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Dear Members,
After a well-deserved summer break, we are happy to send you the latest Informatics Europe bulletin, our bi-monthly newsletter for members.
In this issue:
ECSS 2017: Registration and Program
Time for the European Computer Science Summit (ECSS 2017, Lisbon 23-25 October) is approaching fast! Have you already registered? Remember that early-bird reduced fees apply until 15th September.
Leaders and decision makers in Informatics research and education in Europe will gather to debate strategic themes and trends related to research, education and policies in Informatics. Jointly with the ECSS main Summit on October 24-25, Informatics Europe organises a special Workshop for Deans and Heads of Informatics Departments on October 23. The aim is to address specific challenges, best practices, new approaches and strategies in Informatics education & research. Besides the variety of topics on this year’s program, ECSS provides a unique opportunity to connect with other Informatics Europe member representatives, academics, researchers, as well as the Board and staff of the organization.
We count on you spreading the word around, to make the event a great success!
ECSS 2017 quick links:
We recommend you to book your flight & accommodation as soon as possible, since Lisbon is a very popular touristic destination this time of the year. There are several hotels within a walking distance from the venue (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa).
We look forward to welcoming you in the colourful city of Lisbon!
Data Collection and Reporting
Informatics Europe is engaged in continuous efforts to collect key data on Informatics education in Europe and make it available in a useful and informative way to its members and the community. One example of these efforts is the report series "Informatics Education in Europe. Key Data” which we have been publishing since 2013. The report, this year in its fifth edition, including data from 2011-2016, will be published in December.
Informatics Europe acknowledges its key role in, and the importance of, providing its members and the community with the precise and objective information that is indispensable for understanding the field and making informed, effective policy decisions. However, collecting and reporting data across an entire continent, with numerous different languages and education systems as well as different levels of organization and availability of national statistics, it is essentially a herculean task. With the goal of improving and expanding its efforts on data collection and reporting, Informatics Europe decided to invest its resources and hire specialized staff to carry on these activities. The position Program Associate - Higher Education Data and Analysis (see New Office Staff on this Bulletin) was created to improve and expand the Key Data report as well as to allow us to start collecting and reporting other data of interest to the community.
For any questions regarding the 2017 Key Data report or data collection and reporting in general, please contact our new Program Associate, Svetlana Tikhonenko.
Ethics Working Group
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural nets, automated decision systems… What happens when they control autonomous systems or make life-chasing decisions? How should they be developed and deployed? Can they be made predictable and reliable? Which ethical and legal implications should be observed? The social and ethical impact of new technologies is a key issue of our increasingly connected society that affects users, developers, researchers and governments. Informatics Europe in cooperation with ACM Europe has launched a working group on Ethics, under the coordination of James Larus, IE Board Member, and Fabrizio Gagliardi, Chair of ACM Europe. The kick-off meeting was held in Geneva on 17 July. The group of experts will work on a white paper setting out a framework and recommendations on computer-based decision systems from a social, economic, educational, ethical and legal perspective.
If you are interested in contributing to this group please contact: James Larus
New Jobs @ Informatics Europe Job Platform
Current openings on the Informatics Europe online Job Platform:
Your department/institute can advertise open positions on the Informatics Europe job platform too. Extend your search to attract the best. The job service is free of charge for our members.
Association News
2017 Annual General Assembly
The Annual General Assembly of our association will be held, as usual, during the ECSS, our annual conference. The meeting will be this year in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 24, 2017. This is a particularly important Assembly since we will have an election for a full new Executive Committee (President, two Vice Presidents and Treasurer) together with seven new candidates to the Board. Your participation and vote, representing your institution, is very important.
A formal invitation with a detailed agenda and documentation will be send to all members by end of September.
Save the date: IE General Assembly, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
Tuesday 24 October, 17:30-18:30.
We look forward to your participation. Your voice is important to us!
New Members
We are glad to have the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Sofia (Bulgaria) on board again!. Their membership widens our representation in Europe, adding up to 30 countries and close to 120 institutions.
For an overview of our network, visit our member’s list.
New Office Staff
On August 15, Svetlana Tikhonenko joined our Zurich office as Program Associate - Higher Education Data and Analysis. She will be working on our Data Collection and Reporting efforts. Originally from Russia, Svetlana has a background in Public Relations, Communication and Journalism. She has recently completed her Master's degree in Public Opinion and Survey Methodology with specialization in Quantitative Methods, awarded by three Swiss Universities - University of Lausanne, Luzern and Neuchâtel and worked as Research Assistant at the Department of Business Administration of the University of Zurich.
Board Meetings
The Informatics Europe Board met by teleconference on July and August. A number of topics have been on the agenda, including: membership drive, ECSS 2017 and ECSS 2018, IE future strategic orientations and development of industrial partnerships.
Next Board Meetings:
- Friday, September 29, 16:00-17:00, Skype
- Sunday, October 22, 14:30-17:30, Lisbon
- Monday, October 23,17:30-18:30, IE-ERCIM joint Board Meeting, Lisbon
- Friday, November 24, 16:00-17:00, Skype
Don’t forget: as a member representative, you are welcome to submit agenda topics and to participate as an observer in Board meetings. Let us know!
Members News
This space is available to include posts from our member institutions. If you would like to share your news (courses, awards, nominations, conferences…), please contact Pepa Echanove. Deadline for the November issue is the 2nd of November.
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We hope to see many of our Members and guests
connecting at ECSS 2017 in Lisbon very soon!
Spread the word around your faculty colleagues and contacts
to make our annual conference a great professional and networking event...
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