Paula Bialski is an Associate Professor of Sociology of Digitisation at the University of St. Gallen's School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology and society, particularly examining how digital tools mediate human interactions and organizational structures. She investigates themes including software workplace cultures, mobility technologies, and sharing economy platforms through ethnographic approaches. Her research explores Social dimensions of software development practices Technology-mediated mobility and urban experiences Sharing economy platforms and their impact on private/public boundaries Communication patterns in digital environments Ethical implications of anonymity technologies Recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on how mundane technologies (like coffee machines) and complex systems (like mobility platforms) reshape social interactions. Her work employs ethnographic methods to unpack the cultural and organizational dimensions of technological systems across diverse contexts.
Karsten Donnay is an Assistant Professor of Political Behavior and Digital Media at the University of Zurich's Department of Political Science, affiliated with the Digital Society Initiative. Previously, he held positions at the University of Konstanz and ETH Zurich. He earned his PhD in Computational Social Science from ETH Zurich and conducted postdoctoral research at the Graduate Institute Geneva and the University of Maryland. His research focuses on digital democracy, examining how digital technologies reshape political behavior, communication, and democratic processes. Key areas include media bias, hate speech mitigation, and the impact of digitalization on political participation. He leads projects like 'Improving Public Discourse' (funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation) and 'StopHateSpeech,' and co-developed software tools for data analysis and visualization. Teaching responsibilities include courses on digital democracy, conflict in the digital age, and digital transformation. He collaborates across disciplines, serving on the executive board of the University of Zurich's Population Research Center and contributing to initiatives like the DigiVox survey panel on digitalization's societal impacts.
Slobodan Lukovic is a Senior Researcher at the Faculty of Informatics of the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), affiliated with the ALaRI group and the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI). He holds a PhD in Computer Architectures from USI and a master’s in Embedded Systems Design, alongside a bachelor’s degree from the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering. His research focuses on applying advanced AI techniques to IoT challenges, particularly in sustainability and Smart Grids. Key areas include energy storage optimization, grid load forecasting using deep learning, and blockchain integration in smart city infrastructure. He leads projects such as SONDER, GraPV, and SWAIN, emphasizing proactive maintenance, grid resilience, and virtual power systems. Lukovic’s work spans cyber-physical systems, data-driven methods, and machine learning applications. Notable contributions include frameworks for smart grid disturbance analysis, fault injection testing, and multi-agent systems for prosumer integration. His expertise in NoC-based MPSoC security and model-driven design further underscores his interdisciplinary approach. He has advised multiple projects and contributes to labs/teams at USI, focusing on bridging ICT and energy systems for sustainable urban development.
Lorenzo Cantoni is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), where he also serves as Vice Dean and Director of the Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication (ITDxC). He holds the UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites and leads two international master’s programs: the Master in Digital Fashion Communication (with Sorbonne University) and the Master in International Tourism. His research lies at the intersection of communication, education, and digital media, with strong expertise in eTourism, digital fashion communication, eLearning, usability, ICT4D, and eGovernment . He has explored how digital technologies transform cultural heritage engagement, online education, and sustainable tourism practices. His recent publications (2021–2025) reflect a consistent focus on digital fashion, cultural sustainability, heritage communication, and online learning. These works appear in interdisciplinary journals and books, often analyzing digital strategies, user behaviors, and cross-cultural communication in tourism and fashion contexts. Selected scientific and leadership roles: Chairholder, UNESCO Chair in ICT for Sustainable Tourism in World Heritage Sites (since 2013) Board Member, WHES – World Heritage Experience Switzerland President, IFITT (2014–2018) Pro-Rector for Education and Students’ Experience, USI (2018–2023) Dean, Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society (2010–2014) He has secured significant research funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the European Commission , supporting projects on digital heritage, cultural sustainability, eLearning, and smart tourism. He has supervised multiple students and collaborated internationally, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Selected research projects: Sustainable, Engaging and CREative Tourism (EU, 2024–2027) Forgotten colors – Rediscovering early medieval wall paintings (SNSF, 2022–2026) AUDITORIUM – Cultural Sustainability Indicators (CAPES, 2019–present) CROSS-FIELD – Digital technologies in learning (SNSF, 2011–2015) He is actively involved in academic service, including peer review for journals such as Tourism Management , Information Technology & Tourism , and Sustainability Science , and has contributed to major publications including the Handbook on Heritage, Sustainable Tourism and Digital Media (2022). Laboratories and teams: He leads the Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication (ITDxC) at USI, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on digital media, communication, and cultural innovation. The institute fosters collaborations across Europe and beyond, particularly in digital heritage and sustainable tourism.
Naoaki Okazaki is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Tokyo Institute of Technology's Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, with joint research affiliations at AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology). He serves as a leading researcher in Natural Language Processing with particular expertise in grammatical error correction, bias evaluation in language models, and Asian language processing. His research interests span multiple critical areas of contemporary NLP including: Natural language processing for educational applications Bias evaluation and mitigation in pre-trained language models Machine translation, especially for Japanese and Korean Subword tokenization techniques and vocabulary optimization Multimodal learning and vision-language models Development of evaluation metrics for NLP tasks Professor Okazaki's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions to top NLP conferences (ACL, EMNLP, NAACL) from 2021-2025. His recent work shows increasing focus on the challenges posed by large language models, including membership inference attacks, prompt sensitivity in bias evaluation, and developing native Japanese resources rather than relying on translation approaches. His research group regularly achieves state-of-the-art or competitive results across multiple NLP tasks. As Program Chair for ACL 2023, Professor Okazaki contributed to improving conference peer review processes and increasing transparency in academic decision-making. His leadership extends to mentoring numerous graduate students who frequently appear as co-authors on his publications.
Charlotte Gisèle Weil is a Lecturer and Team Leader at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC). She leads the ENAC-IT4Research team, supporting researchers through open-source software and data tools in sustainability domains. She also teaches research skills in the Open Science era through the EDCE program. Her research interests span data science, open science, ecosystem services, natural capital, GIS, and decision-support tools. She is passionate about leveraging data visualization, machine learning, and spatial modeling to address environmental challenges and support sustainable development. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and open-source technologies. The recent publications highlight a strong focus on modeling nature’s contributions to people, climate resilience, food security, and sustainable infrastructure. Using advanced techniques like machine learning and satellite imagery, her work bridges environmental science and data engineering, with applications in global policy (e.g., IPBES), conservation, and climate adaptation. Global modeling of nature’s contributions to people (2019) Resilience of food sufficiency to climate change (2020) Trade and food system resilience (2020) Food system resilience at farm-scale (2021) Cost-Effectiveness of Restoration in Hawaii (2017) Charlotte has previously worked at Stanford University with the Natural Capital Project, contributing to widely used open-source tools. She is also a scientific advisor for the Institute Michel Serres at ENS Lyon. Her leadership in technical and educational roles underscores her commitment to open science and sustainability. She has advised and collaborated on numerous interdisciplinary projects across the US, China, Mongolia, Peru, and Switzerland. Her work includes developing a greenhouse gas calculator for refugee camps with UNHCR, a decentralized rainfall database, and flood risk webmaps for Malaysia. She actively promotes community-building and open knowledge sharing. Charlotte leads the ENAC-IT4Research team, which develops open-source tools and supports researchers in data management, software engineering, and visualization. The team fosters innovation in sustainability research through technical excellence and open collaboration.
Karl Aberer is a Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) , affiliated with the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) and leading the Distributed Information Systems Laboratory (LSIR) . He also serves as Director of the Swiss National Research Center for Mobile Information and Communication Systems (NCCR-MICS) since 2005. Education : PhD in Mathematics (1991, ETH Zurich); Postdoctoral Fellow at ICSI, UC Berkeley (1991-1992). Research Interests : Focus on distributed information management , decentralized architectures , trust management , and participatory sensing . Key themes include self-organization in peer-to-peer systems, semantic interoperability, and fairness in resource sharing. Publications : Recent works explore truthful data collection , privacy in participatory sensing , and trust-aware P2P systems , with applications to environmental monitoring and semantic web services. Leadership : Member of EPFL's School of Computer and Communication Sciences Direction, Director of the Swiss Science and Technology Council (2003-2011), and participant in PhD program committees. Labs & Collaborations : LSIR Laboratory (EPFL); NCCR-MICS (Swiss national center).
Adel Bibi is a prominent Research Fellow at the University of Oxford 's Department of Engineering Science, with concurrent roles at Kellogg College and the ELLIS Society . He serves as R&D Distinguished Advisor for Softserve , specializing in AI Safety through robustness certification and optimization. Academic Background: PhD in Electrical Engineering (4.0/4.0), KAUST (2020) MSc in Electrical Engineering (4.0/4.0), KAUST (2016) BSc in Electrical Engineering (3.99/4.0), Kuwait University (2014) His research focuses on Trustworthy AI through three main pillars: AI Safety : Specializing in robustness certification, alignment, and security of foundational models in vision/language Continual Learning : Developing efficient frameworks for model updates and domain adaptation Optimization : Creating novel approaches for training stability and resource allocation Recent publications demonstrate expertise in large language model security , interpretable architectures , and robust training , with a particular focus on mitigating risks in agentic systems. Scientific Recognition: Systemic AI Safety Grant (~$250,000) - UK AI Security Institute (2025) Google Gemma 2 Academic Program - $10,000 GCP Credit (2024) Amazon Research Award - Machine Learning Algorithms & Theory (2022) 4 Best Paper Awards (NeurIPS23, ICML23, CVPR22, 2018 Optimization & Big Data) Notable Area Chair Award - NeurIPS23 (top 8.1%) He actively mentors through: 13 PhD/MSc students at Oxford (including 4 graduated PhDs) 3 Unofficial PhD Mentees at KAUST/MIT Supervision of 6 Graduated MSc Students
Xucong Zhang is a tenured Assistant Professor at the Intelligent Systems Department , Faculty of EEMCS , Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) . He also serves as a Guest Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and is an EL LIS Scholar . He joined TU Delft in 2021 and was granted a permanent position in 2023. PhD from Max Planck Institute for Informatics (2013–2018) Postdoc at ETH Zurich (2018–2021) Research Interests : Xucong’s work centers on human-centered computing , combining gaze estimation and holistic human motion modeling (gaze, face, hand, full-body) to advance human-AI interaction , human-robot collaboration , and avatar generation . His healthcare research integrates computer vision with medical applications to support clinical practice. Publications Trends : Xucong’s recent work focuses on gaze estimation (e.g., UniGaze , PrivateGaze ), 3D kinematics (e.g., GazeNeRF ), and human-robot interaction (e.g., GazeHTA , SpeechCAT ). His research spans multi-camera systems , adversarial learning , and domain adaptation . Best Paper Honorable Mention, UIST 2017 Best Paper Honorable Mention, UIST 2016 EL LIS Scholar title (2023) Teaching & Funding : He leads the BSc Image Processing course and co-teaches MSc Computer Vision by Deep Learning . Xucong has secured 1.5M EUR in funding, including a DFG UGaze Programme grant (2026–2029) and sole PI for the Honda Research Institute + Netherlands TKI grant (2023–2028). Labs & Collaborations : Xucong coordinates the INSYGHT Lab at TU Delft and collaborates with institutions like Honda Research Institute Japan and ETH Zurich . His lab’s Cutting-Edge Multi-Camera System supports multi-modal data capture for social interaction analysis.
Peter Kiefer is a Lecturer at ETH Zurich's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, specifically within the Institute for Cartography and Geoinformation. He leads the geoGAZElab research group since 2011 and has established himself as a prominent researcher in eye tracking applications for spatial decision-making. His work bridges geography, computer science, and human factors with a focus on creating cognition-aware systems. Dr. Kiefer's research spans multiple domains with a consistent focus on how eye tracking technology can enhance spatial decision situations. His primary interests include gaze-based interaction with maps, location-based services, mobile interfaces, and aviation applications. He has pioneered work in intention recognition from gaze patterns, gaze-adaptive interfaces, and the application of eye tracking in outdoor environments. His research aims to make information systems cognition-aware by inferring users' cognitive states and adapting interfaces accordingly. Analyzing his recent publications reveals strong trends toward practical applications of eye tracking in real-world scenarios, particularly in aviation safety and spatial decision-making. His work increasingly integrates machine learning with gaze data to create intelligent systems that can predict user needs and adapt interfaces dynamically. The research shows a clear progression from theoretical foundations to applied solutions in domains like weather visualization for pilots, 3D sketch mapping, and unobtrusive interaction techniques. Dr. Kiefer has been actively involved in numerous research projects as Principal Investigator or key contributor, including IGAMaps (Swiss National Science Foundation), PEGGASUS (EU Horizon 2020), EFDISA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation), and FRS 2 (National Research Foundation Singapore). These projects demonstrate his ability to secure competitive funding and lead interdisciplinary research teams across international boundaries. As an educator, Dr. Kiefer teaches Mobile GIS and Location-Based Services for Geomatics Master students, GIS I for Environmental Engineers, and contributes to courses on Mobile GIS, Human-Computer Interaction in GIS, and GIS III. He also participates in continuing education programs including the Certificate of Advanced Studies on Spatial Information Systems and the Master of Advanced Studies on Mobility of the Future. His teaching is deeply integrated with his research, particularly through the geoGAZElab where students gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge eye tracking technologies. The geoGAZElab under Dr. Kiefer's leadership serves as a hub for innovative research at the intersection of geography, computer science, and cognitive science. The lab has developed specialized tools and methodologies for outdoor eye tracking, gaze-based map interaction, and aviation interface design. The lab's work has significant implications for improving spatial decision-making across multiple domains including transportation, urban planning, and emergency response.
Dr. Mykola Makhortykh is a Lecturer at the Institute of Communication and Media Studies (University of Bern), where he examines how algorithmic systems and AI shape Holocaust memory transmission. Previously, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam and University of Bern, focusing on algorithmic fairness in news personalization and political information behavior in high-choice environments. Education : BA in History (Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University), MA in Archaeology (Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University), Joint MA in Euroculture (University of Goettingen & Jagiellonian University), BA in Computer Science (University of the People), PhD in Communication Science (University of Amsterdam). Research Interests span algorithmic auditing, computational propaganda, trauma/memory studies, cybersecurity, and digital cultural heritage. He combines traditional social science methods with computational approaches like deep learning and agent-based testing to analyze how search engines and recommender systems influence historical memory and political discourse. Recent Work includes audits of search engine biases in representing mass atrocities, studies on political trolling, and analyses of hyperpartisan media. His scientific awards include the Alfred Landecker Lecturer position. As an editor , he contributes to the Studies in Russian, Eurasian and Central European New Media journal and the Transdisciplinary Trauma Studies book series. Teaching includes courses on algorithmic auditing, while his editorial work and conference presentations (over 50) highlight his interdisciplinary impact.
Dr. Christian Glahn is a Researcher at the Institute of Computational Life Sciences within the ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). His work focuses on educational technology, mobile learning, computational thinking, and STEM education. He leads projects like the Computational Thinking Education for Diversity and Inclusion (COTEDI) and co-leads initiatives on sustainable digitization in university teaching. Research Interests: Dr. Glahn explores context-aware learning, mobile blended learning, and the integration of open educational resources. His projects address challenges in educational technology adoption across diverse sectors, including healthcare facility management, defense organizations, and cultural heritage institutions. Recent work emphasizes computational thinking pedagogy and interdisciplinary doctoral training in technology-enhanced learning. Publications: His research spans over 50 publications, with recent contributions focusing on mobile learning innovation, adaptive learning environments, and the use of technology in informal and formal education settings. Key themes include learner mobility, digital transformation in education, and the design of interactive learning systems. Grants & Projects: As a project leader, he coordinates initiatives promoting inclusive computational education and sustainable digitization strategies. His work often involves international collaborations, such as the Doctoral Education for Technology-Enhanced Learning in Europe project.
Dr. Hy Dao is Full Professor and Vice-Director at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, where he leads the Department of Geography and Environment. He concurrently heads the Metadata & Socio-Economics Unit at GRID-Geneva (UN Environment Programme). His academic credentials include a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Geneva and postgraduate training at the International Institute for Aerospace Surveys and Earth Sciences (ITC, Netherlands). Professor Dao's research spans: Geospatial technologies (GIS, remote sensing, webmapping) Environmental risk assessment and planetary boundaries Sustainable territorial development and cohesion metrics Population mapping methodologies E-learning in geosciences His work emphasizes quantitative modeling of environmental risks, territorial downscaling of sustainability frameworks, and participatory spatial planning approaches. His publications (2001-2025) demonstrate strong thematic coherence, focusing on: Climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies Geospatial data semantics and infrastructure Disaster risk reduction frameworks Sustainable development indicators Participatory mapping methodologies Notably, 60% of recent publications address climate adaptation technologies and spatial governance. Professor Dao leads significant research initiatives including: TRACES (2021-2025): Developing semantic environmental trajectories using big data CATI-GE Geoportal: Territorial inequality analysis for Geneva Canton He currently supervises doctoral candidates working on geospatial applications in mining governance, ecosystem services policy, and smart city development. As Director of Geomatics programs and representative to the Geneva Land Information System, he bridges academic research and spatial data governance.
Eklavya Sarkar is a PhD candidate in Machine Learning at EPFL and Research Assistant at Idiap Research Institute, working in the Speech and Audio Processing group under Dr. Mathew Magimai Doss. His research focuses on speech and audio methods for analyzing human and non-human vocal communication, particularly in the context of the Swiss NCCR Evolving Languages project. He holds a MSc in Data Science from the University of Bath (First Class) and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Liverpool (First Class). Education: PhD in Machine Learning (EPFL, 2021–present), MSc Data Science (University of Bath, 2018–19), BSc Computer Science (University of Liverpool, 2015–18). Key research areas include self-supervised learning, bioacoustics, generative adversarial networks, and biometric security. Previously interned at Idiap (biometrics), CERN (CMS Experiment), and conducted exoplanet research with Nobel laureate Didier Queloz. Research interests span cross-domain transfer learning for bioacoustics, speaker identification in animal vocalizations, and vulnerability analysis of face recognition systems. His work bridges machine learning theory with applications in wildlife communication analysis and cybersecurity. Recent publications emphasize self-supervised learning models for marmoset vocalization analysis and face morphing attack detection using GANs. Awards include 3rd Prize in the International Create Challenge 2020 for adversarial attack detection. Organized the Perspectives on AI Symposium series and led student housing committees. Technical expertise spans Python (PyTorch, Hydr), signal processing, and multiple machine learning frameworks. Engaged in interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of physics, computer science, and linguistics.
Prof. Nastaran Fatemi is an Associate Professor at HEIG-VD (University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland) since 2003. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from EPFL (2003) and a Master's from Joseph Fourier University of Grenoble (France, 1998). Her work focuses on Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning, and Smart Grids. She leads the Intelligent Data Analysis (IDA) group at IICT, focusing on applied research in distributed computing and massive data analysis. Teaching: She instructs courses in Database Systems, Information Retrieval, Big Data Analytics, and Scala Programming across BSc and MSc programs. Recent projects include the TwinDiGrid digital twin platform for energy networks and the Grid Data Digger AI platform for grid optimization. Research Interests: Digital Twin Technology, Stream Processing, Energy Distribution Systems, AI in Cyber-Physical Systems. Collaborations: Industry contracts on smart grids and data-driven applications. Labs/Teams: IDA Group at IICT Institute.
