|
|
|
|
Only Connect |
Dear readers,
After a few months of planning, packing and moving, the last relocations in our department have taken place – at least for now. It will still take a while before all the spaces are completely furnished, but I hope everyone is settling in well to their new homes. Workplace change can be stressful. However, my experience is that moving offices usually has a positive side too: a chance to do some “spring cleaning”, to connect with some newly adjacent colleagues, or even just enjoy the change in view from the office window.
We now have seven sites distributed throughout the city, which is a couple fewer than before. Nevertheless, the challenge to connect across and communicate within the department remains. It is crucial to have strong interpersonal connections to create a sense of belonging and unity. Being spread out in seven different buildings does not make this easy. That is why I was happy that we had the chance to get together at the last staff party in OAT. Creating this kind of opportunity for encounters with our colleagues and fellow students is important. With the end of the semester, I also know that many of you will be taking part in social activities like hikes and barbeques with your research groups. I hope you enjoy these events and take the chance to connect more strongly within your teams.
Last but not least, I would like to wish a good exam preparation phase to our students. Do not forget to take breaks from studying to enjoy the sunshine while it is here!
Keep up to date with what else is going on in our department in this edition of READ.ME.
Best regards,
Kenny Paterson Department Head
Title image: Children playing the new ETH game "Morph Tales" at the Informatiktage 2023.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faculty and staff |
We extend a warm welcome to all new staff members who have joined our department in the last month. We look forward to working with you. Our new staff
To the staff who are leaving us, we wish you the best of luck in your future careers and hope to work with you again someday. Farewells |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professor Niao He becomes new Co-Director of the CLS After nearly ten years as Co-Director of the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS), Thomas Hofmann steps down and hands over this role to Niao He. The center is run jointly by ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome, Cecilia Boschini
|
|
| Cecilia joined the group of Professor Dennis Hofheinz as a postdoc. She will work on quantum-safe joint authentication protocols to secure the online collaborations of the future. All the best in your new role, Cecilia! |
|
| |
|
|
Welcome, Harshad Sathaye
|
|
| Harshad, from Northeastern University in Boston, joined the group of Professor Srdjan Capkun in June. His research focuses on wireless systems security and today's sophisticated navigation systems. Have a great start, Harshad! |
|
| |
|
|
Welcome, Gianluca Brian
|
|
| Gianluca, from the Sapienza University of Rome, has joined the group of Professor Ueli Maurer as a postdoc. He will be working on theoretical and applied cryptography, with a particular interest in secret sharing, side-channel attacks and constructive theory. Welcome, Gianluca! |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stories of the month |
| |
|
|
The bridge builder
|
|
|
Dr. Martina Baumann What does a life scientist do at the Department of Computer Science? Martina is a Scientific Coordinator in the Biomedical Informatics Group and prefers to work at the interface of different disciplines. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prizes and awards |
Congratulations to our faculty, researchers and students who have won prizes, awards and fellowships for their work. We are proud of you and thank you for asserting our reputation. Browse our award section |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gaspard Zoss and Yifan Wang receive the Eurographics PhD Award
|
|
| We congratulate Gaspard and Yifan on their 2023 Eurographics PhD Award! They were honoured for the high quality and impact of their doctoral dissertations. This year, two of the four chosen theses have been conducted at ETH Zurich, in the Computer Graphics Laboratory and Interactive Geometry Lab. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming events |
ETH Student Summer Research Fellowship (SSRF), 3 July – 31 August This year's SSRF programme starts soon! 20 undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world will get the opportunity to gain their first research experience in an area of their choice. The department is committed to increasing diversity in the field of computer science, which is why the gender distribution at SSRF is 50:50. Read more about the SSRF here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rethinking Gender for Inclusive Institutions. A conversation with Dr. Eugenia Chang, 28 June, 17.00–18.00, Audi Max HG F 30 Can mathematics help us understand gender inequality as well as other inequalities? Absolutely! Mathematician, pianist and author Eugenia Cheng is convinced. She will present us with a conceptual framework on how institutions can be changed to be more inclusive of women and other underrepresented groups. More information here.
Cyber Startup Challenge 2023, apply until 31 August 2023 The Cyber-Defence (CYD) Campus of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) is organising another Cyber Startup Challenge. This year's theme is «Smartphone Security» and the aim is to find innovative solutions for the security of smartphone applications to mitigate potential threats. Apply here.
Cyber-Defence (CYD) Fellowships, 8th call for proposals now open In addition to the Startup Challenge, the Cyber-Defence Campus, together with EPFL, offers CYD Fellowships to promote research and innovation in cyber-defence. A diverse range is now open for Master's, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers as well as future entrepreneurs. There will be an online Applicant Workshop on 20 July. Get more information and apply here.
HackZurich 2023, 15–17 September, Oerlikon Join the world's best tech talents, representing several universities, to collaborate on highly innovative web-, mobile- and hardware applications during a 40-hours hybrid hackathon. Apply for Europe's biggest hackathon until 10 July at this link. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please meet... |
Brigitte Marti, Studies Administrator and Mobility Advisor
In one sentence, what do you do at the Studies Administration? I handle administrative tasks for the Master's programme in Cyber Security and help manage student mobility at the department, advising incoming students from partner universities and D-INFK students studying abroad.
What do you find most challenging about your role? After taking over the role of Mobility Advisor in January, I’m still getting familiar with the different partner universities.
What is the best advice you ever got? Don’t let fear of failure hold you back. This is a more encouraging version of what a teacher once said to me as a kid when I was struggling with a drawing. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so the advice fits in many situations.
How do you reward yourself after a long working day? I like to spend time with my husband and our two-year-old. And then I look forward to just putting my feet up. On rare occasions, I stop at Sprüngli for a special treat.
What is your favourite place at and around ETH? The terrace next to bQm and Einstein & Zweistein. You can sit close to the trees or enjoy the view over the old town. It’s a great spot, both when alone and with a group of friends and colleagues. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D-INFK in the news |
• | | Prof. Andreas Krause Basler Zeitung: Die übermässige Angst lenkt von den realen Gefahren von KI ab (paywall) Read article |
• | | Prof. Adrian Perrig SRF1, 10vor10: Die ETH Zürich sagt Hacker*innen den Kampf an Watch video |
• | | Emir İşman, Master's student Blick: Schweiz bildet Spezialisten aus – danach sollen sie gehen Read article |
• | | Prof. Joachim Buhmann SRF Podcast: Künstliche Intelligenz zwischen Angst und Regulierung (starting from 00:45) Listen here |
• | | Dr. Alex Warstadt, Dr. Ethan Wilcox New York Times: The race to make AI smaller and smarter (paywall) Read article |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Open positions |
Junior Research Engineer in Natural Language Processing The Media Technology Center (MTC) is looking for a Junior Research Engineer. Are you interested in conducting applied research and developing demo prototypes with a focus on NLP? Then apply here.
Working for our spin-off BLP Digital AG BLP is steadily expanding and looking to grow its team. If you want to help in developing a cutting-edge product for automated document processing, take a look at their open positions.
Research Software Engineer (Advanced Python SW Engineer) Do you want to develop software tools for the efficient execution of hardware-independent application code onto varied computer architectures? The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) is hiring a Research Software Engineer.
VIS job mailing list Are you a student interested in open positions, full-time or part-time, and internships? Then the job mailing list by the Association of Computer Science Students (VIS) is for you. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tip of the month – New address |
If you have moved into a new office in the last few months, do not forget to change your address in the ETH directory and your email signature!
In case you want to see all the locations of our department, here is an overview. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the student corner! Here you can find the latest news and updates regarding student life. Whether you're looking for information on upcoming events, tips for studying or just a glance at what's happening on campus, this is the place to be. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New equipment for the computer labs |
The public computer labs in the CAB have received a facelift: The existing PCs were replaced with the latest Lenovo all-in-one PCs. The discarded but still functional computers will get a new home. Many thanks to the entire IT Service Group (ISG) for planning and implementing the project! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Student workspaces food&lab temporarily closed |
Due to maintenance, the food&lab guest room will not be available from 3 until 16 July 2023. We kindly ask you to switch to the student workspaces in the buildings CHN, CLA, HG and MM. Thank you very much for your understanding. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CSNOW event |
Semester Apéro, 29 June, 16.00, CAB inner yard It's time for the yearly CSNOW summer apéro! Come to the CAB inner yard for a study break and treat yourself to free ice cream and juice while mingling with fellow D-INFK students. There will also be some questions about women in computer science and ETH Zurich, where you can showcase your knowledge. Registration is not necessary. |
|
|
|
|