School of Computing Science

Events

Students sitting in a lecture theatre

Explore upcoming seminars, guest lectures, workshops, and other events hosted by the School of Computing Science.

Our events bring together students, researchers, industry partners, and the wider community to share ideas, showcase research, and foster collaboration.

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This Week’s Events

[FATA Seminar] Measuring Dynamic Contact Networks with Experimental Epidemic Games

Group: Formal Analysis, Theory and Algorithms (FATA)
Speaker: Estelle McCool, University of Oxford
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Lilybank Gardens, F121 Conference Room

‘Epigames’ are mobile, Bluetooth-based experimental epidemic games that combine proximity sensing with simulated contagion and embedded behavioural mechanics. In this talk, I will introduce the Epidemica platform and describe how we used it to collect high-resolution temporal proximity networks across five field deployments in a range of settings and demonstrate the structural and temporal fidelity of the networks generated by this approach and discuss how the platform provides a reproducible experimental framework for studying dynamic contact networks, disease transmission processes, and behavioural responses in real-world settings.

Using these datasets, I show that the inferred networks exhibit structural and temporal signatures consistent with their social settings: conferences form dense, rapidly mixing cores, whereas campus deployments display greater modularity and temporal persistence. These patterns align with established empirical findings, indicating that the sensing pipeline yields behaviourally realistic contact networks across contexts. Coupling these networks to simulated transmission processes enables controlled investigation of how structure and timing shape epidemic outcomes, while the embedded game mechanics allow measurement of behavioural responses to risk and intervention prompts.

Together, this framework provides a reproducible platform for experimental research on dynamic contact networks, epidemic processes, and behavioural dynamics.

GIST Seminar - Talks by Two PhD Students

Group: Human Computer Interaction (GIST)
Speaker: Jake Bhattacharyya and Amelie Voges, University of Glasgow
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: SAWB 423 and Zoom: https://uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/84166272616?pwd=AfIAjDVABkfl0gRatrryb3uaxBWoDj.1

Speaker: Jake Bhattacharyya

Topic: Wizardry and Pokemon: Sonic and Acoustic Links in Audio Augmented Reality
Abstract: 
Audio augmented reality, the blending of virtual sound into the real world, has never been more accessible. Audio AR applications can be facilitated with little more than the smartphone in our pocket and a pair of earphones, bypassing the need for the bulky and specialised hardware usually required for visual AR and offering unique advantages. Despite this, audio AR remains a very niche application area, and receives far less attention or interest than its visually focused cousin. I argue this is due to a fundamental gap in the audio AR field: a lack of auditory links between the real world and the virtual sounds we seek to blend with it.
In this talk I present a whistle-stop tour of my PhD work, which has focused on developing audio AR applications that respond to the real-world soundscape around a user. We'll touch on mimicking an environment's acoustics, designing applications to respond to real-world sounds, the sonomantic threat the University narrowly survived in 2023, the Pokémon lurking outside Lilybank Gardens, and why I can no longer bring myself to listen to Michael Jackson.
Bio:
Jake Bhattacharyya is a final year PhD student in the Multimodal Interaction Group, supervised by Stephen Brewster and Alessandro Vinciarelli, working as part of the SONICOM project. His research focuses on audio augmented reality, designing immersive audio-only applications that blend virtual sounds into the real world. Before his PhD he graduated with a Masters in Sound for the Moving Image from the Glasgow School of Art, and a BSc in Audio Technology from Glasgow Caledonian University. Outside of academia he is also an active musician, sound designer, and ice cream alchemist.
 
Speaker: Amelie Voges
Topic: Understanding the Effects of End-User Customisation on Human–Robot Interactions
Abstract: 
A key challenge in the field of human-robot interaction (HRI) is identifying the design features and social mechanisms that sustain both initial rapport and long-term engagement with robots. Drawing on consumer psychology and attachment theory, I argue that end-user customisation can help align robots with users’ needs and preferences, thereby facilitating more successful human-robot interactions. In this talk, I will present the findings of two studies examining the outcomes of customisation on encounters with robots both in the lab and “in the wild”. While the effects of customisation on first encounters between humans and robots are mixed, our findings demonstrate that customisation plays a vital role in fostering long-term engagement and attachment to companion robots. Customisation embeds owners within a broader community of robot enthusiasts and promotes social connections, creative practice, and sustained use. Based on these findings, I conclude with recommendations for how customisation can be leveraged in robotic design to set the stage for robots that are accepted, personally relevant, and engaging. 
Bio:
Amelie Voges is a PhD student in Human-Robot Interaction at the Social AI CDT, based at the University of Glasgow. She is supervised by Dr. Mary Ellen Foster and Prof. Emily S. Cross. Amelie holds a MA in Psychology with a Specialism in Neuroscience from the University of Glasgow and a MSc in Psychological Research from the University of Edinburgh. Her research explores what psychological factors guide initial and long-term encounters between humans and robots using mixed-methods, creative, and open science approaches.

LOCOS Seminar - Educating for Low-Carbon Computing: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum with PedrocTrancoso

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Location:Online

Low Carbon Computing Seminar Pedro Petersen Moura Trancoso of Chalmers University of Technology will deliver a LOCOS seminar: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum. The rapid growth of computational demand, combined with the carbon cost of device production and the end of Moore’s Law scaling, makes low-carbon computing a first-order engineering challenge. Achieving “frugal computing” — doing more with less energy — requires reasoning across the full system stack. This talk presents the design and evolution of a master-level Sustainable Computing course within the High-Performance Computer Systems programme at Chalmers University of Technology. The course integrates circuit-level power mechanisms, architectural techniques, operating system and runtime strategies, and data centre efficiency, supported by hands-on energy measurement and simulation. Professor Trancoso will discuss both the pedagogical rationale and the challenges encountered: polarized student perceptions of depth, aligning assessment with cross-layer learning, and balancing breadth with technical rigor. The talk aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how computing curricula can prepare engineers to treat energy and carbon as first-class system constraints. See past and future LOCOS Seminars at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/computing/research/researchthemes/lowcarbon/

Educating for Low-Carbon Computing: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum

Group: Low Carbon and Sustainable Computing
Speaker: Pedro Petersen Moura Trancoso, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Location: https://uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/87532926187?pwd=QWHvrX2Mr0gtJ2hG63nRfN68YUGY88.1

Abstract:
The rapid growth of computational demand, combined with the carbon cost of device production and the end of Moore’s Law scaling, makes low-carbon computing a first-order engineering challenge. Achieving “frugal computing” — doing more with less energy — requires reasoning across the full system stack.
This talk presents the design and evolution of a master-level Sustainable Computing course within the High-Performance Computer Systems programme at Chalmers University of Technology. The course integrates circuit-level power mechanisms, architectural techniques, operating system and runtime strategies, and data centre efficiency, supported by hands-on energy measurement and simulation.
I will discuss both the pedagogical rationale and the challenges encountered: polarized student perceptions of depth, aligning assessment with cross-layer learning, and balancing breadth with technical rigor. The talk aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how computing curricula can prepare engineers to treat energy and carbon as first-class system constraints.
Bio:
Pedro Trancoso is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden. He received his engineering degree from Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal) and his MSc and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (USA). His research focuses on computer architecture, high-performance computing, and energy-efficient system design, including memory hierarchies, and reconfigurable computing. He leads the MACH Research Lab, where main research line is on hardware accelerators for different application domains, in particular AI/ML. He directs the MSc programme in High-Performance Computer Systems and teaches the Sustainable Computing (MSc) and Computer Systems Engineering (BSc) courses.

**NOTE**: ChatGPT 5.2 has been used to help with the outline of the talk, title, abstract, and revieing the bio. 

CVAS: How to Build a Game Character Controller Powered by Implicit Neural Representation

Group: Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems (CVAS)
Speaker: Shiyu Fan
Date: 06 March, 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: SAWB 423, Sir Alwyn Williams Building

 This week's CVAS meeting will begin with an overview of recent progress in deep learning–based character controllers. Then, Shiyu Fan will introduce his recent interesting project with name 'Adaptive Character Control via Implicit Neural Representation' - a generative character controller built upon implicit neural representations. This controller enables flexible control over frame rate, computational cost, and prediction horizon, allowing developers and users to adapt the system to different real-time requirements without extra training.

Upcoming events

[FATA Seminar] Measuring Dynamic Contact Networks with Experimental Epidemic Games

Group: Formal Analysis, Theory and Algorithms (FATA)
Speaker: Estelle McCool, University of Oxford
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Lilybank Gardens, F121 Conference Room

‘Epigames’ are mobile, Bluetooth-based experimental epidemic games that combine proximity sensing with simulated contagion and embedded behavioural mechanics. In this talk, I will introduce the Epidemica platform and describe how we used it to collect high-resolution temporal proximity networks across five field deployments in a range of settings and demonstrate the structural and temporal fidelity of the networks generated by this approach and discuss how the platform provides a reproducible experimental framework for studying dynamic contact networks, disease transmission processes, and behavioural responses in real-world settings.

Using these datasets, I show that the inferred networks exhibit structural and temporal signatures consistent with their social settings: conferences form dense, rapidly mixing cores, whereas campus deployments display greater modularity and temporal persistence. These patterns align with established empirical findings, indicating that the sensing pipeline yields behaviourally realistic contact networks across contexts. Coupling these networks to simulated transmission processes enables controlled investigation of how structure and timing shape epidemic outcomes, while the embedded game mechanics allow measurement of behavioural responses to risk and intervention prompts.

Together, this framework provides a reproducible platform for experimental research on dynamic contact networks, epidemic processes, and behavioural dynamics.

GIST Seminar - Talks by Two PhD Students

Group: Human Computer Interaction (GIST)
Speaker: Jake Bhattacharyya and Amelie Voges, University of Glasgow
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: SAWB 423 and Zoom: https://uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/84166272616?pwd=AfIAjDVABkfl0gRatrryb3uaxBWoDj.1

Speaker: Jake Bhattacharyya

Topic: Wizardry and Pokemon: Sonic and Acoustic Links in Audio Augmented Reality
Abstract: 
Audio augmented reality, the blending of virtual sound into the real world, has never been more accessible. Audio AR applications can be facilitated with little more than the smartphone in our pocket and a pair of earphones, bypassing the need for the bulky and specialised hardware usually required for visual AR and offering unique advantages. Despite this, audio AR remains a very niche application area, and receives far less attention or interest than its visually focused cousin. I argue this is due to a fundamental gap in the audio AR field: a lack of auditory links between the real world and the virtual sounds we seek to blend with it.
In this talk I present a whistle-stop tour of my PhD work, which has focused on developing audio AR applications that respond to the real-world soundscape around a user. We'll touch on mimicking an environment's acoustics, designing applications to respond to real-world sounds, the sonomantic threat the University narrowly survived in 2023, the Pokémon lurking outside Lilybank Gardens, and why I can no longer bring myself to listen to Michael Jackson.
Bio:
Jake Bhattacharyya is a final year PhD student in the Multimodal Interaction Group, supervised by Stephen Brewster and Alessandro Vinciarelli, working as part of the SONICOM project. His research focuses on audio augmented reality, designing immersive audio-only applications that blend virtual sounds into the real world. Before his PhD he graduated with a Masters in Sound for the Moving Image from the Glasgow School of Art, and a BSc in Audio Technology from Glasgow Caledonian University. Outside of academia he is also an active musician, sound designer, and ice cream alchemist.
 
Speaker: Amelie Voges
Topic: Understanding the Effects of End-User Customisation on Human–Robot Interactions
Abstract: 
A key challenge in the field of human-robot interaction (HRI) is identifying the design features and social mechanisms that sustain both initial rapport and long-term engagement with robots. Drawing on consumer psychology and attachment theory, I argue that end-user customisation can help align robots with users’ needs and preferences, thereby facilitating more successful human-robot interactions. In this talk, I will present the findings of two studies examining the outcomes of customisation on encounters with robots both in the lab and “in the wild”. While the effects of customisation on first encounters between humans and robots are mixed, our findings demonstrate that customisation plays a vital role in fostering long-term engagement and attachment to companion robots. Customisation embeds owners within a broader community of robot enthusiasts and promotes social connections, creative practice, and sustained use. Based on these findings, I conclude with recommendations for how customisation can be leveraged in robotic design to set the stage for robots that are accepted, personally relevant, and engaging. 
Bio:
Amelie Voges is a PhD student in Human-Robot Interaction at the Social AI CDT, based at the University of Glasgow. She is supervised by Dr. Mary Ellen Foster and Prof. Emily S. Cross. Amelie holds a MA in Psychology with a Specialism in Neuroscience from the University of Glasgow and a MSc in Psychological Research from the University of Edinburgh. Her research explores what psychological factors guide initial and long-term encounters between humans and robots using mixed-methods, creative, and open science approaches.

LOCOS Seminar - Educating for Low-Carbon Computing: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum with PedrocTrancoso

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Location: Online

Low Carbon Computing Seminar Pedro Petersen Moura Trancoso of Chalmers University of Technology will deliver a LOCOS seminar: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum. The rapid growth of computational demand, combined with the carbon cost of device production and the end of Moore’s Law scaling, makes low-carbon computing a first-order engineering challenge. Achieving “frugal computing” — doing more with less energy — requires reasoning across the full system stack. This talk presents the design and evolution of a master-level Sustainable Computing course within the High-Performance Computer Systems programme at Chalmers University of Technology. The course integrates circuit-level power mechanisms, architectural techniques, operating system and runtime strategies, and data centre efficiency, supported by hands-on energy measurement and simulation. Professor Trancoso will discuss both the pedagogical rationale and the challenges encountered: polarized student perceptions of depth, aligning assessment with cross-layer learning, and balancing breadth with technical rigor. The talk aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how computing curricula can prepare engineers to treat energy and carbon as first-class system constraints. See past and future LOCOS Seminars at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/computing/research/researchthemes/lowcarbon/

Educating for Low-Carbon Computing: Designing a Cross-Layer Sustainable Computing Course in an HPC Curriculum

Group: Low Carbon and Sustainable Computing
Speaker: Pedro Petersen Moura Trancoso, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Date: 05 March, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Location: https://uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/87532926187?pwd=QWHvrX2Mr0gtJ2hG63nRfN68YUGY88.1

Abstract:
The rapid growth of computational demand, combined with the carbon cost of device production and the end of Moore’s Law scaling, makes low-carbon computing a first-order engineering challenge. Achieving “frugal computing” — doing more with less energy — requires reasoning across the full system stack.
This talk presents the design and evolution of a master-level Sustainable Computing course within the High-Performance Computer Systems programme at Chalmers University of Technology. The course integrates circuit-level power mechanisms, architectural techniques, operating system and runtime strategies, and data centre efficiency, supported by hands-on energy measurement and simulation.
I will discuss both the pedagogical rationale and the challenges encountered: polarized student perceptions of depth, aligning assessment with cross-layer learning, and balancing breadth with technical rigor. The talk aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on how computing curricula can prepare engineers to treat energy and carbon as first-class system constraints.
Bio:
Pedro Trancoso is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden. He received his engineering degree from Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal) and his MSc and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (USA). His research focuses on computer architecture, high-performance computing, and energy-efficient system design, including memory hierarchies, and reconfigurable computing. He leads the MACH Research Lab, where main research line is on hardware accelerators for different application domains, in particular AI/ML. He directs the MSc programme in High-Performance Computer Systems and teaches the Sustainable Computing (MSc) and Computer Systems Engineering (BSc) courses.

**NOTE**: ChatGPT 5.2 has been used to help with the outline of the talk, title, abstract, and revieing the bio. 

CVAS: How to Build a Game Character Controller Powered by Implicit Neural Representation

Group: Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems (CVAS)
Speaker: Shiyu Fan
Date: 06 March, 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: SAWB 423, Sir Alwyn Williams Building

 This week's CVAS meeting will begin with an overview of recent progress in deep learning–based character controllers. Then, Shiyu Fan will introduce his recent interesting project with name 'Adaptive Character Control via Implicit Neural Representation' - a generative character controller built upon implicit neural representations. This controller enables flexible control over frame rate, computational cost, and prediction horizon, allowing developers and users to adapt the system to different real-time requirements without extra training.

IETF Standards-in-Practice Workshop

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 09 March, 2026
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, University of Glasgow, 18 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8QN, United Kingdom

Open, consensus-driven technical standards are central to the security, reliability, and global interoperability of the Internet. As the Internet continues to evolve to meet the needs of emerging applications, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) remains one of the most influential venues for shaping their technical foundations. This workshop is a hands‑on, introductory event designed to help researchers, students, and engineers understand how the IETF works, and how their own research can translate into meaningful standards contributions. Participants will learn: – how ideas progress through the IETF process, from early Internet‑Drafts to published RFCs – how working groups operate and how “rough consensus” is formed – how to navigate essential tools like the IETF Datatracker, mailing lists, and GitHub – how research or engineering results can influence standards work The workshop will feature talks from academics that are active within the IETF. Attendees will also map their own interests to relevant IETF working groups and leave with clear, actionable next steps for getting involved.

Revisiting Text Ranking in Deep Research

Group: Information Retrieval (IR)
Speaker: Chuan Meng, University of Edinburgh
Date: 09 March, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 422 Seminar Room

Title:
Revisiting Text Ranking in Deep Research

Abstract:
Deep research has emerged as an important task that aims to address hard queries through extensive open-web exploration. To tackle it, most prior work equips large language model (LLM)-based agents with opaque web search APIs, enabling agents to iteratively issue search queries, retrieve external evidence, and reason over it. Despite search's essential role in deep research, black-box web search APIs hinder systematic analysis of search components, leaving the behaviour of established text ranking methods in deep research largely unexplored. In this talk, we revisit key findings and best practices for text ranking methods in the deep research setting. In particular, we examine their effectiveness from three perspectives: (i) retrieval units (documents vs. passages), (ii) pipeline configurations (different retrievers, re-rankers, and re-ranking depths), and (iii) query characteristics (the mismatch between agent-issued queries and the training queries of text rankers). We perform experiments on BrowseComp-Plus, a recent deep research dataset with a fixed document corpus, evaluating a broad spectrum of text ranking methods across diverse setups. We find that agent-issued queries typically follow web-search-style syntax (e.g., quoted exact matches), favouring lexical, learned sparse, and multi-vector retrievers. Passage-level units are more efficient under limited context windows, and avoid the difficulties of document length normalisation in lexical retrieval. Re-ranking consistently improves performance, with deeper re-ranking depths amplifying gains. Translating agent-issued queries into natural-language questions significantly bridges the query mismatch and improves effectiveness.

Bio:
Chuan Meng is a postdoc at the University of Edinburgh, working with Dr. Jeff Dalton. He received his PhD from the University of Amsterdam in June 2025, supervised by Prof. Maarten de Rijke and Dr. Mohammad Aliannejadi. He was formerly an Applied Scientist Intern at Amazon. His research focuses on information retrieval (IR) and deep research. He has published 25+ papers in top-tier venues such as SIGIR, ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, CIKM, AAAI, ECIR, and TOIS, with 600+ citations on Google Scholar and an h-index of 15. He serves as a PC member for conferences including ACL, EMNLP, SIGIR, WWW, WSDM, CIKM, COLING, SIGKDD, AAAI, ECIR, and ICTIR, and as a reviewer for journals such as TOIS and IP&M. He has co-organised tutorials and workshops at SIGIR 2025, WSDM 2025, ECIR 2025 & 2024, SIGIR-AP 2024. Personal website: https://chuanmeng.github.io/

Timeliness-Aware 3D Scene Representation for Communication-Constrained Robotic Systems

Group: Systems Seminars
Speaker: Xiangmin XU, University of Glasgow
Date: 10 March, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Location: Room 422, Sir Alwyn Williams Building and Zoom

Abstract:
Real-time 3D scene representation is a fundamental capability for robotic systems operating in dynamic and resource-constrained environments. An agent that cannot perceive the three-dimensional structure of its surroundings in a timely and accurate manner inevitably operates with an incomplete and potentially misleading world model. In teleoperation, insufficient timeliness leads to delayed and unsafe control; in autonomy, insufficient fidelity undermines planning and obstacle avoidance. Despite its central importance, existing 3D perception pipelines typically prioritise either responsiveness or visual accuracy, rarely treating timeliness and fidelity as jointly coupled design objectives.
This talk presents a communication-aware framework for real-time 3D scene representation that explicitly models and optimises the timeliness–fidelity tradeoff. I will introduce an embodied, full-stack reconstruction system, followed by a multi- camera sensing architecture with edge–cloud computation. A mathematical model linking Age of Information (AoI) and reconstruction fidelity is developed to characterise how delayed updates affect mapping quality. Building on this, a task-oriented communication strategy based on reinforcement learning is proposed to optimise sensing and transmission decisions under bandwidth constraints. Experimental results demonstrate improved performance over periodic and AoI- driven baselines, particularly in dynamic environments.
Short Bio:
Xiangmin Xu is a PhD candidate in the School of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow. His research focuses on real-time 3D scene representation, communication-aware perception, and reinforcement learning for robotic systems operating in constrained environments.

From Controlled Studies to Messy Reality: Lessons on Usable Security Research

Group: Human Computer Interaction (GIST)
Speaker: Melvin Abraham, Abertay University
Date: 11 March, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Location: Boyd Orr Building, Lecture Theatre 1 (Room 203)

Guest talk: From Controlled Studies to Messy Reality: Lessons on Usable Security Research

Speaker: Melvin Abraham (Research Fellow at Abertay University)

Bio: I am a mixed methods researcher in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) specifically looking at how to support people in becoming more secure and private while using technology. My philosophy when it comes to research is ‘If the design isn’t usable, it won’t be used’. I always start with understanding who the users are, what are their needs, and what problems they are facing. My experience is with finding the usability, security, and privacy issued faced by certain demographics as well as in new emerging technologies before the problems are found ‘in-the-wild’. Along with my current role I conduct consultancy usable security research for governments agencies and private companies such as Police Scotland, Social Security Scotland, and the NHS.


Abstract: This talk follows my journey from running controlled research in usable security and privacy to tackling the far messier realities of real‑world research. I’ll share what I have learnt about conducting effective studies, managing participants and helping participants to say what they actually mean. Then we’ll shift beyond academia to explore how research changes when the goal isn’t novelty but solving current problems. We will explore why mixed‑methods skills matter, how constraints reshape questions, and how to turn insights into actionable fixes.

When: 2026-03-11 14:00

Location: Boyd Orr Building, Lecture Theatre 1 (Room 203)

TBC

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: TBC
Date: 12 March, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 13:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 423 Seminar Room

HRI 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 16 March, 2026
Time: 00:00 - 00:00
Location: TBA

The ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is the premier venue for innovations on human-robot interaction. Sponsored by the ACM special interest groups on computer-human interaction (SIGCHI) and artificial intelligence (SIGAI) as well as the IEEE robotics and automation society (RAS), HRI brings together researchers spanning robotics, human-computer interaction, human factors, artificial intelligence, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences. The theme of the 21st edition of HRI is HRI Empowering Society. Our field has the potential to bring about positive change in many areas of our societies such as healthcare, transport, remote working, agriculture and industry. However, this change cannot happen if we do not engage properly with the end users who will potentially utilize robots in their jobs and daily lives. For this reason, HRI 2026 will focus on: 1) how we can ethically integrate robots in everyday processes without creating disruptions or inequalities, carefully thinking at the future of work and services; 2) how we can make them accessible to the general public (in terms of design, technical literacy and cost) with the final aim to make robots more willingly adopted as technological helpers. More information is available on the HRI 2026 website

Black Holes and Prisoners: Understanding AS112 Deployment Characteristics

Group: Systems Seminars
Speaker: Elizabeth Boswell, University of Glasgow
Date: 17 March, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Location: Room 422, Sir Alwyn Williams Building and Zoom

Abstract: AS112 is a distributed, volunteer-run, anycast DNS service that acts as a sink for leaked DNS queries for local resources, preventing them from overloading core DNS infrastructure. AS112 helps protect important parts of the Internet infrastructure, but there has been no comprehensive study of who runs the AS112 servers, where they are located, and whether they effectively capture leaked queries. Using RIPE Atlas and 33646 open recursive resolvers, we detect 469 AS112 sites, run by 97 operators, and compare the response time and query distances of AS112 to root server queries. AS112 performs well, with 23.21% lower median response times and 36.11% lower median distances than the root. However, AS112 is largely dependent on few large operators (one operator serves 41.71% of probes in our study), limiting its resilience.

TBC

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: George Hatzivasilis
Date: 26 March, 2026
Time: 10:00 - 11:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 423 Seminar Room

Pre-CHI Day 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 01 April, 2026
Time: 10:00 - 15:00
Location: Stirling Court Hotel, University of Stirling, Airthrey Rd, Stirling, FK9 4LA

The ACM CHI conference is the premier publication venue in the field of HCI, and Scotland-based researchers are contributing extensively to the programme for the 2026 conference which will be held in Barcelona, Spain in mid-April. The Pre-CHI Day is a chance for the Scottish HCI community to see some of the world-leading research going on across Scotland, and allow those not travelling to Spain to talk to authors first-hand and hear about their work. Over the day, we will have presentations from ACM CHI 2026 full paper authors, with the potential for also having a poster or interactivity session as well (depending on numbers). The event will be hybrid, and virtual attendance and virtual presentation will both be supported. We expect a mixed audience, including researchers of the Scottish HCI community as well as interested students, designers, industry, practitioners etc., as well as newcomers to the field of HCI. Register by 31 March to attend in-person or onlin Submit a paper or poster by 22 March to be included in the programme.

TBC

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: Muhammad Arif
Date: 09 April, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Lilybank Gardens, F121 Conference Room

SICSA Writing Retreat 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 27 April, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 14:00
Location: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE), G63 0JS

The 2026 SICSA Writing Retreat will bring together researchers from across Scotland for a two-day intensive writing event. The programme will consist of networking and skill sharing activities, in addition to individual and group writing blocks. Postdoctoral researchers from any SICSA institution are invited to apply to attend the writing retreat by completing the online form by 1 February 2026. Spaces are very limited and the SICSA Directorate will be judging applications based on clear and achievable writing plans, quality outputs and benefits to both individual researchers and wider groups. Proposals that involve and benefit multiple SICSA institutions are particularly encouraged. Apply Date Start: 15:00 Monday 27 April 2026 Finish: 14:00 Wednesday 29 April 2026 Location Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE)

SICSA Writing Retreat 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 27 April, 2026
Time: 15:00 - 14:00
Location: Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE), G63 0JS

The 2026 SICSA Writing Retreat will bring together researchers from across Scotland for a two-day intensive writing event. The programme will consist of networking and skill sharing activities, in addition to individual and group writing blocks. Postdoctoral researchers from any SICSA institution are invited to apply to attend the writing retreat by completing the online form by 1 February 2026. Spaces are very limited and the SICSA Directorate will be judging applications based on clear and achievable writing plans, quality outputs and benefits to both individual researchers and wider groups. Proposals that involve and benefit multiple SICSA institutions are particularly encouraged. Apply Date Start: 15:00 Monday 27 April 2026 Finish: 14:00 Wednesday 29 April 2026 Location Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE)

tbc

Group: Systems Seminars
Speaker: Shounak Chakraborty, Durham University
Date: 28 April, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Location: Room 422, Sir Alwyn Williams Building and Zoom

tbc

Theory Day 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 07 May, 2026
Time: 01:00 - 01:00
Location: University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom

Join us on 7 May 2026 for Theory Day, bringing together researchers from across Scotland working on Theory and adjacent topics. Staff and students are encouraged to register and submit a proposal to be included in the programme.

Pallas: A Data-Plane-Only Approach to Accurate Persistent Flow Detection on Programmable Switches in High-Speed Networks

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: Weihe Li, University of Edinburgh
Date: 07 May, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 423 Seminar Room

Abstract:

In high-speed data center networks, persistent flows are repeatedly observed over extended periods, potentially signaling threats such as stealthy DDoS or botnet attacks. Monitoring every flow in production-grade hardware switches that feature limited memory, however, is challenging under typical high flow rates and data volumes. To tackle this, approximate data structures, like sketches, are often employed. Yet many existing methods rely on per-time-window flag resets, which require frequent control-plane interventions that make them unsuitable for high-speed traffic. This paper introduces Pallas, a fully data-plane-implementable sketch for detecting persistent flows in high-speed networks with high accuracy, obviating the need for time-window-based resets. We further propose Opt-Pallas, an enhanced variant of Pallas that improves detection accuracy by incorporating flow arrival patterns. We present a rigorous error bound analysis for both Pallas and Opt-Pallas, along with extensive performance evaluations using a P4-based prototype on an Intel Tofino switch. Pallas scales persistent flow detection to line-rate capacity, while state-of-the-art solutions fail to operate beyond a few Mbps. Our results show that Pallas and Opt-Pallas can accurately detect persistent flows in traffic volumes over 60× higher than those handled by the best existing approach. Additionally, even under low-speed traffic, Pallas and Opt-Pallas achieve 4.21% and 7.85% higher lookup accuracy while consuming only 8.5% and 9.7% of switch resources, respectively. Extensive trace-driven results on a CPU platform further validate the high detection accuracy of Opt-Pallas compared to existing methods.

Bio:

Weihe Li is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh. He received his Ph.D. in Informatics from the University of Edinburgh in 2025. His research focuses on the design of approximate data structures for fast and accurate flow detection in high-speed networks, with an emphasis on practical deployment on programmable switches. His first-author work has appeared in top-tier venues, including ACM SIGMOD 2025, ACM WWW 2024 and 2025 (Best Student Paper Award, 2024), IEEE ICNP 2025, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking (ToN), and IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC). He has also conducted research in related networking areas, including video streaming and load balancing in data center networks.

"Abuse Risks are Often Inherent to Product Features": Exploring AI Vendors' Bug Bounty and Responsible Disclosure Policies

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: Yangheran Piao, University of Edinburgh
Date: 21 May, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 423 Seminar Room

Abstract:

As vendors adopt AI technologies, security researchers are working to uncover and fix related vulnerabilities, which is important given AI systems handle sensitive data and critical functions. This process relies on vendors receiving and rewarding AI vulnerability reports. To assess current practices, we analyzed the vulnerability disclosure policies of 264 AI vendors. We employed a mixed-methods approach, combining snapshot and longitudinal qualitative analysis, as well as comparing alignment with 320 AI incidents and 260 academic articles. Our analysis reveals that 36% of AI vendors have no established policy, and only 18% mention AI risks. Data access, authorization, and model extraction vulnerabilities are most consistently declared in-scope. Jailbreaking and hallucination are most commonly declared out-of-scope. We identify three profiles that reflect vendors' different positions toward AI vulnerabilities: proactive clarification (n = 46), silent (n = 115), and restrictive (n = 103). Our alignment results suggest that vendors may address AI vulnerability disclosure later than academic research and real-world incidents.

Bio:

Yangheran (Lawrence) Piao is a third-year PhD student at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. His research explores usable security, security economics, and cybercrime, with a specific focus on the vulnerability disclosure ecosystem, bug bounties, and AI vulnerability reporting. Yangheran’s work has been published and presented at premier security venues, including USENIX Security, IEEE S&P (Oakland), and WEIS.

Scottish Argumentation Day 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 29 May, 2026
Time: 01:00 - 01:00
Location: University of Dundee

Scotland has a particularly high concentration of research groups working in the AI subfield of computational argumentation. Scottish Argumentation Day has previously been attended by researchers based both in Scotland and further afield, and has enabled the Scottish argumentation community to present their work in an informal setting, share feedback, and strengthen professional links. SAD began with Aberdeen 2011, and most recently took place in Edinburgh 2024. In continuing this series, our aim is threefold: (i) enable Scottish argumentation researchers, and especially PhD students, to mutually present their work; (ii) affirm Scottish argumentation research as a recognisable presence; (iii) provide a concrete opportunity for Scottish researchers to network. At SAD 2026 we aim to improve visibility for Scotland-based researchers, especially PhD students and early-career researchers, to encourage knowledge- and skill-exchange at all levels, and to foster cross-institution relations and collaborations. Participation is free but registration is required. ————————————————– We invite abstracts of up to 250 words to be presented as a short talk or poster. Participants at all levels are encouraged to present work, so that everyone can come away with a view of the current Scottish argumentation landscape. We invite abstracts at a range of levels, including: Overview of a specific research project or a lab’s area of work Recent work Work in progress, recent findings or initial results PhD projects and project plans PhD students are especially encouraged to present their projects and project plans to benefit from wider feedback in a supportive atmosphere. Abstract submission form: https://forms.gle/qCVGqi1sahCKATJv6 ————————————————– The day will be scaffolded by three keynote talks by John Lawrence of the University of Dundee, Elena Musi of the University of Liverpool and Henning Wachsmuth of Leibniz University Hannover. ————————————————–

TBC

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: Jinming Yang
Date: 04 June, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 423 Seminar Room

EASE 2026: International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 09 June, 2026
Time: 01:00 - 01:00
Location: James McCune Smith Learning Hub, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QW

EASE is an internationally leading venue for academics and practitioners to present and discuss their research on evidence-based software engineering, and its implications for software practice. EASE is ranked as A conference in CORE. The 30th edition of EASE will take place in Glasgow, Scotland. EASE 2026 welcomes high-quality submissions, describing original and unpublished research for the following tracks: full research papers, short papers & emerging results, industry, posters & vision, journal-first, and a doctoral symposium. There will also be co-located events, including workshops and tutorials, and a track planned for journal-first presentations. See conference website for submission tracks and deadlines. EASE 2026

S3CIX 2026 - Symposium and Summer School on Computational Interaction

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 16 June, 2026
Time: 01:00 - 01:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, University of Glasgow, 18 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8QN, United Kingdom

Registration for the 10th Symposium and Summer School on Computational Interaction will open 1 February and close 14 March 2026. View programme, event details and registration process at S³CIX 2026. This year S³CIX is expanding from a Summer School format to also include a 4 day long academic Symposium. We anticipate about 30 students and 40 academics and invited speakers to attend. There will also be two workshops. Computational interaction often involves elements from machine learning, signal processing, information theory, optimisation, inference, control theory and formal modelling. Computational interaction would typically involve at least one of: an explicit mathematical model of user-system behaviour; a way of updating that model with observed data from users; an algorithmic element that, using this model, can directly synthesise or adapt the design; a way of automating and instrumenting the modelling and design process; the ability to simulate or synthesise elements of the expected user-system behaviour.”

TBC

Group: Networked Systems Research Laboratory (NETLAB)
Speaker: TBC
Date: 18 June, 2026
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location: Lilybank Gardens, F121 Conference Room

10th Summer School and Symposium on Computational Interaction (S³CIX)

Group: Inference, Dynamics and Interaction (IDI)
Speaker: multiple
Date: 20 June, 2026
Time: 09:00 - 16:00
Location: Sir Alwyn Williams Building, 422 Seminar Room

Welcome to the Symposium and Summer School on Computational Interaction! This year we are expanding from a Summer School format to also include a 4 day long academic Symposium. We anticipate about 30 students and 40 academics and invited speakers to attend. There will also be two workshops.

SPLV’26: Scottish Programming Languages and Verification Summer School 2026

Group: Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)
Speaker: SICSA Event, SICSA
Date: 03 August, 2026
Time: 01:00 - 01:00
Location: TBA

The 2026 edition of SPLV will be held at the University of Glasgow, with the main courses running from within the Gilbert Scott Building. The school is aimed at PhD students in programming languages, verification and related areas. Researchers and practitioners are welcome, as are strong undergraduate and masters students with the support of a supervisor. Participants should have a background in computer science, mathematics or a related discipline. Prospective students may contact the organisers if they have any concerns about background knowledge. Registration will open March 2026. View full programme at SPLV 2026 | SPLV

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