SPARQL Query Processing Professors and Supervisors

Hannah BastView profile

Professor

Albert Ludwig University of FreiburgGermany

Dr. Hannah Bast is a full professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, and heads the Chair of Algorithms and Data Structures. She has held this position since 2009 and since 2018 serves as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. Her research focuses on applied algorithmics, including route planning algorithms, information retrieval, and natural language processing. Bast has received numerous awards, including the Otto-Hahn Medal (1999), Heinz-Billing Award (2007), and Google Focused Research Award (2012-2015). She leads a research group and has contributed to major projects like the CompleteSearch system and QLever query engine. Education: She studied Computer Science and Mathematics at Saarland University (1988–1994), earning a Master’s degree. Her PhD (2000) focused on scheduling algorithms under Kurt Mehlhorn. She held positions at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and MMCI Cluster of Excellence before joining Freiburg. Research Interests: Applied algorithmics, with emphasis on route planning, information retrieval systems, and neuro-symbolic approaches. Her work bridges theoretical algorithms and practical applications, such as semantic search engines and public transit routing systems. Grants/Awards: Over 20 years, she has secured significant funding, including Google awards and led projects like multi-modal route planning. Her teaching excellence is recognized through awards like the University Teaching Award (2012–2013). Labs/Teams: Leads the Algorithms and Data Structures group, collaborating on tools like TRAVIC for transit visualization and ELEVANT for entity linking evaluation. She also participates in the German Bundestag’s Enquete Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

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Ruben TaelmanView profile

Research Fellow

Ghent UniversityBelgium

Dr. Ruben Taelman is a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at Ghent University's Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Electronics and Information Systems. His research focuses on decentralized web technologies, knowledge graphs, and query optimization in distributed environments. FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellow (2023–2026) Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) funding recipient Co-promotor for multiple PhD projects Key research areas include decentralized knowledge graph querying, adaptive query planning, and semantic web technologies. His work has produced groundbreaking publications on traversal-based query execution, link prioritization metrics, and personalized data vaults. Recent publications highlight: 2025: Incremental view maintenance in decentralized environments 2025: Restart-based query planning for link traversal 2024: Shape-driven optimization and Bloom filter applications 2023–2024: Reinforcement learning for SPARQL optimization and decentralized healthcare applications

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João LeiteView profile

Professor

NOVA University LisbonPortugal

João Leite is a Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Computer Science, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon. His career spans roles as Head of Department, Vice President of APPIA, Principal Investigator of the Intelligent Systems Group at NOVA LINCS, and Senior Visiting Fellow at CSE, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. He is an International Partner of Potassco Solutions and a member of IFIP TC-12 Artificial Intelligence. João's research focuses on Artificial Intelligence , Knowledge Representation and Reasoning , Neuro-symbolic AI , Answer-Set Programming , Argumentation Theory , and Multi-Agent Systems . 2002 : PhD in Computer Science, NOVA University Lisbon 1997 : MSc in Computer Science, NOVA University Lisbon 1994 : BSc in Electronic Engineering, University of Coimbra João's articles demonstrate a consistent focus on Answer-Set Programming (ASP), with applications in Knowledge Forgetting , Modular Reasoning , and Hybrid Knowledge Bases . His work bridges ASP with Ontologies , Multi-Context Systems , and Neural Networks , emphasizing Explainable AI and Dynamic Knowledge Evolution . Recent papers explore Provenance in Heterogeneous Systems , Efficient Reasoning with Intensional Concepts , and Stream Reasoning using neural architectures. Scientific Awards : Senior Visiting Fellow at CSE, UNSW, Sydney Award-winning collaborative project: The Politics of constraints: Discursive strategies in a three-level game João has led significant research projects such as FORGET (2018-2022) on information forgetting and RIVER (2018-2022) on knowledge-stream integration. He contributed to NEURASPACE (2022-2025) and Knowledge-Aware Cyber-Physical Systems (2015-2019). His software developments include NoHR (Hybrid Reasoning), EVOLP (Evolving Logic Programs), and SWARG (Social Abstract Argumentation Tool).

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Artur CaetanoView profile

Professor

University of LisbonPortugal

Artur Caetano is a tenured Professor of Information Systems at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Portugal. His research focuses on semantic data processing for enterprise modeling, digital preservation, and service-oriented systems. He works as a senior researcher at INESC-ID's Information and Decision Support Systems group and serves as a consultant at INOV's Centre for Organizational Design & Engineering. Affiliations: University of Lisbon, INESC-ID, INOV Research Areas: Enterprise Engineering, Business Process Management, Semantic Techniques, Digital Preservation His work spans European R&D projects like TIMBUS, E-ARK, and 4C, addressing challenges in business process continuity, digital curation cost modeling, and preservation of execution contexts. He contributes to international conferences (ACM SAC, ECIS, IEEE CBI) and journals (IEEE Transactions on SMC, Enterprise Information Systems), focusing on ontology-based enterprise architecture, model consistency, and legal constraints in digital preservation. He actively participates in academic service through editorial boards and conference track chairing, including ACM SAC Enterprise Engineering tracks and IEEE EDOC workshops. His academic affiliations are supported by memberships in ACM, IEEE, INCOSE, and CIAO Enterprise Engineering Network.

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Andreas BothView profile

Professor

Leipzig University of Applied SciencesGermany

Andreas Both is a Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Media at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig), where he leads the Web & Software Engineering (WSE) research group. His work spans multiple domains of computer science with a strong focus on bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications in software engineering, web technologies, and artificial intelligence. His research interests primarily revolve around Software Engineering (particularly test automation with AI and source code analysis), Web Engineering , Applied Artificial Intelligence (including Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Large Language Models), Question Answering & Chatbots , and Data-driven Applications . He has developed innovative approaches in knowledge graph question answering systems, multilingual NLP applications, and privacy-preserving data sharing technologies using the Solid protocol framework. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward leveraging Large Language Models for knowledge graph applications, with particular emphasis on multilingual capabilities, explainability, and quality improvement in question answering systems. His work increasingly integrates privacy considerations with advanced AI techniques, particularly through Solid protocol implementations for data sovereignty. Best Paper Award at ICWE 2024 for AuthApp - a GDPR-compliant access granting system Outstanding Paper Award at ICWI 2024 for LLM-generated explanations in question answering systems Multiple first-place awards at the TEXT2SPARQL Challenge 2025 Best Paper Awards at ICWE 2025 and IEEE ISI 2025 CHI 2015 Honorable Mentions for search interface research Professor Both actively mentors students through the Google Summer of Code program and serves on the leadership board of the Architecture (ARC) working group of the German Computer Science Society (Gesellschaft für Informatik). His teaching portfolio includes Software Engineering, Question Answering & Chatbots, Software Projects, Project Management Practicum, Web Engineering, and Software Engineering & AI courses. His office hours are Thursdays from 11:15-12:15, requiring advance email appointment with topic specification.

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Debayan BanerjeeView profile

Researcher

Leuphana University of LüneburgGermany

Dr. Debayan Banerjee is a Researcher at the Institute for Business Information Systems (IIS) and part of the Professorship for Business Informatics, especially Artificial Intelligence and Explainability at Leuphana University Lüneburg. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in knowledge management, network science, and AI systems. Institute: Institute for Business Information Systems (IIS) Professorship: Business Informatics, Artificial Intelligence and Explainability Location: Universitätsallee 1, C4.308b, Lüneburg (21335) Email: debayan.banerjee@leuphana.de Research interests focus on knowledge graph integration, hybrid intelligence systems, and explainable AI. His projects include USIN5G, ARDIAS, and INSTANT, emphasizing human-AI collaboration and scholarly data accessibility. Recent publications highlight SPARQL translation automation, hybrid question answering frameworks, and environmental impact analysis of language models. Collaborative work spans DBpedia-Wikidata interoperability, DBLP knowledge graph applications, and graph embeddings for QA systems. Education and advising : Mentored students include Mathias Gross, Fatemeh Ghoochani, and Soham Majumder, focusing on final theses related to AI-driven data extraction and knowledge graph development.

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Kurt StockingerView profile

Professor

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)Switzerland

Prof. Dr. Kurt Stockinger is a Professor of Computer Science at ZHAW School of Engineering and holds a doctorate at the University of Zurich . He serves as Head of the MAS Data Science program and co-leads the ZHAW Datalab . His research focuses on Intelligent Information Systems , bridging information systems, natural language processing, and machine learning. Affiliated with the University of Zurich, he contributes to Quantum Machine Learning and Open Data Exploration initiatives. Stockinger's educational background includes a PhD in Computer Science (University of Vienna & CERN), a Master in Business Informatics (University of Vienna), and a CAS in Didactics & Methodology (ZHAW). He has taught courses in Quantum Computing , Big Data for Natural Sciences , and Data Science programs at ZHAW and University of Zurich. His research spans Data Science , Big Data , Natural Language Query Processing , Knowledge Graphs , and Quantum Machine Learning . Recent publications focus on quantum autoencoders , hybrid quantum neural networks , and prompt engineering for knowledge graph question answering. He has developed frameworks like ScienceBenchmark for real-world NL-to-SQL evaluation and NQuest for natural language query exploration. Scientific awards include the Best Paper Award at 7th Swiss Conference on Data Science (2020) He leads major projects such as DataGEMS (Data Discovery Platform, Horizon Europe) Digital Health Zurich (Clinical Innovation Lab) INODE4StatBot.swiss (NL-to-SQL Translation) GraphQueryML (Graph Database Optimization) ScienceBenchmark (NL-to-SQL Evaluation) Stockinger's work intersects with computer vision , biomedical data , and industrial applications , demonstrated through collaborations with institutions like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CERN, and University of Washington. He has contributed to establishing QuantumBasel and ZHAW Datalab as research hubs.

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Marie-Christine ROUSSETView profile

Professor

ENSAE ParisFrance

Marie-Christine ROUSSET is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) in France, where she is a member of the LIG (Laboratoire d'Informatique de Grenoble) in the SLIDE group. Previously affiliated with Paris-Saclay (LRI), she has established herself as a leading researcher in Knowledge Representation and Information Integration. She holds the distinguished position of Senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) (2011-2016, renewed for 2016-2021) and serves as co-responsible for the chair Explainable and Responsible AI within MIAI Grenoble Alpes. Her research focuses on ontology-based data access, logic-based mediation between distributed data sources, query rewriting using views, data linkage, and distributed reasoning for the Semantic Web. She skillfully combines artificial intelligence and database techniques to address complex information integration challenges, with applications spanning biomedical informatics, educational technology, and trustworthy AI. Her work demonstrates consistent innovation from foundational research to practical implementations, as evidenced by her co-authorship of the book 'Web Data Management' published by Cambridge University Press. Professor ROUSSET's recent publications (2019-2022) reveal a growing emphasis on data privacy, RDF graph anonymization, and interactive ontology engineering, while maintaining her strong contributions to semantic web technologies and knowledge representation. Her research shows increasing attention to trustworthy AI concerns, aligning with her leadership roles in relevant projects. Scientific Recognition Senior member of Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) (2011-2016, renewed for 2016-2021) Junior member of Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) from 1997 to 2002 Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite (July 11, 2011) EurAI Fellow (nominated ECCAI Fellow in 2005) Best Paper Award at AAAI'96 for 'Verification of Knowledge Bases based on Containment Checking' Professor ROUSSET maintains an active role in the scientific community through editorial work and organizational leadership. She serves on the Editorial Board of Communications of the ACM (CACM) and has held significant roles including PC chair of EGC 2019, Workshops co-Chair of WWW 2018, and Area Chair of IJCAI 2017. Her consistent service on program committees of major international conferences demonstrates her standing in the field. Her laboratory, the SLIDE group within LIG, focuses on semantic web technologies, knowledge representation, and data integration. The group maintains strong connections with the international research community and participates in collaborative projects addressing cutting-edge challenges in artificial intelligence and data management, with particular emphasis on trustworthy and explainable AI systems.

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Oscar CorchoView profile

Professor

FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz Institute for Information InfrastructureGermany

Oscar Corcho is a Full Professor at the Department of Artificial Intelligence within the School of Computer Science at the Technical University of Madrid. He is a prominent member of the Ontology Engineering Group and has been serving as a Professor since May 2007, with his current position as Full Professor reflecting his significant contributions to the field. Professor Corcho's research primarily focuses on Ontology-based Data Integration and the application of Semantics in Open Science. His expertise extends across the broader domains of Semantic Web, Linked Data, Knowledge Graphs, and Ontological Engineering. His work bridges theoretical research with practical applications, particularly in data integration systems and knowledge representation frameworks. With over 460 publications and more than 12,000 citations, he has established himself as a leading researcher in semantic technologies. His recent publications show a strong emphasis on virtual knowledge graph architectures, RDF-star generation, semantic labeling techniques for tabular data, and applications of semantic technologies in scientific literature analysis. His research demonstrates a clear trajectory toward solving real-world data integration challenges across heterogeneous sources while advancing the theoretical foundations of knowledge representation. Third Spanish Award on Computer Science (2001) Beyond his academic role, Professor Corcho is a co-founder of LocaliData Spain, demonstrating his commitment to translating research into practical applications. He has supervised numerous research projects and has been instrumental in developing tools like Morph-KGC for knowledge graph construction. His work has significant implications for public procurement systems, transportation data integration, citizen science initiatives, and scientific research infrastructure. As leader of the Ontology Engineering Group, he oversees a research program that develops innovative methodologies for ontology engineering and semantic data integration across diverse domains. His group's work has influenced both academic research and industry practices in knowledge representation and semantic technologies.

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Michael BeckView profile

Professor

Hochschule Weihenstephan-TriesdorfGermany

Professor Michael Beck holds a HTA Professorship in Sustainable Horticultural Management at the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), where he also serves as Director of the Institute of Horticulture. He is affiliated with the Department of Horticulture and Food Technology, contributing to HSWT's research focus on sustainable land use and horticultural production. His research interests span Sustainable Horticultural Management , Water Resource Management in Agriculture , Digital Knowledge Bases for Agricultural Decision Support , and LED Lighting Control in Horticulture . Professor Beck has pioneered work in developing decision support systems for nutrient management using semantic web technologies and fuzzy logic, as well as exploring energy-saving strategies through dynamic LED lighting in plant production. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward digital transformation in agriculture, focusing on data integration, knowledge management, and precision farming techniques. These works consistently address practical challenges faced by farmers while incorporating cutting-edge technologies to improve sustainability and efficiency. Lead researcher on water-saving potential assessment in horticultural irrigation systems Principal investigator for projects bundling research capacities in sustainable horticulture Key contributor to Bavaria's agricultural data space initiatives Professor Beck's advisory approach centers on practical, field-tested solutions that bridge the gap between academic research and real-world agricultural challenges. His projects typically involve close collaboration with industry partners, ensuring research outcomes directly benefit farming practices. As Director of the Institute of Horticulture, he oversees research activities focused on optimizing horticultural production while maintaining environmental sustainability.

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Brice ChardinView profile

Associate Professor

National Graduate School of Mechanics and AerotechnicsFrance

Brice Chardin is an Associate Professor in Data Engineering at ISAE-ENSMA since 2013, affiliated with the LIAS (Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Applications de la Connaissance et des Systèmes) Data and Model Engineering team. His work bridges academic research and industrial applications, focusing on data management solutions for critical systems. His research spans clustering algorithms under dissimilarity constraints , RDF query relaxation for explaining empty/overabundant results, pattern mining through the RQL language, and energy data management . Key projects include Chronos (a NoSQL system for industrial sensor data) and collaborations with energy companies SRD and Nexeya for predictive consumption analysis. Recent publications (2021-2024) emphasize constrained clustering techniques and cooperative query processing for RDF knowledge bases, revealing a strong trend toward practical solutions for industrial data challenges. His work integrates machine learning with database theory to address real-world data imperfections. PhD in Computer Science from INSA Lyon (2011) Postdoctoral position at LIRIS (2012-2013) on ANR DAG project Specialized in industrial data management since 2011 EDF collaboration Chardin actively supervises academic projects including drone simulation with Ardupilot and Smart Data mining initiatives. His industrial partnerships focus on energy sector applications, particularly predictive analysis for electricity distribution and storage systems. Current work involves developing clustering algorithms with error bounds and query relaxation frameworks for semantic web technologies.

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