The IT Nerd

IFIP, the global association for the ICT sector, has presented prestigious Silver Core Awards to eight members who have made outstanding contributions to the international profession. Award winners hail from across the globe – Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, UK, Ireland, United States and Canada. 

The award winners are:

Brenda Aynsley, past president of the Australian Computer Society, was recognised for her work in leading IFIP’s Professionalism arm, IP3, and her active involvement in key events such as the IFIP World Computer Congresses in South Korea (2015) and The Netherlands (2012), the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forums in Geneva and meetings with the European Commission.

Moira de Roche, past president of the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa (IITPSA), was awarded a Silver Core for her efforts as IP3 Deputy Chair and Marketing Director, responsible for launching the IP3 website and actively involved in progressing the work of IFIP IP3 through the WSIS Forums in Geneva and recent World Computer Congresses in South Korea and The Netherlands.

Kevin Crowston, a Distinguished Professor of Information Science at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies in NY State, was honoured by IFIP for his work with Working Group 8.2 on Information Systems and Organizations. Over the past 10 years he has served as Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Web Master as well as Co-Chairing the Program Committee for the 2007 Working Conference on Virtuality and Virtualization. He also received IFIP’s Outstanding Service Award in 2004.

Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Scientist at Lero, the Irish Software Research Centre, has also been a key player in WG 8.2, serving as Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary over the past decade. An active participant in several international bodies and a Fellow of both the Irish and British Computer Societies, he was Organizing Chair of the WG 8.2’s Working Conference on Social Inclusion (2006), Program Co-Chair of the Working Conference on Shaping the Future of ICT Research (2012) and General co-Chair of the Working Conference on Information Systems and Global Assemblages (2014). He was awarded the IFIP Outstanding Service Award in 2013.

Stephen Ibaraki, past president of the Canadian Information Processing Society was recognised for his service as Vice Chair of IFIP IP3 and Founding Chair of its Global Industry Council, an initiative that was recognised with a WSIS Champion Award by ITU earlier this year. Mr Ibaraki is a prolific writer and speaker who is active in numerous industry bodies and has represented IP3 at the United Nations. He also presented at the World Computer Congresses in 2012 and 2015, at recent WSIS Forums and has raised the profile of IFIP at other events around the world.

Dogan Kesdogan is Professor of IT Security Management in the Department of Economics Computer Science at the University of Regensburg in Bavaria. Dogan is credited with revitalising IFIP Working Group 11.4 which focuses on Network & Distributed Systems Security, serving as its vice chair from 2008-2014 and now its current chair. He was also co-chair of the Program Committee for the iNetSec Workshops in 2009, 2011 and 2015 and co-edited the Springer proceedings.

Don Passey, Professor of Technology Enhanced Learning at Lancaster University, UK, is vice-chair of the IFIP Technical Committee 3 on Education and Chair of Working Group 3.7, which focuses on Information Technology in Education Management. He served as Program Committee Chair of IFIP SaITE 2016, Doctoral Consortium Chair and keynote speaker at the TC-3 Open Conference 2015 in Vilnius and is currently Chair of the Program Committee for IFIP WCCE 2017. He received the IFIP Outstanding Service Award in 2014.

Marco Winckler is assistant professor at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, where he specialises in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). He is currently chair of IFIP WG 13.2, focused on Methodologies for User Centred Design, after serving as vice chair for six years and is also the secretary for IFIP TC-13. Marco is active in several international technical bodies and also co-edited the proceedings of INTERACT 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (LNCS series) as well as co-editing proceedings for IFIP 13.2 Conf. on Human-Centered Software Engineering HCSE 2012, 2014, and HCSE-HESSD 2016 (LNCS series).

Professor Valerie Shute, an expert in the use of games to support learning outcomes, will be a keynote speaker at WCCE 2017, the world’s largest conference focused on the use of technology in education.

Professor Shute is the Mack and Effie Campbell Tyner Endowed Professor in Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at Florida State University, USA. Her latest research involves using games with stealth assessment to support the learning of cognitive and non-cognitive knowledge, skills and dispositions.

At WCCE 2017 in Dublin from 3-6 July next year, Professor Shute will deliver a presentation entitled: Stealth Assessment – What, Why and How? She believes games can be a powerful vehicle to support learning, so long as the assessment process is handled effectively, and has even developed her own game – Physics Playground – to test her hypotheses.

Over the past two years, Professor Shute and her colleagues have designed, developed and evaluated various stealth assessments in games to explore:

• whether they provide valid and reliable estimates of developing key 21st century competencies in students,
• the degree to which learning actually happens, and
• whether students still find the games fun to play.

She will present her findings during her keynote address.

WCCE 2017 is an initiative of IFIP, the global association for people working in the ICT sector. The conference is organised by IFIP’s Technical Committee on Education (TC3), which recently issued a Call for Papers inviting potential speakers to submit papers or workshop topics for consideration.

With the theme of “Tomorrow’s Learning: Involving Everyone”, the conference will bring together hundreds of academics, researchers, ICT professionals, vendors, teachers, students and other stakeholders to explore emerging issues affecting the education sector.

In addition to the four-day conference from 3-6 July, the event will also feature a one-day Doctoral Consortium on 2 July.

For more information, please visit http://www.wcce2017.com  

As Haiti struggles to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Matthew, disaster recovery experts around the world are working to improve the systems and methods used in combating natural disasters and to raise awareness of how technology can help.

The global ICT professional association, IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing), recently established a Domain Committee on Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction (ITDRR) to bring together some of the world’s leading experts in this area to share their knowledge and expertise.

The ITDRR will stage its first Conference on Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction (ITDRR 2016) from 16-18 November, 2016 in Bulgaria, http://itdrr.unwe.bg/,  providing a forum for the latest research and developments in risk reduction and disaster recovery.

The Conference General Chair, Professor Dimiter Velev, said the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters has highlighted the importance of being prepared for such events.

Professor Velev delivered a keynote speech at last month’s 2016 International Training Workshop on Natural Disaster Reduction – Natural Disaster Risk Modeling and Applications, held at the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction in Taiwan. He discussed ways of combining advanced information technologies such as Social Media, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Cloud Computing for implementing viable solutions for fighting disasters.

Prof Velev also shared IFIP’s commitment to advancing thinking around how technology can support risk reduction and disaster recovery strategies, introducing the new Domain Committee and discussing its priorities and initiatives.

He invited all attendees of the workshop, which was focused on the Asian region, to take part in the upcoming IFIP conference, which will take a more global perspective and is expected to attract attendees from around the world.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will be the focus when Professor Mike Hinchey, president of the global ICT professional association, IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing) presents at this week’s ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-16) in Tunisia.

Professor Hinchey, who has worked with AI systems for over 15 years in his capacity as a consultant to NASA’s Space Program, will explore the question of, “How do we trust AI systems?”

Held every four years, the ITU WTSA defines areas of study for ITU-T, the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector, which helps to develop and promote global standards for critical telecommunications infrastructure. This year’s event includes a half-day session entitled, “ITU-T 60th Anniversary Talks on AI”, with Hinchey one of three keynote speakers.

Professor Hinchey, who is also Director of Lero, the Irish software research centre, Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Limerick and former Director of the NASA Software Engineering Laboratory, continues to consult to NASA’s Space Program. He applies AI in his work with swarm technology used in unmanned space exploration.

He said in today’s rapidly developing era of driverless cars, AI-enhanced shopping sites like Amazon and algorithmic trading on financial markets, many important decisions are made without human involvement.

While recognising the enormous investment being made in AI systems like driverless cars, Professor Hinchey said the jury is still out on whether these systems will ever be fully implemented.

He also questioned where to draw the line on preservation of life. “Of course, a self-driving vehicle will seek to protect its occupants, but what happens if the choice is between saving the person in the car or saving several people on the street. How does a robot decide without the benefit of human judgement?”

Professor Hinchey said more research is needed to understand the nuances of AI systems as their influence in our lives continues to grow.

ITU WTSA-16 runs from 25 October to 3 November in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia. For more information, visit http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/wtsa16/Pages/default.aspx

Two of the most important global conferences in the area of information security and privacy have issued a call for papers, inviting ICT security practitioners, researchers, policy-makers and educators to submit papers for presentations and working groups.

IFIP SEC 2017 and WISE10 will both be held in Rome, Italy from 29-31 May, 2017, bringing together the leading experts in information security and privacy to consider both practical and theoretical perspectives and to share the latest research, methodologies and systems advances.

IFIP SEC 2017, the International Security and Privacy Conference, is the flagship event of TC-11, the Technical Committee focused on information security and privacy within IFIP, the global association for people working in ICT.

WISE10, the 10th world conference on information security education, will take place under the umbrella of SEC 2017, addressing the latest thinking and experiences in curriculum development, teaching practices and more. It is organised by IFIP Working Group 11.8 (part of TC-11), which is committed to progressing the field of information security education.

Expert security practitioners, developers, researchers/academics and government decision-makers and policy advisers are encouraged to submit applications to present papers or run working group discussions at either event.

Both events are organised by IFIP, the International Federation for Information Processing, under the domain of TC-11.

Topics of interest for SEC 2017 include:

• Access Control and Authentication
• Applied Cryptography
• Big Data Security and Privacy/Cloud security and privacy
• Critical Infrastructure Protection
• Cyber-Physical Systems Security
• Data and Applications Security
• Digital Forensics
• Human Aspects of Security and Privacy
• Identity Management
• Information Security Management
• Mobile Security
• Network & Distributed Systems Security
• Pervasive Systems Security
• Privacy Protection and Privacy-By-Design
• Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance, and more.

Papers and abstracts for SEC 2017 must be submitted by 30 December 2016 at http://ifipsec.org/2017/submission.php

Those interested in presenting at WISE10 are encouraged to consider topics such as:

• Emerging Trends and Holistic Approaches in Information Security Education
• Cyber Ethics, Cyber Security Education and Training the Cyber Warrior
• Education of Different Specialisations – ie. Security, Data Mining, Wireless, Infrastructure, etc.
• New Programs in Security and Privacy Education
• Experimental Approaches to Information Security Education and Training
• Information Security Curricula Guidelines
• Evaluation of Security Programs
• International Standards of Security Education and Assessment
• Security Certification Programs
• Professional Competencies in Security
• Information Security Laboratories
• E-Learning for the Listed Areas of Security Education, and more.

Papers and abstracts for WISE10 must be submitted by 16 January 2017. Information About submissions can be found at https://www.ifiptc11.org/wg118-events/wise10#authors-guideline

For more information or to register to attend, visit the relevant websites at IFIP SEC 2017 and WISE10.

Professor Mike Hinchey has taken over as President of IFIP, the global professional association for the ICT industry. Professor Hinchey is a Director of Lero, the Irish software research centre, Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Limerick, Ireland and a consultant to NASA’s Space Program.

Professor Hinchey was elected last October during IFIP’s 2015 General Assembly after the World Computer Congress (WCC 2015) in South Korea and has served as President-elect since then. He succeeds Mr Leon Strous, who completed his second consecutive term as President at the 2016 General Assembly held over the weekend, after last week’s World IT Forum (WITFOR) 2016 in Costa Rica.

Professor Hinchey said he intends to build on Mr Strous’s efforts to raise the profile of IFIP and its many achievements by developing closer relationships with other industry bodies, governments and international agencies such as the United Nations.

Professor Hinchey pointed to the successful WITFOR 2016 conference held last week in Costa Rica as just one example of how IFIP works to make a positive contribution. WITFOR 2016 brought together ICT professionals and researchers, government ministers, policy makers and other stakeholders to explore ways in which technology can help to progress the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Prior to his current professional roles, Professor Hinchey was Director of the Software Engineering Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland, where his work helped make NASA missions self-managing and better able handle challenging terrains. Mike also helped develop significant advances in survivability, reducing the likelihood of mission failure, and continues to consult on various space projects.

Professor Hinchey holds a B.Sc in Computer Science from the University of Limerick, an M.Sc in Computation from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge and has engaged in visiting professorships all over the world.

The IFIP World IT Forum (WITFOR) 2016 has been told that adopting technology is the key to solving the development challenges of productivity and innovation. In his keynote address at WITFOR 2016 in Costa Rica, Dr Robert Atkinson, founder and president of international think tank, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), said Latin America and other developing nations must digitize as many processes as possible.

The leading ICT conference for the developing world, WITFOR 2016 has the theme of “ICT for Promoting Human Development and Protecting the Environment”. It is an initiative of IFIP, the global association for the ICT profession, and brings together senior policy-makers, academics, ICT experts, vendors and representatives from various NGOs and GOs to discuss ICT strategies to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In considering the topic, “ICT and Innovation: What Firms in Developing Countries Can Do to Compete in the Global Economy?”, Dr Atkinson said productivity must come from new tools, particularly ICT tools, and using technology is more important than producing it.

Dr Atkinson offered three strategies for companies wanting to enable growth:

• Put enterprise first: the Cloud is much more plug and play and requires less ICT skills;
• Enable scale: larger firms are more productive than smaller firms and use more ICT.
• Embrace disruption.

He also highlighted a clear role for governments in developing policies that encourage and enable development:

1. Put ICT-led productivity growth first. Nations need innovation in all industries;
2. Do not raise ICT costs;
3. Do not burden ICT-enabled business models keep necessary service available and affordable;
4. Make government a force for digital innovation.

Dr Atkinson also refuted claims that technology and automation will have a negative impact on the number of available jobs, saying that new technologies will translate to more positions and new job opportunities.

Other Highlights

• ITU Deputy Secretary Malcolm Johnson emphasised the role of national broadband networks in enabling growth and opening up access to a broad range of services and delivering benefits for the world’s citizens.
• Valentina Dagiene discussed the importance of competitions and contests to help engage in technology-related topics, saying they provided a valuable source inspiration and innovation.
• Dr Erick Mata explored strategies for using technologies to help meet the global challenges of biodiversity conservation. He also presented global databases that store biodiversity information, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
• A panel of leading educators considered what education will look like in 2030. They suggested that, because of the access students have to technologies and the overwhelming volume of information available, the role of teachers is changing. Rather than being the source of knowledge, teachers will become more of a guide, helping students to navigate the information highway more effectively and to create their own knowledge.

WITFOR 2016 concluded on Wednesday 14th September.

The World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) 2016 began yesterday in San Jose, Costa Rica with the theme of “ICT for Promoting Human Development and Protecting the Environment”.

An initiative of IFIP, the global association for the ICT profession, WITFOR 2016 brings together senior policy-makers, academics, ICT experts, vendors and representatives from various NGOs and GOs to discuss ICT strategies to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WITFOR 2016 will focus on solutions and strategies to help reduce poverty and hunger, improve access to quality education, promote gender equality, encourage environmental sustainability, improve healthcare in third world countries and reduce mortality rates

The program features keynote presentations by:

• Robert Atkinson, president of the US-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF);
• Chrisanthi Avgerou, Professor of Information Systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science;
• Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC);
• Dave Hoelscher, Marketing Director of IoT Solutions, with Huawei, based in Shenzhen, China;
• Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary-General of the ITU (International Telecommunications Union); and
• Erick Mata, Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR) and former head of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Local Organising Chair, Gabriela Marin, said WITFOR 2016 will be a unique opportunity for ICT professionals, researchers and their stakeholders to demonstrate their vision for using technology to improve lives in developing countries.

WITFOR has been organized by IFIP every few years since 2003 in cooperation with key stakeholders in the host country. To date, WITFOR has been held in Lithuania in 2003, in Botswana in 2005, in Ethiopia in 2007, in Vietnam in 2009 and in India in 2012.

For more information about WITFOR 2016, visit http://www.witfor2016.org

Robots and sexuality will come under the microscope this week at the 12th IFIP TC9 Human Choice and Computers (HCC12) Conference at MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester from 7-9 September 2016.

With the theme, “Technology and Intimacy: Choice or Coercion?”, the conference is the first to explore how technology is influencing the ways in which humans create and express intimacy. It will feature a keynote by Professor Charles Ess from the University of Oslo on: “What’s love got to do with it?  Robots, sexuality, and the art of being human”.

IFIP TC9 is the group focused on ICT and Society within IFIP, the global professional association for the ICT sector. HCC12 Program Committee Chair, Dr David Kreps of Salford University, said the event will consider the latest research and theories about how humans engage with robots, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other forms of technology to explore issues of intimacy and sexuality.

There are strong arguments on both sides. David Levy’s 2008 book, “Love and Sex with Robots” suggests that humans will fall in love with and even marry social robots in the not too distant future.  Robotics ethicist, Kathleen Richardson, is campaigning to ban sex robots because she believes these kinds of robots are potentially harmful and will contribute to inequalities in society.

For more information about HCC12 or to register to attend, visit http://hcc12.net/

The global ICT professional association, International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), has signed a formal Advocate Partnership Agreement with XPRIZE to leverage its extensive membership and relationship base in support of the new $5M IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence (AI) XPRIZE competition.

XPRIZE, the global leader in incentivized prize competitions, announced the new AI XPRIZE in February this year, to promote collaboration and exploration into ways that AI and human-machine interaction can help to solve the world’s greatest challenges.

As an Advocate Partner, IFIP will promote the AI competition to its 500,000+ membership base, encouraging those with an interest in AI to participate in the four-year competition. IFIP will identify and propose judges and scientific advisory board members, including its own IFIP experts, and has agreed to engage its member community to find mentors and technical experts to assist the teams in refining and enhancing their submissions.

Registration for the competition opened in June with teams invited to declare their own goal and solution to the challenge. The competition will be held over four years, with annual milestone competitions in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and the top three finalists competing for the Grand Prize at TED 2020.

Registration for the AI XPRIZE must be submitted by the end of December 2016, with the first project milestones due for delivery in October 2017.

For more information, and to register to compete, visit ai.xprize.org.