference.

In conclusion, I am grateful to SICSA for supporting my attendance at CHI 2023. It was an amazing experience that enriched my knowledge, expanded my study field community, and inspired me with new ideas in my field.

SICSA support to attend CHI 2023

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by Cristina Fiani
02 May 2023

As a first-year PhD student at the University of Glasgow, within the social AI CDT, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend for the first time one of the biggest international conferences of human-computer interactions-CHI 2023 in Hamburg-with around 4000 attendees. It was a truly enriching experience that I will never forget. I had the chance to present my CHI LBW poster about automated moderation to improve child safety in social Virtual Reality (VR) “Big Buddy: A Simulated Embodied Moderating System to Mitigate Children’s Reaction to Provocative Situations within Social Virtual Reality”, which was a fantastic opportunity to share my research, receive feedback, and engage with other professionals in the field.

The conference was full of inspiring talks and presentations by other researchers, covering a wide range of topics from social VR to AI to innovations in education and mental health. I gained new insights and perspectives that will be invaluable as I continue my research. In addition to this, I met many fascinating people and had some great discussions, which I believe will help me as I progress in my research.

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I would like to thank SICSA for supporting me. Attending conferences like these is crucial for the development of any researcher. The experience has not only expanded my knowledge but also provided me with a sense of community and inspiration. I am eager to continue my research and contribute to the field.

Feedback from the SICSA Data Engineering Bootcamp

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By Dr Andrei Petrovski, SGA Director
11 April 2023

The SICSA Data Engineering Bootcamp was held on 20 January 2023 in the beautiful ARC Building, University of Glasgow

The main intent of the event was to raise awareness amongst members of the SICSA Graduate Academy of the goals, challenges, and tools used by the industry in designing, building and maintaining data products.

During the bootcamp three practical workshops were run by representatives from various sectors of industry – Engineering, FinTech and Public.   Experts from the industry explained and demonstrated how the modern data stack, data pipelining tools and different parts of the data engineering lifecycle work together.  The bootcamp programme started with the topics of data acquisition, collection and pre-processing presented by Steve Aitken from Intelligent Plant.  Then, the attendees were exposed to the process of creating value from data using real-life examples by colleagues from Corporate Data Services in Barclays Bank.  The final workshop on the day was presented by National Services Scotland, NHS focused on maintaining and enhancing the quality of data products.

During the bootcamp the SICSA PhD students who participated in the event had plenty of opportunities to speak to managers, engineers and researchers working in the Data Engineering field, who gave their advice on handling typical challenges, using specific tools and even provided interviewing tips for potential candidates interested in working for their companies and organisations.  The event received very positive feedback, including “Real-life examples, honest answers and openness’, “Loved the views of industrial experts”, “Very engaging!!” the overall theme of the feedback was a desire to have more events like this and include additional practical and interactive challenges and activities for the students.  SICSA, in collaboration with DataLab, are now considering what other events could be organised in the near future.  We will keep you posted!!

Research Excellence Framework 2021

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The Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) welcomes the publication of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework results.  The THE world university rankings table for the UK has also been recalculated on the basis of the 2021 REF and is published today.  For SICSA institutions:

  • 45% of research was world-leading (4*) and 43% internationally excellent (3*).
  • Over 90% of impact is judged outstanding or very considerable.
  • Overall SICSA departments were responsible for over 15% of high-quality research in the UK.
  • Over 70% of Scottish-based researchers entered in REF 2021 are working in Departments that have improved their THE ranking in a competitive and active discipline.

Stuart Anderson (SICSA Director) said:

“The REF 2021 results confirm the strength of Informatics and Computer Science in Scotland with a significant majority of researchers working in departments that have improved their overall ranking.  That SICSA departments contribute 15% of the high-quality research in the UK clearly demonstrates again that Scotland punches far above its weight in the discipline. Scotland has great strengths in this key area for our economy and society. 

This is a tremendous achievement on the part of the staff across all our Scottish departments, my congratulations to all involved in the continuing success of Informatics and Computer Science research in Scotland”.