News, insights and stories of the Department of Computer Science.
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Computer science in times of crisis |
Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
Roughly one month into the Corona lockdown we might tend to focus on the challenges and difficulties of the current situation. But my impression is that there is much positive going on and the department is coping well with the crisis.
Computer scientists are privileged. While our labs are important, they don’t include attending to living creatures, as in other sciences, and much of our research can proceed in cyberspace. Also, in teaching and administration, we can move forward with many of our activities. I think we can agree that remote communication solutions are a poor substitute for physical presence, discussion, and interaction. But thankfully, they allow us to continue our department culture. Group meetings, lunches and after-work beer get-togethers are all being held in cyberspace.
What role does computer science play in our ability to cope so well with this crisis? The quality and quantity of services – video conferencing software, web-based shared document editing, data storage and synchronization – play a major part. These product developments are the result of research in our field. Taking a glimpse at the future, education could become infused with AI: user-modeling, content adaptation, natural language understanding, as well as problem generation and grading would be some interesting areas to explore. These advances give society a certain kind of resilience. At least parts of our activities can be shifted from the physical world into the virtual, and vice versa.
In the remainder of this edition you will learn about some of the other positive things going on at the department. Happy reading!
David Basin Department Head
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Faculty and staff |
We would like to extend an especially warm welcome to all new staff members who have joined our department in this difficult time. We look forward to working with you – and to welcoming you in person once the crisis is weathered. Our new staffTo 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
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"We have to do something!"
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Nicola Rüegsegger Pascal Wacker Nicola Rüegsegger and Pascal Wacker, who started studying computer science at ETH via an unusual path, helped build two platforms to deploy helpers to hospitals. Read article |
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Sewing nicer clothes with algorithms
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Katja Wolff For her doctoral thesis at the Interactive Geometry Lab, Katja Wolff has developed an algorithm that calculates how sewing patterns need to be positioned on a fabric so the textile print aligns along seams. Watch video |
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Circulatory failure is predictable
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Prof. Gunnar Rätsch Working with Bern University Hospital and Prof. Karsten Borgwardt, Gunnar's group has developed a method of predicting circulatory failure in intensive care patients. Read article |
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Due to COVID-19, all physical events have been cancelled for the duration of the spring semester. However, there are virtual events taking place, such as these two online interactive sessions by Cyber Group - ETH Student Initiative. May 7th, 17.15 – Cyber Security and its Communication ChallengesCyber Group will host Martin Hofer, CSO PostFinance. He will share his insights into the Challenge of Communicating Cyber Risks and Operations within the financial world. Furthermore, he will shed some light on the skills needed to address these challenges. Q&A included. Register hereMay 14th, 17.15 – How will Cyber Security Evolve? Zero Trust and other factorsCyber Group hosts Roger Halbheer from Microsoft. He will describe his teams' view on the current cybersecurity landscape as well as developing trends. A particular focus is on Zero Trust, modern SOC, and Security Operations. Bring all your questions as a Q&A is included afterwards. Register hereUntil May 24th – VIScon Call for ProposalsOver 600 students are expected to attend this year's VIScon. Inspire them with your talk, workshop or exhibition. Proposals can be submitted until the May 24th. Submit your proposal
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D-INFK in the news |
• | Prof. Ce Zhang, David Dao ETH News: Understanding the dynamics of the epidemic Read article |
• | Prof. Kenny Paterson NS Tech: European coronavirus contact tracing app sparks uproar in the privacy community Read article |
• | Mathias Wellig, Alumnus Walliser Bote: Der Mann auf Millionen Smartphones Read article |
• | Urs Hölzle, Alumnus Computerworld: «Das Vertrauen in die Cloud steigt» Read article |
• | Ankit Dhall, Master student ETH Library LAB: Enabling Biodiversity Research with Automated Species Identification Read article |
• | Daniel Schenker, Alumnus Tagesanzeiger: «2232322» hat er gesagt Read article |
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Please meet... |
Giovanni Serafini, lecturer in didactics of computer science (ABZ Ausbildungs- und Beratungszentrum für Informatikunterricht).How would you describe what you do in two sentences?I'm a lecturer and student advisor in the post-degree education program for high school teachers in computer science. At Juraj Hromkovic’s Centre for Computer Science Education, we are contributing actively to the introduction of computer science as a mandatory subject from kindergarten to the end of high school. What do you like most about your role?Giving lectures, talking to primary school teachers, supervising ETH students and introducing pupils to programming. My role requires considering both the scientific, conceptual aspects of our discipline as well as the public perception of it. What is the best advice you ever got?To be patient, to work with passion, and to enjoy what I'm doing. What is your favourite place at and around ETH and why?I like the atmosphere of historical buildings. As a computer scientist, the CAB is therefore the logical answer. On a smaller scale, besides my office, I like the tiny round table near our group's printer. A cup of coffee, a couple of colleagues sitting at the table, an intriguing discussion, and the feeling of well-being sets in. How do you spend your leisure time?My wife and I have two children, who are seven and two years old. We love to rediscover the world through their eyes. We enjoy playing in the garden, going for bike rides and playing football and basketball. Some evenings, we fall asleep to our older son reading us one of his novels about policemen and crooks.
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The coronavirus will continue to affect our lives and our work for some time to come. To keep you informed about news, regulations and projects connected to the pandemic, we will add a short COVID-19 section to the end of every READ.ME until further notice.
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COVID-19 sources of information |
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Important note on current working regulations |
The coronavirus crisis has created unusual professional and personal challenges for all of us. We currently have to show flexibility and find solutions for many tasks. Therefore, it is important that we all stay healthy and maintain a lasting level of performance. In April, the Executive Board (Schulleitung) published a "Regulation for coronavirus emergency operations". Please read this important document here. It regulates different aspects of vacation, home office, and child care. We encourage you to take your holidays – even in Corona times! Therefore, discuss your vacation planning with your supervisors. In this regard, accrued vacation time from the previous year(s) should be taken by August 31, 2020, and the vacation credit from this calendar year should be taken by the end of 2020. And... don’t forget to enjoy your holidays!
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Stay informedTo keep up to date with current ETH regulations on working arrangements, all staff can consult the ETH FAQ site, which is updated regularly with new information. If you have further questions, please contact our HR manager, Jacqueline Braunschweiler.
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Support and counsellingThe HR department offers support and counselling to all staff members, be they professors and team leaders or researchers and employees. Please do not hesitate to take advantage of these services if you are struggling with the current situation.
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Stories from the department |
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A typical day in quarantine
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Jonathan Chen Jonathan, president of the association of computer science students (VIS) and himself a student at the department, writes on what keeps him going during the lockdown. Read article |
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