Author: alexraikos

Content producing techie. Also Signal Strike

International Research-Centered Summer School in “Cognitive Systems and Interactive Robotics, Data and Content Analysis”

3-30 July 2014, at NCSR “Demokritos”, Athens, Greece

 

Deadline for applications (for participation): March 7, 2014

The Summer School is organized by the Software & Knowledge Engineering Lab (SKEL) at the Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications of NCSR “Demokritos” (http://www.iit.demokritos.gr/), and the Interactive Robots and Media Lab ((http://www.irmllab.com). This is the fifth summer school in a sequence initiated by the Interactive Robots and Media Lab. For the second time in a row, it will take place in Greece at NCSR “Demokritos” (located in Athens, Greece) between July 3 and July 30, 2014.

The Summer School has an innovative format: it is Research-Centered, with a strong focus on mini-projects of month-long duration, carried out by multiple teams of 3-4 students including a mix of academic levels (Postdoc, PhD, undergraduates). Selected seminars and lectures will also take place; but not exceeding two hours per day.

The outcome of the summer school includes both numerous scientific publications, as well as longer-term collaborations. For example, the scientific output from the last summer schools has already led to a number of papers in leading conferences and journals with several more underway.

This year’s topic and research project areas focus on the cognitive systems or the data analysis viewpoint, as pertaining to:

  • Human Robot Interaction
  • Dialogue Systems
  • Computer Vision
  • Information Visualisation
  • Data and content analytics – data mining
  • Social Media Analysis
  • Semantic technologies and the Web of data
  • User Modelling and Recommendation systems
  • Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Systems
  • Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics
  • Autonomous Creative Systems
  • Event processing

 

More specifically, an initial plan includes projects on:

  • Social Media analysis,
  • Big Data analytics,
  • Argument extraction and sentiment analysis,
  • Robot Navigation and Vision,
  • Analysis of biological/biomedical data
  • Computational tools supporting creativity,
  • Constrained optimization,
  • Complex event recognition

 

These projects will be supported by a number of international and national research projects. They will be supervised by world leading researchers from several universities and research centers.

Furthermore, NCSR’D’ has significant expertise in all these subject areas, and can support the projects with computational tools, robotic equipment, as well as with the appropriate personnel who will co-supervise these projects. In terms of computational resources, there is access to high-performance computation, as well as multiple workstations. There is also close contact with numerous world-class institutions and companies in the field, and numerous distinguished invited lecturers and supervisors will be joining us for the summer school, as it was the case in IRSS-2013 (http://irss.iit.demokritos.gr/content/invited-speakers).

The relevant information will be announced at the IRSS site in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, the school will not be all work and no fun! A few exciting cultural events and excursions are planned to take place during the weekends so that the participants can relax and visit some of the best tourist attractions in Greece.

Applying for the Summer School

We are welcoming applications at multiple levels (final-year B.Sc, M.Sc., PhD, and postdoc levels). Necessary prerequisites include any one, and ideally a mixture of the skills below:

  • Programming in C++, Java or Matlab
  • Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Machine Vision, or Natural Language Processing
  • Psychological/Interaction experimental design and data analysis
  • Information Visualization
  • Social Media Analysis
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Optimization

 

But most importantly, the creative imagination and the strong motivation to produce innovative results in any of the main theme areas.

The registration fee for the school is 400€, which will be used to cover part of the school’s expenses, such as the expenses of the invited speakers, the lunch and coffee breaks for the participants, as well as cultural and social events.

We are in the process of securing sponsorships, so that we can give a number of scholarships that will cover the registrations fees, and/or the accommodation costs of selected participants.

To apply, kindly send your CV, including emails of two referees, to irss@iit.demokritos.gr, by 7 March 2014.

For more information visit the School’s webpage: http://irss.iit.demokritos.gr/

Fully-funded studentships available: Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems (AIMS) PhD (DPhil) programme

Fully funded studentships available: Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems (AIMS) PhD programme

 

For information on how to apply, please visit:
More information about the programme is available here:
For more details, to ask questions, or to learn how to apply, please contact the CDT directors at aims-cdt@robots.ox.ac.uk.

Research Engineer, Wireless Networking (Small Cells)

Research Engineer, Wireless Networking (Small Cells)

 

Bell Labs are opening a position for a full-time researcher in the field of wireless communications.

Bell Labs’ research facility in Dublin, Ireland is a leading end-to-end systems and solutions lab working in the areas of, wireless networks, autonomic networking, cloud and distributed computing, services-centric operations research, data analytics, and thermal management. We have an opening for a research engineer/computer scientist in our Small Cells Research team.

A successful candidate will have strong experience in wireless communication networks. The position involves creating and proving new technologies in autonomous networks.

Role description:

  • Carry out state-of-the-art research in the areas of planning, deployment, operation and future evolution of small cell network.
  • Propose and publish research in major research publications worldwide.
  • Partner with business units to ensure the successful exploitation of research outputs.
  • Generate intellectual property through the patenting of ideas.
  • Create and maintain strong collaborative associations with university-based researchers, other leading research bodies, business units and government agencies.
  • Contribute in a positive manner to the creative and innovative atmosphere in Bell Labs.

 

Qualifications, skills, and experience:

  • Candidates must have a PhD in any related electronic engineering or computer science domain.
  • Candidate must have the ability to conduct independent research while also contributing to team-oriented projects that often span across multiple Bell Labs sites.
  • A successful candidate will be versatile, flexible, hands-on, and a self-starter.
  • Experience of development activities is also desirable.

 

Candidates must have experience in wireless networks and systems, with the following skills and experiences being highly desirable:

  • Optimisation of wireless networks, particularly for SON.
  • Familiarity with cellular networking systems (UMTS/LTE).
  • Wireless network simulation modelling.
  • Small cell/femtocell networks.

 

Key attributes:

  • Strong written and spoken communications skills, able to participate in robust discussions in English.
  • Good track record in a research arena or strong industrial experience
  • Proven problem solving and analysis ability

 

A comprehensive benefits package exists including relocation costs.

Interested candidates should send a complete resume to dr. Stepan KUCERA at stepan.kucera@alcatel-lucent.com

Nokia Solutions and Networks Hellas S.A. (NSN) and the Department of Digital Systems intensify their collaboration

NSN and the Department of Digital Systems (through the memorandum of understanding signed by NSN and University of Piraeus Research Center, after the respective initiative driven by the Department of Digital Systems) will intensify their collaboration in the context of the following scientific and technological areas:

  1. LTE Advanced, Evolved Packet Core Technology
  2. 5G Technology
  3. Self Organizing Networks
  4. Cognitive Networks, Autonomic Networks
  5. Pervasive Networks
  6. Telecommunications on the Cloud
  7. Software Defined Networking – Network Function Virtualization
  8. Big Data, data analytics, machine learning

The collaboration will include:

  1. European Research programs
  2. State Research programs
  3. Bilateral programs between the Parties
  4. Diploma, Master, PhD thesis conduct of common interest

The collaboration will be realised through regular meetings, co-organisation of events (such as information-days, seminars, lectures, conferences, etc) and in general through exchanging expertise.

Summer Undergraduate Research Internship in Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine

Summer Undergraduate Research Internship
in Computer Science
@ the University of California, Irvine

We welcome applications for a newly launched summer undergraduate research internship program at the UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. Selected students will get an opportunity to visit UCI during the summer of 2014 and spend roughly 8-10 weeks working with faculty on exciting research projects. Projects are expected to cover a wide variety of topics including artificial intelligence, data management, embedded systems and architecture, machine learning, networking, systems and software, secure computing, and theoretical computer science.

Who should apply?
The internships are open to both domestic and international students enrolled in an undergraduate Computer Science program (or related field) who are currently in their junior or senior year. (In exceptional cases, recent graduates also will be considered). The internships are suitable for highly motivated undergraduate students, potentially interested in exploring doctoral studies, who wish to gain valuable research experience. It is especially well suited for students considering UCI as a possible destination for their doctoral study. The internship provides an opportunity for students to visit UCI, discover the charm of Southern California, get to know our faculty, and participate in research projects that are changing the computing landscape.

How many internships are available?
We expect to have 8-10 internship positions. The program will cover travel expenses to/from Irvine, and interns will have the opportunity of earning up to $450 a week to cover living expenses.

What types of research projects will I work on?
Click here for examples of research projects available through this internship program.

Will the entire internship program focus on research?
While the program emphasizes research experience, it will include social activities so interns get to know one another and experience some of what Southern California has to offer.

How do I apply?
You may apply online at http://summerinternship.ics.uci.edu/apply; you must create an account to access the application and submit the required information, which includes your transcript(s), two letters of recommendation and a short personal statement. We will accept applications through January 15, 2014, and expect to notify selected interns by early February.

Will housing be provided?
Students must arrange their own housing. Information about off-campus housing options is available here.

Can you tell me more about UCI?
Located in coastal Orange County, near a thriving employment hub in one of the nation’s safest cities, UC Irvine was founded in 1965. One of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, it’s ranked first among U.S. universities under 50 years old by the London-based Times Higher Education. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. UC Irvine has more than 28,000 students and 1,100 faculty and offers 192 degree programs. It’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.3 billion annually to the local economy. The university is about 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, 45 miles from Los Angeles and 80 miles from San Diego. The beach cities of Orange County that neighbor Irvine are among the top tourist destinations in the United States.

Can you tell me more about UCI’s computer science program?
The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences is the only computing-focused school in the University of California system. UCI holds the No. 28 spot in the most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking of computer science programs, and Microsoft’s Academic Search website ranks the Bren School faculty as the 21st most influential group in the United States. Students graduating with a Ph.D. from the Bren School at UCI have flourished in positions in industry, industrial research labs, government and academia. For more information about our school and alumni, visit: http://www.ics.uci.edu/about/about_factsfigures.php

Who do I contact for more information?
For questions about the UCI summer undergraduate internship program in computer science, please email summerinternships@ics.uci.edu.

Senior Web Developer

Senior Web Developer

 

The Multimedia, Knowledge and Web Technologies (MKWT) research group of Athens Information Technology, Greece seeks to hire a full-time senior web developer with advanced web design and development skills, as well as demonstrable experience in the development of multimedia information systems and social media applications for the needs of ongoing research and development projects.

A set of mandatory tasks to be carried out include:

  • Web design and development, deploying PHP (object oriented PHP), AJAX, HTML5/CSS3, Javascript and JQuery, to develop a Mobile-Friendly Multimedia Information System and Social Media Application for touristic purposes, including Recommendation and Personalization services and integrating a Content Adaptation Engine
  • Integration at system level, testing and validation of the above system under real-life experimentation cases
  • Collaboration with external partners, task progress monitoring, deliverables authoring and meetings participation
  • Research publications output, dissemination to related events and conferences

 

Requirements for the Senior Developer Position:

  • Advanced web design and development skills and proven experience in Web applications programming with a focus on Multimedia Information Systems and Social Media. A portfolio with working examples/projects/prototypes in these directions is necessary.
  • Familiarity with recommender systems, personalization, multimedia description (metadata) and mobile device-oriented content adaptation methods and tools

 

In addition to the above minimal set of requirements, the following qualifications/ expertise will be favourably considered:

  • Desirable specialization (MSc) in Multimedia Information Systems.
  • Academic and/or industrial related to the position experience, proven by developed R&D and/or industrial tools and systems.
  • Team spirit and performance under strict schedules and deadlines

This position will give the successful candidate the opportunity to work in a well established and active research environment with state-of-the-art facilities. The working language at AIT is English therefore fluency in English is a requirement.

Expected date of hiring: immediate, as soon as a successful candidate is selected.

Interested candidates are requested to send a letter of interest, a detailed CV, a sample of their running/completed projects (if available) and names of references to:

Asst. Prof. Sofia Tsekeridou
Multimedia, Knowledge and Web Technologies Research Group
Athens Information Technology – AIT
0.8 Km Markopoulo Ave., 19002, Peania, Attica
Tel:+30 210 6682804, Fax: +30 210 6682703
E-mail: sots@ait.gr
Web: http://www.ait.gr/ait_web_site/faculty/sots/tsekeridou.html

External Evaluation of Department of Digital Systems

The external evaluation of the Department of Digital Systems took place in the time frame from the 7th until the 11th of October.

The results are extremely positive, acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all its members, and provide motivation and momentum for continuing towards even higher standards of quality and productivity.

Final Conclusions of the External Evaluation:

“The bottom line of our evaluation is the pleasant and, somewhat surprising, realization that a unit created as recently as 1999 and with a current faculty size of only 22 individuals (with a healthy, but improvable, mix of genders) has created a world-class programme both in teaching and research with impressive accomplishments and success stories across the board of its coverage areas (that include both traditional areas like infrastructure systems, telecommunication networks, etc., as well as innovative application areas like e-learning, health systems, and security). This is not common in the Greek academic environment.”

The associated Report can be found here.