Oct 10, 2019 (state holiday of Carinthia)

Öffnungszeiten Bibliothek | Foto: Andrea Bem

Thu, Oct 10, 2019 (state holiday of Carinthia) – The library will be open from:

08:30 to 16:00

 

University members have unrestricted access to the library‘s reading rooms.

Registration for the 24-hour library is possible via the campus system under “My settings” >> 24-hour library.
Please register at least one day before you plan to use this service for the first time. Accounts are activated every day at midnight.

Der Beitrag Oct 10, 2019 (state holiday of Carinthia) erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Österreichische Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik Symposium 2019

On Monday 23rd September, Senior Lecturers Gregor Chudoba and Natilly Macartney presented a current research project of the English Department at the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik Symposium (ÖGFD) in Klagenfurt. The presentation of the project titled “How Austrian Students Learn the Pronunciation of English (HALPE)” took place during a poster session in the afternoon.

HALPE Project

In a mixed methods approach, Dr Chudoba, along with colleagues from the Department of English, conducted semi-structured interviews and used questionnaires to discover what distinguishes successful learners of English pronunciation from less successful learners. Factors that were investigated included, amongst others, musicality, language awareness, motivation, sojourns abroad and learning strategies.

What factors were significant?

The findings were surprising and revealed that musicality and sojourns abroad did not feature as a distinguishing factor in the successful learners who participated in this study. However, the values of factors such as determination and ambition as well as adopting a well-structured approach to learning were all shown to be significantly higher in the successful learners.

The ÖGFD symposium, founded in 2012, brings together researchers and practitioners from a vast array of subjects, ranging from mathematics to sport. Commenting on the day, Gregor Chudoba said, “I found the exchange with fellow researchers, mainly from other universities in Austria, most stimulating. Two or three also expressed a concrete interest in co-operating on an extended HALPE project, the one we presented at the conference. Generally, critical thinking appears to be a hot topic in secondary school didactics, which is bound to find its way into university teaching, too.”

The HALPE poster is available in the gallery images below. If you are interested in the study and would like to know more, or if you would like to get involved with the HALPE project, then please contact Gregor Chudoba at gregor.chudoba(at)aau.at.

 

Der Beitrag Österreichische Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik Symposium 2019 erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

The University of Klagenfurt makes the first professorial appointment to the Digital Age Research Center (D!ARC): Elisabeth Oswald, who specializes in researching cybersecurity, arrives in Klagenfurt

Elisabeth Oswald | Foto: aau/Müller

Step by step, the University of Klagenfurt is steadily expanding its activities in the new research area “Humans in the Digital Age”. The appointment of Elisabeth Oswald (University of Bristol) represents an important milestone in this endeavour. As an applied cryptographer, Elisabeth Oswald works at the interface between mathematics and computer science. In her research, she focuses especially on the cryptographic aspects of cybersecurity.

Rendering theory useful in a practical setting is one of the central aims of Elisabeth Oswald’s work. “I want to make things work in real life”, she succinctly summarises her engineering-mathematical approach. Her research focuses on applied cryptography. Aided by statistical methods, she strives to detect and shut down data leaks in various applications (such as the smart phone, cash dispensing machines, car keys, etc.). These kinds of devices offer numerous information channels, which can be exploited in the course of an attack. “In the long term, the aim is to develop a form of cryptography that minimises or tolerates leaks”, Elisabeth Oswald explains.

Those who believe that fully secure systems already exist are mistaken, according to the mathematician: “There is not a single device, as far as I am aware, that is immune to attack.”  Encryption technologies provide good services in many quarters, but ultimately, cryptography can only offer absolute security in theory. Often, tricks borrowed from the field of computer science are deployed in order to make systems less vulnerable in practice. “In addition, we need to address how best to test and evaluate cryptographic implementations”, Elisabeth Oswald goes on to say. She refers to an EU project (ERC Consolidator Grant) she is currently leading, which aims to achieve advances in this area.

Born in Wolfsberg, Elisabeth Oswald studied technical mathematics with a particular emphasis on information processing at Graz University of Technology. She completed her doctoral degree there in 2003. She has been working at the University of Bristol since 2006, and she recently held a professorship in applied cryptography there. In her view, the greatest advantage offered by the academic environment is the opportunity to work with young people: “It is a privilege to be allowed to accompany students on their path of knowledge acquisition and personal growth.”

Elisabeth Oswald transferred to the University of Klagenfurt in June 2019. The university will effect this appointment by means of opportunity hiring (direct appointments acc. to § 99a Universities Act). As such, Elisabeth Oswald is the first professor to be appointed to the newly established Digital Age Research Center (D!ARC). Rector Oliver Vitouch: “The aim of D!ARC, which was established on the 1st of January 2019 as an interfaculty centre, is to explore the technological, economic, legal, societal, individual, and cultural aspects of the digital revolution. To do this, we aim to attract and connect the best and brightest, from the budding scientist to the acclaimed professor. The digital transformation will affect each and every one of us. Here, in Klagenfurt, we provide our students with the requisite knowledge to actively participate in shaping that change”.

Der Beitrag The University of Klagenfurt makes the first professorial appointment to the Digital Age Research Center (D!ARC): Elisabeth Oswald, who specializes in researching cybersecurity, arrives in Klagenfurt erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Workshop on “Epistemic Extensions of Logic Programming” in Cruces, New Mexico

On September 20, 2019, the Semantic Systems research group will host a workshop on “Epistemic Extensions of Logic Programming” (EELP Workshop 2019) at the International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP) in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.

Der Beitrag Workshop on “Epistemic Extensions of Logic Programming” in Cruces, New Mexico erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Mathematics supports new medical imaging techniques

Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen | Foto: aau/Müller

While MRI, CT and x-ray already provide valuable insights into the interior of the body, the technology involving so-called magnetic particle imaging now promises new possibilities with high resolution, less acquisition time and no harmful radiation. In order to be able to draw conclusions about biological processes based on the observation of magnetic particles in a magnetic field, research has to rely on mathematics. Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen is completing her doctoral thesis on this topic at the University of Klagenfurt.

“Those who are willing to work hard and have the patience to allow the field of mathematics to open up to them, are rewarded in the end: They gain profound knowledge of the beauty of this discipline”, Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen tells us. She came to the University of Klagenfurt from Vietnam in order to pursue her doctoral studies here. Before this, she spent eight years working as a geophysicist in the industrial sector. She regards Klagenfurt as a location that is ideally suited to conducting research: “The city is very peaceful and surrounded by mountains and the lake, which offer a stunning backdrop. There is also less distraction here than elsewhere.” Asked to explain what defines the aesthetics of mathematics, she offers her thoughts on the matter: “One endeavours to get to the bottom of things, and is faced with clear proofs, which remove all ambiguity. For me, this clarity is beautiful.” When she first started her studies, she was primarily interested in chemistry and computer science. It took a while before she found her way into this special discipline.  Nonetheless, she enthusiastically encourages others to take this course, and adds: “Even if you believe that mathematics lies above your own intellectual capabilities: It is absolutely worthwhile to put in the effort. I still find mathematics quite demanding, even today, but I also find it very enjoyable.”

In line with this approach, she is currently working on her doctoral thesis with great intensity, with the aim of making a contribution to new medical imaging techniques. The so-called magnetic particle imaging (MPI), which will be deployed in future alongside other procedures such as CT, MRI or x-ray, looks set to offer new possibilities. MPI is a dynamic imaging modality for medical applications that has been recently introduced in 2005 by B. Gleich and J. Weizenecker. The technique involves introducing magnetic nanoparticles into the bloodstream of a patient and generating an image of particle concentration. This procedure is expected to permit very high resolution (less than 1 micrometre, which is better than MRI) and greater speed (just 0.1 second for acquisition time, also faster than MRI) when it comes to visualising the human blood flow. All that acts on the body from the outside is an oscillating magnetic field. The nanoparticles in the body subsequently behave according to the magnetic field causing the change in the particle magnetization, thus induces an electric current in a coil.  By measuring the induced voltage in multiple receive coils, it is possible to draw conclusions about the spatial concentration of the particles inside the body. Since the particles are distributed along the bloodstream of a patient, the particle concentration yields information on the blood flow.

Mathematics supports this process with the help of so-called “inverse problems”. These are used to trace the effect of a system (the measured voltage in the receive coils) back to an underlying cause (the particle concentration). The theoretical part of Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen’s work is largely completed. What follows now is a series of experiments, which will mostly be conducted at a computer for the mathematical aspects. In the long term, Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen hopes to remain in the world of academia once she has completed her doctoral studies, “as this offers great freedom to follow one’s individual interests.” Plenty of interesting questions remain, she believes, particularly in the case of inverse problems, which are extremely challenging or even unsolvable from today’s point of view.

 

 

A few words with … Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen

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

Possibly, I would have been still working in industry, of course, in the fields where I see the presence of Math.

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

I would say: It is not always necessary to clearly understand something to make a great support for.

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

Scan email, take a coffee and start the work that I had scheduled before

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

Yes, I try to set up regular holidays to recharge my energy.

However, the unsolved math questions naturally stay in my mind, and the answers sometime appear at the most unexpected moments, for instance, when I have just waken up in the morning or while taking a shower.

What calms you down?

To see the act of kindness.

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

I find Bill Gates very inspiring. I admire Gates‘s work not only because of his technological innovations but also of his charity work. I think he is one of the best life-changing philanthropists.

What are you looking forward to?

Working on the next topic.

Studying mathematics

At Universität Klagenfurt, there are several ways of studying mathematics. Our standalone degree programmes in mathematics are:

Der Beitrag Mathematics supports new medical imaging techniques erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Using existing cellular networks for drones

Aymen Fakhreddine | Foto: aau/Müller

It might soon become common for drones to transport goods and people, monitor disaster zones, and bring various forms of relief to areas that are difficult to access. Which communication infrastructure is best suited to facilitate this? Researchers at the University of Klagenfurt have explored potential challenges associated with the use of traditional cellular networks.

The communicative challenges facing drones are manifold: They need to communicate with a base station on the ground, but they must also be able to swap information with each other. This requires a pervasive wireless communication infrastructure, which traditional cellular networks are equipped to provide. Aymen Fakhreddine, a senior researcher in the research group established by Christian Bettstetter at the Department of Networked and Embedded Systems, recently presented results from his research into how this utilisation might be realised at the ACM Workshop on Micro Aerial Vehicle Networks, Systems, and Applications in Seoul.

In order to address this question, the study focused on the use of drones in the LTE advanced network. The outcome: The transmission rates (20 Mbit/sec from the base station to the drone) are already adequate for numerous applications. Nonetheless, it will be necessary to continuously improve the performance in order to broaden the set of functionalities. Researchers believe that the 5G network, currently still under construction or at the initial operating phase, carries great promise.

“At the moment, researchers have insufficient knowledge about the drone communication in real cellular networks”, Aymen Fakhreddine explains. Originally from Casablanca (Morocco), he studied in Madrid and Paris and has worked as a researcher in Singapore and Madrid. The research currently being conducted at the University of Klagenfurt and the Lakeside Labs GmbH is realised in cooperation with MAGENTA (formerly: T-Mobile) and allows for experimental studies in real cellular networks. The mobile telephony operator supports the researchers by providing infrastructure and data from the mobile network.

In answer to the question whether a separate communication network could be built specifically for drones in the near future, Fakhreddine responds as follows: “A brand new network represents significant costs. I believe that mobile operators will integrate drones into their existing infrastructure during the next five to ten years, before we can talk about the need/feasibility of a dedicated infrastructure.” For now, the focus is on preparing the drones for integration in a 5G network, which also includes dealing with the issue of standardisation.

Aymen Fakhreddine, Christian Bettstetter, Samira Hayat, Raheeb Muzaffar, and Driton Emini. Handover Challenges for Cellular-Connected Drones. In Proc. ACM Workshop on Micro Aerial Vehicle Networks, Systems, and Applications (DroNet), Seoul, Korea, June 21, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1145/3325421.3329770.

Aymen Fakhreddine | Foto: aau/Müller

Aymen Fakhreddine | Foto: aau/Müller

Studying technology at the Universität Klagenfurt

Research and teaching excellence is what sets Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt’s technology programmes apart. Established in 2007, the Faculty of Technical Sciences prides itself on its exceptional student-supervisor relationships, which facilitate continuous, profitable exchange between tutors and students at all levels. Our technology programmes, which have a large practical component and focus on our key strengths (e.g. Informatics, Information Technology and Technical Mathematics), open up a world of opportunities for our students. And if you decide to take a Joint or Double Degree, you can also gain new experience overseas by taking a semester abroad or attending a summer school. More

Der Beitrag Using existing cellular networks for drones erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI