A numbers person who models behaviour

Stephan Leitner | Foto: aau/Müller

Stephan Leitner realized at an early stage that he is a numbers person among the business and economics specialists, someone who feels more comfortable with the quantitative subjects than with the “softer” subjects. Today, following his recent habilitation, the newly minted associate professor pursues his research at the Department of Management Control and Strategic Management, where he is working on models that calculate the decision-making behaviour in companies as well as the effects of decisions, taking into account the behavioural sciences.

Joining us for the interview, Stephan Leitner, who offers his explanations calmly, modestly and after careful consideration, tells us that conventional research in the sphere of business sciences is characterised by a crucial gap: “Much of it is focused purely on the micro-level, by which I mean the individual behaviour of a manager or a purchaser, or it merely considers the macro-level, i.e. the overall or corporate result.” It is Leitner’s hope that his research will contribute to throwing a more powerful light on the link between the micro level and the macro level. This, he goes on to say, requires a stronger connection between differing scientific disciplines, which have an eye on both the micro and the macro level.

Providing an example, he refers to so-called investment decisions. “The classic approach would assume that all the actors involved in a company act rationally, that each individual has all the necessary information, and that everyone knows what the future holds.” This “ideal” case is clearly pure fiction. Any scientific undertaking that produces these kinds of calculations must – quite rightly, as Leitner believes – accept criticism about being very far removed from the real practical setting. Personal vanity, decisions reached in the past with their respective associated experiences, exaggerated optimism etc. must also be incorporated into the models, in order to be able to generate scenario simulations that are closer to reality. Consequently, Leitner and his colleagues are working to strengthen the psychological perspective by combining it with classic research methods: “One of the approaches we took was to relax certain restrictive assumptions in the models, such as rationality, and then we examined the results using simulations. For some of the mechanisms in the realm of classic business studies we already know which framework conditions produce good results, and which produce poor results. We can also define how framework conditions should be designed – for example in the context of investment activities – in order to ensure that the mechanisms work smoothly.” The aim of the ongoing research is to define processes that take into account the “human aspect” in the business sphere, while still leading to a sound decision. “This could be promising for the micro as well as the macro level: A good decision taken by the individual could result in an optimised result at the company level.”

Somewhat doubtful whether it is possible to model and simulate something as complicated as a human being and human behaviour, we ask how close to reality we can get with this method. Stephan Leitner explains: “A model is always an abstraction of an actual fact. It is impossible to model every single aspect, but we are attempting to approximate reality by designing restrictive assumptions more realistically.  The individuals we use in our models are modelled so that they learn over the course of time. As a rule, we learn from experience, yet nonetheless, in a real-life setting, it is exceedingly rare that anyone reaches an ideal decision in the mathematical sense.”

Stephan Leitner completed his cumulative habilitation earlier this year, and has been associate professor at the Department of Management Control and Strategic Management since the beginning of March. His current research interests lie in general aspects of relationships involving delegation: “My aim is to model at the meta-level, ultimately making it possible to closely examine the relationship between doctor and patient, or between owner and manager.” By completing his habilitation, Leitner has fulfilled the qualification agreement and, should he wish to, he can remain in the scientific sphere at the AAU. “I feel no pressure at the moment, but on a fundamental level I would like to continue my development, and I am prepared to go elsewhere in order to do that.” We delve deeper: “So you would continue as a scientist, even though you could earn a higher salary in a practical setting? Isn’t that an ‘irrational’ decision?”, only to be told: “The question of what is irrational is always a question of how the target is defined. In my case, it would appear that income is not a dominant factor.” Science permits the necessary freedom to work on whatever currently fascinates him most. That is also how he entered the career path he is following today: After completing his school leaving examination at a higher vocational college and a brief period in the corporate world, Stephan Leitner studied Applied Business Administration in Klagenfurt, and felt drawn to Management Accounting from the start: “Most of us can be divided into those who prefer the “softer” subjects, and those of us who are numbers people. I seem to belong to the second group.” Stephan Leitner has always endeavoured to understand what is behind the numbers in real life, and he has discovered that Management Accounting research serves very well as a place both to pose these questions and to find the answers.

A few words with … Stephan Leitner

What would you be doing now, if you had not become a scientist?

Once I was sure that I wanted to study, I made a choice between Applied Business Administration and Medicine. Had my choice been different, I would probably have become a doctor.

Do your parents understand what it is you are working on?

They understand the basics. Some of the models we study are very specific, but they can be transferred reasonably well to general situations.

What is the first thing you do when you arrive at the office in the morning?

I check the results of the simulation experiments that usually run during the night-time hours.

Do you have proper holidays? Without thinking about your work?

Yes and no. Having a “clear” head during my vacation means that I sometimes come up with new ideas for my research.

What makes you furious?

Discourtesy and injustice.

What calms you down?

Spending time in nature.

Who do you regard as the greatest scientist in history, and why?

That is tricky to answer. In the realm of business studies and economics I greatly admire scholars who have contributed to the ongoing development of contract theory, such as Bengt Holmström or Oliver Hart. But at the same time, I also appreciate the remarkable contributions by scientists who have integrated psychological aspects into their research in the business sciences. These include contributions by Daniel Kahneman or Amos Tversky. Moving beyond the scope of business studies, names such as Robert Koch or Wilhelm Röntgen also come to mind.

What are you looking forward to?

New challenges, both in the private and in the professional sphere. And right now, I’m also looking forward to the summer.

Der Beitrag A numbers person who models behaviour erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Postdoc-Assistentin / Postdoc-Assistent (tenure track) am Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie, Psychotherapie und Psychoanalyse – Kennung 289H/18

Stellenausschreibung Universitätsprofessur | Foto: kichigin19/Fotolia.com

Die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt schreibt gem. § 107 Abs. 1 Universitätsgesetz 2002 folgende Stelle zur Besetzung aus:

Postdoc-Assistentin / Postdoc-Assistent (tenure track)

an der Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften, Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie, Psychotherapie und Psychoanalyse, im Beschäftigungsausmaß von 100 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} (bis zum Abschluss einer etwaigen Qualifizierungsvereinbarung gem. § 27 Uni-KV B1 lit b. dann A2). Die Stelle bietet die Option des Abschlusses einer Qualifizierungsvereinbarung und ist auf 6 Jahre befristet (jedoch wird diese Stelle bei Abschluss der Qualifizierungsvereinbarung gem. § 27 Uni-KV als Laufbahnstelle definiert). Das jährliche Mindestentgelt für diese Verwendung beträgt € 51.955,– brutto. Eine Anrechnung tätigkeitsspezifischer Vorerfahrung ist möglich. Geplanter Anstellungszeitpunkt ist ehestmöglich.

Der Aufgabenbereich umfasst:

Mitwirkung nach Maßgabe der Organisations- und Studienvorschriften an der Erfüllung der Aufgaben der Organisationseinheit in Forschung, Lehre und Versorgung. Dazu zählen

  • die selbstständige Forschung in ausgewählten Bereichen der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie mit einem Schwerpunkt im Bereich der psychodynamischen Psychotherapie mit Perspektive zur Habilitation
  • Einwerbung, Durchführung und Koordination von Forschungsprojekten (national und international)
  • Publikations- und Vortragstätigkeit (national und international)
  • Selbstständige Durchführung von Lehrveranstaltungen, Prüfungstätigkeit (Mitwirkung und Abhaltung) sowie Betreuung von Studierenden
  • Mitwirkung an Organisations- und Verwaltungsaufgaben und an Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen
  • Mitwirkung am Ausbau der internationalen wissenschaftlichen Kontakte des Institutes für Psychologie
  • Habilitation innerhalb von sechs Jahren

Voraussetzungen für die Einstellung:

  • Studium und Promotion im Fach Psychologie mit Schwerpunkt in Klinischer Psychologie mit sehr gutem Erfolg an einer in- oder ausländischen Hochschule
  • Ausgewiesene Fachkenntnisse in Klinischer Psychologie und Psychotherapie, dazu zählen sowohl Kenntnisse in der psychologischen Störungslehre als auch über die Anwendung von verschiedenen Psychotherapieverfahren mit einem Schwerpunkt im Bereich der psychodynamischen Verfahren
  • Forschungstätigkeit im Bereich der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie mit Schwerpunkt in psychodynamischer Psychotherapieforschung, nachgewiesen durch Publikationen in international sichtbaren Zeitschriften bzw. Präsentationen auf facheinschlägigen Kongressen, vorzugsweise in englischer Sprache
  • Erfahrungen in der selbstständigen Lehre an einer Universität/Hochschule
  • Fließende Deutschkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift

Der Nachweis für die Erfüllung aller Voraussetzungen für die Einstellung muss bis spätestens 18. Juli 2018 vorliegen.

 

Erwünscht sind:

  • Forschungs-, Publikations- und Vortragstätigkeiten im Bereich psychodynamischer Psychotherapieforschung wie z.B. Forschung zu Mentalisierungsbasierter Psychotherapie, der Bindungsforschung, der Erforschung von Prozessen zwischen Psychotherapiesitzungen, der therapeutischen Beziehungs- bzw. Outcomeforschung
  • Fundierte methodische Kenntnisse bzw. Interesse an der Einarbeitung in komplexere methodische Verfahren, die im Bereich der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie angewendet werden, wie z.B. HLM oder Zeitreihenanalysen
  • Erfahrungen in der selbständigen universitären Lehre im Bereich der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie oder angrenzender Fächer wie der Gesundheitspsychologie oder der Psychologischen Diagnostik
  • Fortgeschrittene postgraduale Weiterbildung zur PsychotherapeutIn bzw. Erfahrungen in der Behandlung von Patienten mit psychischen Erkrankungen in einem psychodynamisch-orientierten Verfahren
  • In den Forschungsthemen erkennbare Bezüge zu ausgewählten Arbeits- und Forschungsschwerpunkten des Institutes für Psychologie wie z.B. Public Health, Weisheitsforschung, soziale Exklusion, Gerontopsychologie
  • Nachweisliche Mitwirkung bei Akquise und/oder Durchführung von Drittmittelvorhaben (national und international), vorzugsweise auch eigenständige Aktivitäten zur Einwerbung von Forschungsgeldern
  • Erfahrung in der Mitwirkung im Rahmen der akademischen Selbstverwaltung in universitären Gremien und Forschungszusammenhängen
  • Internationale Erfahrungen (z.B. im Rahmen von Studium, Ausbildung, Berufstätigkeit oder Projektkooperationen)
  • Soziale und kommunikative Kompetenz, Teamfähigkeit

Der Aufgabenbereich der Stelle bedingt, dass die zukünftige Stelleninhaberin / der zukünftige Stelleninhaber den Arbeitsmittelpunkt nach Klagenfurt verlegt. Die Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie am Institut für Psychologie befindet sich aktuell im Neuaufbau. Unser junges, sich gerade konstituierendes Team bietet eine dynamische und freundliche Arbeitsatmosphäre.

Mit der Inhaberin/dem Inhaber einer Laufbahnstelle kann eine Qualifizierungsvereinbarung gem. § 27 Uni-KV für die Bereiche Forschung, selbstständige Lehre, Leitungs- und Verwaltungsaufgaben, externe Erfahrungen abgeschlossen werden. Bei Abschluss der genannten Qualifizierungsvereinbarung erfolgt eine Einstufung als Assistenzprofessorin/Assistenzprofessor (Uni-KV A2).

Die Universität strebt eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils beim wissenschaftlichen Personal insbesondere in Leitungsfunktionen an und fordert daher qualifizierte Frauen zur Bewerbung auf. Frauen werden bei gleicher Qualifikation vorrangig aufgenommen.

Menschen mit Behinderungen oder chronischen Erkrankungen, die die geforderten Qualifikationskriterien erfüllen, werden ausdrücklich zur Bewerbung aufgefordert.

Allgemeine Informationen finden BewerberInnen unter www.aau.at/jobs/information. Als Ansprechpartnerin für Fragen zur Stellenausschreibung steht Frau Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sylke Andreas (Sylke.Andreas [at] aau.at , bzw. telefonisch unter +43(0)463 2700 1625) gern zur Verfügung.

Bewerbungen in deutscher Sprache sind mit den üblichen Unterlagen (Bewerbungsschreiben, Lebenslauf inkl. Publikations- und Vortragslisten sowie Auflistung und Erläuterung von Forschungsaktivitäten; darüber hinaus: Nachweise über den sehr guten Abschluss eines Hochschulstudiums in Psychologie [Zeugnis, ggf. Supplement], die inhaltliche Ausrichtung der Dissertation [Zusammenfassung und/oder Gutachten], die universitäre Lehrtätigkeit sowie Nachweise über praktische Erfahrungen in der Behandlung von Patienten mit psychischen Erkrankungen unter Angabe dreier Personen, die bezüglich Referenzen kontaktiert werden können, bis 18. Juli 2018 unter der Kennung 289H/18 an die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Dekanatekanzlei/Recruiting, ausschließlich über das Online-Bewerbungsformular unter www.aau.at/obf zu richten.

Es besteht kein Anspruch auf Abgeltung von Reise- und Aufenthaltskosten, die aus Anlass des Aufnahmeverfahrens entstehen.

Der Beitrag Postdoc-Assistentin / Postdoc-Assistent (tenure track) am Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie, Psychotherapie und Psychoanalyse – Kennung 289H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Senior Scientist mit Doktorat (w/m) am Institut für Mathematik – Kennung 396H/18

Stellenausschreibung Universitätsprofessur | Foto: kichigin19/Fotolia.com

Die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt schreibt gem. § 107 Abs. 1 Universitätsgesetz 2002 folgende Stelle zur Besetzung aus:

Senior Scientist mit Doktorat (w/m)

an der Fakultät für Technische Wissenschaften, Institut für Mathematik, im Beschäftigungsausmaß von 100 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} (Uni-KV: B 1 lit. b). Das monatliche Mindestentgelt für diese Verwendung beträgt € 3.711,10 brutto (14 x jährlich) und kann sich durch die Anrechnung tätigkeitsspezifischer Vorerfahrung erhöhen. Voraussichtlicher Beginn des bis voraussichtlich 31. August 2019 befristeten Anstellungsverhältnisses ist der 1. September 2018.

Aufgabenbereich:

Mitwirkung nach Maßgabe der Organisations- und Studienvorschriften an der Erfüllung der Aufgaben des Instituts für Mathematik in Forschung und Lehre. Dazu zählen:

  • Selbständige Forschung und wissenschaftliche Weiterqualifizierung im Bereich der Mathematik (Arbeitsgruppe Diskrete Mathematik)
  • Selbständige Abhaltung von mathematischen Lehrveranstaltungen im Bereich der Mathematik sowie anderer Studienrichtungen
  • Betreuungs- und Prüfungstätigkeit im Bereich der Mathematik
  • Mitarbeit bei der Akquisition und Durchführung von Forschungsprojekten des Instituts
  • Teilnahme an nationalen und internationalen Tagungen, Publikations- und Vortragstätigkeit
  • Mitwirkung an administrativen Aufgaben des Instituts sowie in universitären Gremien
  • Mitwirkung am Ausbau der internationalen wissenschaftlichen Kontakte des Instituts für Mathematik
  • Mitwirkung an Aktivitäten der Öffentlichkeitsarbeit des Instituts bzw. der Fakultät

 Voraussetzung für die Einstellung:

  • Abgeschlossenes Doktoratsstudium im Bereich der (technischen) Mathematik
  • Gute Kenntnisse und wissenschaftliche Publikationen im Bereich Analytic Combinatorics
  • Vortragstätigkeit auf internationalen Konferenzen oder Workshops
  • Universitäre Lehrerfahrung im Bereich der Mathematik
  • Gute Kenntnisse der deutschen und englischen Sprache in Wort und Schrift

Der Nachweis für die Erfüllung aller Voraussetzungen für die Einstellung muss bis spätestens 11. Juli 2018 vorliegen.

Erwünscht sind:

  • Potenzial für zukünftige wissenschaftliche Tätigkeit
  • Erfahrung im Umgang mit dem mathematischen Softwaresystem SageMath
  • Erfahrung mit interdisziplinären Aufgabenstellungen
  • Fachspezifische Auslandserfahrung
  • Projekterfahrung
  • Didaktische Fähigkeiten
  • Kommunikations- und Präsentationsfähigkeiten
  • Erfahrung mit administrativen Aufgaben eines Universitätsinstituts sowie mit universitären Gremien

Die Universität strebt eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils beim wissenschaftlichen Personal an und fordert daher qualifizierte Frauen zur Bewerbung auf.

Menschen mit Behinderungen oder chronischen Erkrankungen, die die geforderten Qualifikationskriterien erfüllen, werden ausdrücklich zur Bewerbung aufgefordert.

Allgemeine Informationen finden BewerberInnen unter www.aau.at/jobs/information. Nähere Auskünfte erteilt Univ.-Prof. Dr. Clemens Heuberger, Tel. 0463/2700-3121, E-Mail: clemens.heuberger [at] aau.at.

Bewerbungen sind mit den üblichen Unterlagen bis spätestens 11. Juli 2018 unter der Kennung 396H/18 an die Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Dekanatekanzlei/Recruiting, ausschließlich über das Online-Bewerbungsformular unter www.aau.at/obf zu richten.

Es besteht kein Anspruch auf Abgeltung von Reise- und Aufenthaltskosten, die aus Anlass des Aufnahmeverfahrens entstehen.

Der Beitrag Senior Scientist mit Doktorat (w/m) am Institut für Mathematik – Kennung 396H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m) at the Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“- 416H/18

Stellenausschreibung Wissenschaftliches Personal| Foto: kasto/Fotolia.com

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt is establishing a Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“. Therefore, in compliance with § 107 para. 1 Universities Act 2002, the following open position is announced:

Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m)

This is a 75 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} employment position (30 hours per week; Uni-KV: B1 – cf. www.aau.at/uni-kv), limited to 36 months. The minimum gross monthly salary amounts to € 2.096,- (14 times per year) and can increase in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement in the case of consideration of previous occupational experience. Expected starting date is 1st November 2018.

Tasks and responsibilities:

  • research and scientific qualification within the above-mentioned Karl Popper Kolleg with the goal of a PhD thesis,
  • conceptual and administrative involvement in conferences and third-party funding proposals,
  • presentation of scientific results in publications and at conferences.

Required qualifications:

  • master or diploma degree in (technical) mathematics or an economic discipline with mathematical specialization or engineering or natural sciences with focus on mathematics and economics; completed by 31st October, 2018.

Desired qualifications:

  • good knowledge in:

˗   nonlinear and combinatorial optimization,

˗   optimization and analysis of discrete structures,

˗   combinatorics and graph theory;

  • communication and presentation skills,
  • dedication to interdisciplinary problems,
  • subject-specific international experience,
  • good written and spoken English skills.

The position is aimed at the scientific training of graduates of a diploma or master program with the goal of a PhD thesis in science and engineering or in social sciences and economics. Applications from persons already holding such a degree can therefore not be taken into account.

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt seeks to increase the ratio of women in scientific positions and therefore encourages qualified female candidates to apply. Among equally qualified applicants, women will receive preferential consideration.

People with disabilities or chronic diseases, who fulfil the requirements, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications should be submitted with the usual documents (application letter, CV, master/diploma thesis, certificates and supporting documents) no later than 11th July 2018 mentioning the code 416H/18 to Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, recruitment office. Applications can only be submitted online via www.aau.at/obf.

General information for applicants is available on www.aau.at/jobs/information.

More information on the Karl Popper Kolleg is provided by
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Neck, Tel. +43(0)463/2700-4121, Reinhard.Neck [at] aau.at or
Prof. Dr. Barbara Kaltenbacher, Tel. +43(0)463/2700-3120, Barbara.Kaltenbacher [at] aau.at.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to an interview. Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application procedure cannot be reimbursed.

Der Beitrag Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m) at the Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“- 416H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Postdoc-Assistant (m/f), tenure track at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Smart System-Technologies, Control of Networked Systems Group – reference code 292H/18

Stellenausschreibung Wissenschaftliches Personal| Foto: kasto/Fotolia.com

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt announces the following open position in compliance with §107 para. 1 Universities Act 2002:

Postdoc-Assistant (m/f) (tenure track)

at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Smart System-Technologies, Control of Networked Systems Group (Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stephan Weiss). This is a full-time position (initial employment limited to 6 years) with the option of negotiating a qualification agreement (promotion to Assistant Professor). Upon  fulfilling  the  qualification  agreement,  the  position  progresses  from  Assistant  to  tenured Associate Professor. Minimum gross salary for this position is €51,955.40 per annum (§27 Uni-KV B1 lit b), €61,441.80 after promotion to Assistant Professor (§27 Uni-KV A2) and €66,619.00 after promotion to Associate Professor. Preferred starting date is September 1st, 2018.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Independent research and further development of the candidate’s scientific qualification to the level required for Associate Professorship,
  • Publications and active participation in international conferences,
  • Preparation of grant applications and management of research projects,
  • Graduate and undergraduate teaching, examination activities, and supervision of students,
  • Active support in shaping our young research group
  • Participation in administration, in university committees, and in public relations activities

In the Control of Networked Systems Group, we seek to push the current limits in state estimation, cooperative visual perception, and multi-modal sensor fusion for autonomous and mobile networked systems. The group publishes in international top journals and conference proceedings. Successful applicants will be encouraged and supported to publish their work in such journals and proceedings and will have the opportunity to cooperate with our world-renowned international partners from science and industry. We currently cooperate with partners mainly in the USA, Australia, Asia, and in Europe. We specifically encourage and support close and open collaboration with our peers both internationally and at the university. Our teaching areas encompass Control, Systems Theory, Control of Autonomous Systems and Vision-Based State Estimation. At doctoral student level, our group leads a recently established doctoral school in Networked Autonomous Aerial Vehicles encompassing three other research groups and two other institutes at the university. The topic of the doctoral school is a main research area of the entire university (cf. www.aau.at/en/research/research-profile/main-research-areas).

Our young research group provides a highly dynamic, familiar, and friendly attitude and thus a collaborative and inspiring work environment with highly modern infrastructure, which is continuously updated and upgraded. Successful applicants will have the unique opportunity to actively be part of shaping this new research group while enjoying the benefit of a well-established and supportive institute and university around the group. For more information visit sst.aau.at/cns and uav.aau.at.

Required Qualifications:

  • PhD in the area of information and communications engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science, graded with excellent academic success at a domestic or foreign higher education institution.
  • Proven knowledge and extensive experience in at least one of the following areas: Probabilistic state estimation, vision-based navigation, multi-modal sensor fusion, autonomous (aerial) vehicle guidance and navigation.
  • Excellent track record in scientific publications in one or more of the above areas.
  • Proven programming skills in Matlab, C / C ++, or ROS.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English.

 Additional Qualifications:

  • Relevant international or practical experience.
  • Experience in teaching and student supervision.
  • Experience in research project acquisition and leadership.
  • Fluency in spoken and written German.
  • Social and communication skills, ability to work independently.

Candidates must meet the required qualifications by August 31st, 2018 at the latest.

German language skills are not a formal prerequisite, but acquirement is expected within two years. The nature of the position requires the candidate to relocate to Klagenfurt.

The university aims to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions, especially in leadership and therefore encourages qualified women to apply for the position. In case of equivalent qualification, women are accepted preferentially.

Persons with disabilities or chronic diseases who fulfill the requirements are particularly encouraged to apply.

The application must be submitted electronically in pdf format using the reference code 292H/18 via the link www.aau.at/obf. The application must be written in English, including a letter of motivation, the curriculum vitae (with information about the degrees including date/place/grade, the experience acquired, the thesis title, the list of publications if any and any other relevant information), copy of the degree certificates and transcripts of the courses and any certificate that can prove the fulfillment of the required qualifications (e.g. the submission of the final thesis/dissertation if required by the study program) and including details of three contact persons who can supply corresponding references. The deadline for the applications is July 18th, 2018.

General information for applicants is available on www.aau.at/jobs/information. Information about research on Networked Autonomous Aerial Systems at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt is available on uav.aau.at. Further information about the related doctoral school is provided on www.aau.at/en/research/research-profile/karl-popper-kolleg. Additional information on the Control of Networked Systems Group is available on sst.aau.at/cns or by contacting Prof. Dr. Stephan Weiss, +43 463 2700 3571, Stephan.Weiss [at] aau.at.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to an interview. Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application process will not be refunded.

Translations into other languages shall serve informational purposes only. The English version alone shall be legally binding.

 

 

 

Der Beitrag Postdoc-Assistant (m/f), tenure track at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Smart System-Technologies, Control of Networked Systems Group – reference code 292H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m) at the Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“ – code 416H/18

Vortrag an der Universität | Foto: kasto, fotolia.com

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt is establishing a Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“. Therefore, in compliance with § 107 para. 1 Universities Act 2002, the following open position is announced:

Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m)

This is a 75 {c8db3f4443fb2f1c80e20e2e8420a201d47393e6b007c83f4847286f4b955a35} employment position (30 hours per week; Uni-KV: B1 – cf. www.aau.at/uni-kv), limited to 36 months. The minimum gross monthly salary amounts to € 2.096,- (14 times per year) and can increase in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement in the case of consideration of previous occupational experience. Expected starting date is 1st November 2018.

Tasks and responsibilities:

  • research and scientific qualification within the above-mentioned Karl Popper Kolleg with the goal of a PhD thesis,
  • conceptual and administrative involvement in conferences and third-party funding proposals,
  • presentation of scientific results in publications and at conferences.

Required qualifications:

  • master or diploma degree in (technical) mathematics or an economic discipline with mathematical specialization or engineering or natural sciences with focus on mathematics and economics; completed by 31st October, 2018.

Desired qualifications:

  • good knowledge in:

˗   nonlinear and combinatorial optimization,

˗   optimization and analysis of discrete structures,

˗   combinatorics and graph theory;

  • communication and presentation skills,
  • dedication to interdisciplinary problems,
  • subject-specific international experience,
  • good written and spoken English skills.

The position is aimed at the scientific training of graduates of a diploma or master program with the goal of a PhD thesis in science and engineering or in social sciences and economics. Applications from persons already holding such a degree can therefore not be taken into account.

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt seeks to increase the ratio of women in scientific positions and therefore encourages qualified female candidates to apply. Among equally qualified applicants, women will receive preferential consideration.

People with disabilities or chronic diseases, who fulfil the requirements, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications should be submitted with the usual documents (application letter, CV, master/diploma thesis, certificates and supporting documents) no later than 11th July 2018 mentioning the code 416H/18 to Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, recruitment office. Applications can only be submitted online via www.aau.at/obf.

General information for applicants is available on www.aau.at/jobs/information.

More information on the Karl Popper Kolleg is provided by
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Neck, Tel. +43(0)463/2700-4121, Reinhard.Neck [at] aau.at or
Prof. Dr. Barbara Kaltenbacher, Tel. +43(0)463/2700-3120, Barbara.Kaltenbacher [at] aau.at.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to an interview. Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application procedure cannot be reimbursed.

Der Beitrag Senior Scientist without Doctoral Degree (f/m) at the Karl Popper Kolleg (graduate school) entitled ”Modelling – Analysis – Simulation – Optimization of Discrete, Continuous, and Stochastic Systems with Applications in Business and Economics“ – code 416H/18 erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

WiWi: 25 Jahre Fakultät

Die Verhandlungen waren zäh, aber es gelang: Vor 25 Jahren stimmte das Wissenschaftsministerium  dem von der Universität unter Rektor Albrecht Berger vorgelegten Plan zu, die damalige „Universität für Bildungswissenschaften“ in zwei Fakultäten zu gliedern. Wir, Informatiker und Wirtschaftswissenschaftler, hatten damit unser Ziel erreicht, eine moderne Fakultät aufbauen zu können und als Schwesterfakultät die Kulturwissenschaften zu erhalten, die man eigentlich zurückbauen wollte.

Arbeitsintensive Jahre folgten, geprägt durch den ständigen Kampf um Ressourcen, die Mitwirkung bei der Berufung vieler neuer Professuren, und die Schaffung der nötigen Infrastruktur, den Wechsel in das neue Organisationsgesetz zum 1.1.1996, die Errichtung des Südtrakts für die Fakultät usw.. Und gleichzeitig hatten wir, mit weitaus weniger Personal, kaum weniger Studierende zu betreuen als heute.

Zum 1.1.2004 kam mit dem UG 2002 der nächste große Änderungsschub: moderne Verwaltungsstrukturen, ein neues Berichtswesen und die Umstellung aller Studien auf das Bologna-System. Der gleichzeitige „technische Ausbau“ führte im Jahr 2007 zur Aufteilung in die heutigen zwei Fakultäten „Wirtschaftswissenschaften“ und Technische Wissenschaften“.

Seitdem haben sich beide Fakultäten erfreulich entwickelt. Schade nur, dass das ursprüngliche praxisorientierte Profil einer auf den Bedarf von Unternehmen zugeschnittenen betriebswirtschaftlichen Bildung etwas unschärfer geworden ist. Aber dafür gibt es ja heute entsprechende Studiengänge an der FH Kärnten. Und es gibt die M/O/T an der Universität mit ihrem ausgezeichneten wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Weiterbildungsprogramm.

Im Nachhinein hört sich das alles ganz locker an. Tatsächlich wurde allen Beteiligten sehr viel Herzblut, Nerven und vor allem Zeit abverlangt. Denn erst gibt es Bremser, und wenn sich der Erfolg einstellt, gibt es Neider, Besserwisser und Quertreiber. Nur der Lesbarkeit halber schreibe ich das nicht gleichbehandelnd, denn hier gibt es nach meiner Erfahrung keine Gender-Unterschiede.

Aber es hat sich gelohnt: die Klagenfurter WiWi-Fakultät hat einen fixen Platz auf der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Landkarte, neue Studien und Forschungsrichtungen stärken die Internationalität. Möge ihre Entwicklung gedeihlich fortschreiten – immer im Bewusstsein, dass wir an der Universität unseren Studierenden das bestmögliche Rüstzeug für ihre Zukunft mitzugeben haben, vor allem, wenn sie sich für einen Berufsweg in der Praxis entscheiden.

Ein Dokument aus der Festschrift 25 Jahre Universität Klagenfurt

Master Thesis scan.net – Interactive Learning Platform for IT Security

Student: Andreas Schorn

Betreuer: Peter Schartner

 

Cyber security training is about training IT security experts and end users in the field of information security. Traditional teaching and learning methods, such as lectures and literature research, however, have been proven inadequate in the field of cyber security. Implementing basic security concepts in real-world environments is difficult for many people as they usually lack knowledge about the specific procedures. With the help of interactive exercises, an attempt is made in a practical way to implement these basic concepts in a realistic environment, and therefore facilitate better understanding of information security.

In this thesis an overview of different variants of cyber security training and cyber security exercises is given. Structure as well as implementation of such exercises, consisting of a secure exercise environment and hacking instructions, is explained in detail. The thesis contains approaches on how cyber security trainings can be implemented in higher education organisations and describes the development and evaluation of a cyber security training platform (scan.net) for lectures at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Der Beitrag Master Thesis scan.net – Interactive Learning Platform for IT Security erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Guest lecture by Dr. Anouschka Foltz “Using prosody to predict upcoming referents: the role of recent exposure in the L1 and the L2”

Neuer Haupteingang der AAU | Foto: aau/Daniel Waschnig

Listeners make predictions about upcoming sentence material during language processing. Monolingual English and monolingual German listeners can use contrastive pitch accents to predict upcoming referents (e.g. Ito & Speer, 2008; Weber, Braun, & Crocker, 2006). For example, when hearing Click on the blue book. Click on the RED… (where CAPS indicate a contrastive pitch accent), adults predict that the noun book will be repeated. This leads to facilitative processing if book is actually repeated and to a prosodic garden-path effect if another noun follows red. In contrast, adults are reliably less likely to make the same prediction when hearing Click on the blue book. Click on the red… (without a L+H* accent), suggesting that the prediction is driven by the prosody.

In this talk, I will present results from an eyetracking study that extends these previous findings from monolinguals to German-English bilinguals and that explores the role of recent exposure for predictive processing. The results suggest that bilinguals use the same prosodic cue differently in their L1 and their L2. Specifically, the bilinguals in the study show the same patterns of results in their L1 than monolingual native speakers: they engage in predictive processing in their L1 and this predictive processing is modulated by whether or not the speaker has previously used the prosodic cues consistently. In contrast, bilinguals do not initially engage in predictive processing in the L2 and are less sensitive to whether or not the speaker uses the prosodic cues consistently. I argue that the results are most compatible with a resource-deficit account of second language processing.

 

Bio:

Dr. Anouschka Foltz received a Magister Degree from the University of Mannheim in 2003. Her Magister thesis, supervised by Prof. Rosemarie Tracy, was an empirical study comparing native (American) and non-native (German) speakers’ argumentative discourse in English. In 2000/2001, she had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and gain her first teaching experience at the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.

In 2010, Dr. Foltz received both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from The Ohio State University. Her Ph.D. dissertation, entitled “The Effect of Pitch Accents and Boundary Tones on the Interpretation of L+H* Accents”, was supervised by Prof. Shari Speer. During her time at The Ohio State University, she mostly worked on sentence processing and the production and comprehension of prosody in adults. She also taught numerous undergraduate classes. After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Foltz spent four years working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Collaborative Research Centre 673 “Alignment in Communication” at Bielefeld University. During this time, she worked with the principle investigators Prof. Prisca Stenneken, Prof. Philipp Cimiano, and PD Dr. Katharina Rohlfing. Most of this work focused on syntactic and lexical alignment phenomena in both children and adults. She has been the Lecturer in Psycholinguistics at Bangor University since 2014.

 

Date and place:

June 27, 2018

E.1.05, 14-15:30

 

Der Beitrag Guest lecture by Dr. Anouschka Foltz “Using prosody to predict upcoming referents: the role of recent exposure in the L1 and the L2” erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Andrea Tonelleo was honored with the Aerospace Best Paper Award

Andreas Tonello

Stochastic Trajectory Generation Using Particle Swarm Optimization for Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has been selected as the best research article published in 2017 in the MDPI Aerospace journal. The paper is co-authored by Babak Salamat and Andrea Tonello. It provides a realistic stochastic trajectory generation method for unmanned aerial vehicles. It offers a tool for the emulation of trajectories in typical flight scenarios, for instance, flight level, takeoff-mission-landing, and collision avoidance with complex maneuvering. The trajectories for these scenarios are implemented with quintic B-splines, which grants smoothness in the second-order derivatives of the Euler angles and accelerations. In order to tune the parameters of the quintic B-spline in the search space, a multi-objective optimization method called particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used. The proposed technique satisfies the constraints imposed by the configuration of the UAV. Further constraints can be introduced such as: obstacle avoidance, speed limitation, and actuator torque limitations due to the practical feasibility of the trajectories.

In the domain of aerial robotics, there is a large body of literature on path planning  and flight control. However, to assess performance, for instance of navigation algorithms, the trajectories followed by the moving aerial vehicle must be generated with a statistically representative emulator. In this paper, we have provided a new seminal idea on how to do so, and we believe that the results can open the door to a novel methodology to develop stochastic trajectory generator – prof. Tonello says.

Publications: Babak Salamat and Andrea M. Tonello. Stochastic trajectory generation using particle swarm optimization for quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  Aerospace 2017, 4(2), 27. Aerospace best paper awards 2017 – Editorial. Aerospace 2018, 5(2), 61.

Der Beitrag Andrea Tonelleo was honored with the Aerospace Best Paper Award erschien zuerst auf Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI