IE Bulletin - September 2024

Check out the highlights below and help us share them with the wider Informatics community!

In this issue:

Final opportunity to register for ECSS 2024 at an early bird rate

The early bird registration for the European Informatics Leaders Summit - ECSS 2024 has been extended to September 22nd! Don’t miss the chance to register at a discounted rate and be part of our annual meeting, where Informatics leaders from across Europe gather to exchange insights on crucial topics and discuss ongoing and upcoming European projects and collaborations in Informatics research and education. Special rates apply to PhD students willing to join the Early Career Researchers Workshop or the entire Summit.

Discover the ECSS 2024 program, which includes keynote presentations by Dorothea Wagner, from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Mark Harman from Meta Platforms Inc. and University College London, along with former IE Presidents Carlo Ghezzi, Lynda Hardman and Enrico Nardelli. They will reflect on the past and future of Informatics and its societal impact in Europe. Explore all ECSS 2024 speakers and abstracts here.

Limited spots remain for our poster session! Submissions from Informatics researchers at all levels will be considered until the session is full. To submit, follow the guidelines here and take advantage of a valuable opportunity for meaningful knowledge exchange and networking with Informatics experts from diverse specialties.

Final call if you wish to bring forward your institution's interests and gain visibility at the European level. Reach out to showcase your institution through our Community Highlights – both virtually and on-site is possible.

ECSS 2024 is sponsored by the University of Zurich and supported by VisitMalta Incentives & Meetings with an excursion in Mdina. Hotel accommodation at preferential rates (first-come, first-served) can be booked here. See you in Malta!

1st Informatics Education Research Summer School: a success with participants from 29 universities

The first edition of our Summer School on Informatics Education Research (SCHIER 2024) was a tremendous success. In early September, we welcomed 34 participants, representing diverse backgrounds and experience levels, working together from start to finish — five full days from 9 AM to 6 PM — without losing focus.

Enrico Nardelli, current member of IE’s Education Research Working Group, former IE President and key initiator of SCHIER, served on the Scientific Committee this year. He delivered the inaugural speech on the first day and also led the concluding session, “Students’ Cases”, where participants were divided into groups to present and discuss their ongoing or future research in Informatics education.

Participants’ active engagement throughout the week was our best reward, not to mention the comprehensive and constructive feedback they shared with us. “The week at SCHIER is a highly prolific time with great talks and enlightenment moments that generated nice ideas for the future", says Natalia Silvis-Cividjian, a participant from VU Amsterdam.  “SCHIER offers a deep dive into the subject with expert instructors, hands-on activities, and the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, all of which make it an incredibly valuable learning experience,” shares Drishti Yadav, another participant from TU Wien. These and many other comments received, inspire us to raise the bar even higher for the next edition of SCHIER, as we continue to foster a strong European community of Informatics Education researchers.

SCHIER 2024 was co-organised with our industry member IBM Research Europe and hosted at their facilities in Zurich. Visit our webpage to learn more about SCHIER and stay tuned for the next edition!

EUGAIN’s training school on gender and sustainability: another success

In early September, our COST Action EUGAIN (European Network on Gender Balance in Informatics) held a highly successful training school in Airolo, Switzerland, as part of the project's final activities and before it concludes this October. The event brought together 35 participants from 15 countries, including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. The goal of the training school, like all EUGAIN activities, was to advance gender balance in Informatics by fostering a multicultural European network of academics who are leading efforts in their respective institutions, countries, and research communities.

EUGAIN 3rd training school. Photo by Sonay Caner-Yıldırım.

Among the keynote speakers was Dympna O'Sullivan, one of IE’s Board Directors and Chair of IE’s Ethics Working Group. She shared, "At TU Dublin, we have been proud to collaborate with partner institutions across Europe through EUGAIN. The project has compiled a wealth of resources on best practices from higher education, industry, and society, all aimed at improving gender balance in Informatics in both academia and industry."

To celebrate EUGAIN’s achievements, three flagship booklets and a comprehensive policy recommendations document are being mailed to all IE member representatives. These materials are intended to inspire future initiatives in as many institutions across Europe as possible. Additional EUGAIN results and resources are available for download here, and we look forward to seeing these accomplishments continue to flourish.

***
Informatics Europe partnership contributes to the success of European-funded projects such as EUGAIN, Inclusion4EU and Ethics4EU. Looking for a pan-European networking partner to strengthen and support your research or education projects? Reach us out at administration@informatics-europe.org.

IE continuing support at ITiCSE

Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE) is the leading and largest Informatics education conference in Europe, with a history spanning over 25 years. Since 2018, IE has partnered with ITiCSE to enhance its presence within the European Informatics education community. As part of the steering committee, IE helps shape the conference’s scope and focus while ensuring the highest standards for its content.

The next ITiCSE will take place from 30 June to 2 July 2025 at Radboud University in the Netherlands. Michael Kölling, a member of IE's Board of Directors, currently chairs the ITiCSE steering committee, joined by Violetta Lonati from the University of Milan, who represents IE on the committee. With their expertise, we look forward to the next edition of ITiCSE, which promises to bring new inspiration and accomplishments to the Informatics education research community.

Open activities

Explore our Open Activities webpage to learn how you can engage and benefit from our activities. Here are a couple of noteworthy highlights for you:

• Informatics Research & Education Directory: A comprehensive directory of European institutions leading research & education in Informatics. Help us ensure accuracy by keeping your institution's information up to date!
• Department Evaluation Service: a cutting-edge, unbiased approach to assessing research quality and more, led by top researchers with extensive experience in both research and institutional management. This service is available to all institutions, helping you to map out a sustainable path to success for your department.

New IE members

We are pleased to welcome the following new members:

• School of Computer Science and Engineering, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
• Department of Computer Science & Department of Business Informatics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria
• SVIA SSIE SSII Schweiz – Verein für Informatik in der Ausbildung, Switzerland

They joined a growing IE membership of nearly 200 informatics institutions, national associations, companies and research centers from over 30 countries. Check out our current members list.

Event by IE members

• 1st International Conference on Digital Skills and IT Professionalism (ICODSIP 2024)
  supported by IE, co-organised by IE’s sister organisation CEPIS, Council of European Professional Informatics Societies
  General submission deadline: 23 Sep 2024
• Symposium on Applied Computing, Software Verification and Testing Track 2025 (SAC-SVT 2025)
  chaired by University College London and Eindhoven University of Technology on 31 Mar – 4 Apr 2025 in Sicily, Italy
  Paper and SRC abstract submission deadline: 20 September 2024
• Fundamentals of Software Engineering 2025 – Theory and Practice (FSEN ’25)
  chaired by Mälardalen University on 7-8 Apr 2025 in Västerås, Sweden
  Abstract submission deadline: 7 October 2024 (AoE)

IE member news

You share more than you know: dating apps and privacy are not always a good match – KU Leuven

Researchers from KU Leuven’s DistriNet research unit analyzed the fifteen most popular location-based dating apps (LBDs) available on the Google Play Store. Their investigation revealed several security risks, including the exposure of sensitive data and precise user locations. After presenting their findings to the app developers, many took steps to improve user data protection. Read more about the study results here.

FER gathered STEM teachers: The contribution of secondary schools is crucial - University of Zagreb

The third STEM teachers' meeting at FER brought together around 200 teachers of informatics, mathematics, physics, computing, and professional subjects in technical schools and classroom teachers from all over Croatia. Recognized by the Agency for Education and Training (AZOO) as official teacher training, the event aimed to enhance primary and secondary school teachers' skills through inspiring lectures and interactive STEM workshops. FER Dean, Prof. Vedran Bilas, emphasized the importance of internationalization and global competitiveness for young Croatian talents. FER has long collaborated with schools and teachers through various programs, including the "ŠUZA - from school to science and academic community" initiative. Read more about the event and FER's contribution to the popularization of the STEM field among schools here.

***
Would you like to share the latest updates about your institute with fellow IE members and professionals in informatics and related fields? Simply email the relevant news in brief to our Communication Specialist Kit Wan Chui to get featured in our Bulletin, LinkedIn and X.