NZCSRSC

Summary of NZCSRSC 2010

2010-09-20T15:08:00.007+12:00

During the mid-trimester break 12-15 April 2010, Victoria University of Wellington hosted the 8th New Zealand Computer Science Research Student Conference (NZCSRSC) on the Kelburn campus. The conference was organised and run by postgraduate computer science students from the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The aim of the conference is to promote and strengthen the nationwide community of ICT research students.

There were a number of exciting keynote speakers. Nat Torkington a Victoria University alumnus talked about The Career-Spotter’s Field Guide, which explained about life beyond the ivy-covered walls of academia. Nat drew upon his vast experience and anecdotal evidence from working in small startups to large corporations. Rob O'Callahan from Mozilla talked about how computer science can change the world. Rob encouraged people to think hard about what research problems one should solve in order to make a significant impact on society. Sebastian Castro from the NZ Registry Services talked about A Day in the Life of the Internet project which collects traffic data from key locations of the Internet for analysis to provide insight and questions about the future of the Internet. Miriam Lips from Victoria University of Wellington talked about the value of e-government research for Designing 21st Century Government. There was an entertaining panel on what are your options once you have completed your Masters or PhD degree. The panelists ranged from people working in academia, government organisations, industrial research labs, startups, and large corporations. They gave the audience interesting insight into their careers since completing their PhDs, and offered some good advice to follow.

A range of workshops gave students the opportunity to build on their research skills. Workshop topics ranged from critical thinking, thesis writing, time management, presentation and poster skills, Maori and Pacific Nation students engaging in computer science research, women in the New Zealand IT industry, preparing to succeed in the job market, how to get yourself the job you want, the publication game, commercialisation and intellectual property in the IT, to discussions on careers in research and the industry in general.

A core component of the annual Conference are the presentations and posters from students. This year 33 graduates studying at New Zealand universities gave presentations and the standard of talks were of high quality, while 21 graduates had short papers presented as research posters. The Intergen best paper presentation was awarded to Michael Walmsley, “Automatic Adaption of Dynamic Second Language Reading Texts” and the IET best poster to Stefan Schliebs, “Heterogeneous Probabilistic Models for Optimization and Modelling of Evolving Spiking Neural Networks”.

The conference not only gave student researchers an understanding of what others are doing, but also the opportunity to interact with others who are motivated and passionate about their work. But it wasn't all work. Highlights of the conference included the powhiri and kapahaka group at Pipitea Marae, Google opening dinner, Pingar social night that involved ten-pin bowling, and Careers Industry Night where a number of companies were present to recruit eager graduate students.

The conference was made possible with the tremendous effort by the organising committee, local university contacts, and support from our key sponsors: Google, Intergen, Pingar, The IET, InternetNZ, VicLink, and Victoria University of Wellington. We are also grateful for the valuable assistance provided by the following people: Sue Hall, Ally Reid, Peter Andreae, David Pearce, John Hine, Doug Hauraki, Ian Witten, Tim Bell, Robert Amor, Rachel Blagojevic, and our workshop presenters. Further information, such as presentation slides from workshops and recordings of some keynote speakers are available on the web site. We look forward to next year’s conference at Massey University, Palmerston North.

Craig Anslow,
General Chair
NZCSRSC 2010

An Interview with Intergen

2010-03-25T11:03:00.006+13:00

The organising committee recently caught up with Emillie McKenna from Intergen who are a Gold Sponsor of NZCSRSC 2010.

NZCSRSC: Who and what is Intergen?

Emillie: We are proud to be yellow. We are proud to be geeks. We’re big on talent, big on empowering our people, and there’s no mistaking us in a crowd. We’re passionate about what we do and proud of what we’ve done. We think big, we innovate, we play hard and we work smart. We’ve been on the block for over 10 years and have grown like topsy since the early days. We have more than 200 staff spread over our offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Sydney and Perth, and we’re still growing - which is where you come in.

NZCSRSC: What does Intergen do?

Emillie: Intergen specialises in the design, development and integration of business knowledge, information technology and creativity. We are New Zealand’s most experienced provider of Microsoft-based business solutions, focussing on delivering business value in our solutions and working closely with Microsoft to ensure we have the best possible understanding of their technologies and directions. This focus and understanding allows us to be highly successful early adopters of their newest technologies.

NZCSRSC: How is Intergen helping with global issues?

Emillie: Intergen are very focused on helping with global issues such as lowering our carbon footprint by using 100% recycled paper when printing and having various recycling stations around our offices.

NZCSRSC: Why is Intergen a great company to work for?

Emillie: Intergen has participated in the JRA Best Places to Work Survey for four years now. The strongest theme that comes out of the survey every year is that our people more than anything else make Intergen a great place to work! Since day one Intergen has had a Big Hairy Audacious Goal: That everyone, every day is touched positively by the things we do. Intergen’s culture comes down to our people, and we’re lucky to have talented and passionate staff who love using technology to make a real difference. It’s not just a job to us.

NZCSRSC: Are there any employment or internship opportunities at Intergen?

Emillie: Intergen does not have any internship opportunities we do have a fantastic graduate programme – so how does it work?

Graduates come on board as new Intergenities in late January. There is a lot to learn and a lot of people to meet, so to make things a little easier, we run a Boot Camp in Wellington for all new graduates. Not only is it a great way to find out in-depth information about Intergen through presentations, you get to meet and greet, attend workshop sessions, learn about the teams and what they do and how we work.

Here’s what the 2010 graduates are saying:

“Life beyond Uni is awesome. You initially dread being cooped up in the office, but it’s not like that at Intergen!” - Elaiza

“I love the culture, drive and enthusiasm here at Intergen!” - Mohit

“Intergen has been an amazing eye-opening experience for me ever since I started working here!” - Margaret

“I love being an Intergenite!!” - Matt

“We get to work with the latest and greatest technology, often before it’s officially released!” - Andy

It’s not all work and no play though - we also have a social event one night so you can ‘let your hair down’ with your new workmates before you get into the real work. To be in the running for the 2011 graduate intake, complete the application online at http://www.intergen.co.nz/careers/graduate and submit a covering letter including which city you wish to work in, CV and a copy of your academic transcript. Applications open 1 April 2010 and close 18th June 2010.

For more information on what we do and why you should join us, check us out at http://www.intergen.co.nz

Guidelines for Paper Presentations and Posters

2010-03-18T17:23:00.002+13:00

We have now put on some presentation guidelines for presenting your paper and creating a poster. You will also need to create something either slides for your 60 seconds Poster Madness. If you have any questions please get in touch with us.

Conference Registration is Open

2010-03-10T17:03:00.003+13:00

To register for NZCSRSC 2010 please go to our web site and complete the two steps:

http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/Registration

Team Introductions

2010-02-23T18:07:00.011+13:00

Hello Reader,

We realise we are long over due for some introductions to the Victoria University of Wellington team organising this year’s NZCSRSC conference so here we go…

Craig Anslow - General Chair
Rashina Hoda - Programme Chair
Siva Kumar Dorairaj – Communications Chair
Kok-Lim Yau (Alvin) - Treasurer
Urvesh Bhowan - Marketing Chair
Ben Palmer - Accommodation and Catering Chair
Neil Ramsay - Events Chair
Van Lam Le - Operations Chair
Rohitash Chandra - Publications and Proceedings Chair
Ben Palmer and Urvesh Bhowan - Workshops Chairs
Ben Palmer and Van Lam Le - Posters Chairs
Pacharawit Topark-Ngarm - Volunteer and Administration Chair
Dr. David Pearce - Conference Mentor

As the General Chair my main role is to oversee all areas of the conference, ensure the direction, momentum of the project is maintained, and make sure that everyone is having fun :-)

There are lots of exciting things happening this year! We are almost at the end of our paper review process. We have confirmed some very exciting keynote speakers and panelists too. We will have some interesting workshops as well. Please keep and eye on our web site over the next few weeks as we will have a lot more information available very soon including paper notifications, camera ready instructions, and conference registration. Also remember to use the Facebook Discussion area or contact me for any queries you may have.

To keep in touch with what is happening to the conference follow us on Twitter, read our Blog, join the NZCSRSC Facebook group, and subscribe to the mailing list

All the best.
Craig

General Chair
NZCSRSC 2010
http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/

An Interview with Pingar

2010-02-23T11:19:00.007+13:00

The organising committee recently caught up with Peter Wren-Hilton, Co-founder & Director, Pingar LP who are a Gold Sponsor of NZCSRSC 2010 for an interview.

NZCSRSC: Who and what is Pingar?

Peter: Pingar is a Tauranga-based Search and Online Publishing company. We have worked closely with The University of Waikato / WaikatoLink and Auckland University of Technology to develop a number of algorithms to add semantic and natural language search into Internet and Enterprise user’s search queries. We have also developed a unique search results platform based around generating instant formatted PDF reports from a user’s search query input.

NZCSRSC: Why should I use Pingar Search instead of other search engines?

Peter: Pingar is search engine agnostic. It adds semantic search capability to any search engine. The same applies to our back-end PDF publishing platform. Pingar launched its Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Search ‘layer’ in Las Vegas in October 2009 and has recently launched its Microsoft SharePoint 2007 Search ‘layer’. Pingar is currently developing ‘layers’ for other proprietary and open source search engines. Our aim is to improve the Enterprise and Internet user’s search experience by enabling them to ‘fine-tune’ their search query as part of their search query process. This improves the quality of the search query results and significantly reduces the time it takes to find the right results.

NZCSRSC: What is natural language search?

Peter: We are moving away from traditional ‘keyword’ search. We want query input strings to have meaning so that they become ‘natural language’ questions rather than just a series of keywords. Pingar’s semantic search algorithms are a step in this direction. They provide context to the user’s initial keyword query input and enable the user to drill down their search query. ‘Pure’ natural language search is not there yet, but it is a path we are rapidly progressing. Eventually, it will go beyond the desktop. Imagine being able to query your mobile phone’s search function with a natural language question and have it return a natural language answer

NZCSRSC: What technologies are behind Pingar Search?

Peter: A combination of technologies lie behind Pingar Search. We are currently working with researchers in the fields of data mining, digital libraries, machine learning and artificial intelligence. A combination of technologies are therefore behind the platforms we are building. Going forward, we are looking to extend this research into areas including improved contextualisation, improved summarisation, improving the mobile UI and making our technology more compatible with non-Latin characters.

NZCSRSC: Where and when can I start using Pingar Search?

Peter: An online demo of Pingar’s core semantic and PDF technology will be available from April via our main corporate site at http://www.pingar.com. We will be launching our Advanced Summarisation algorithm in June at the 2010 Microsoft SharePoint Users Conference in Wellington and demonstrating Pingar’s Chinese language version of our semantic search and PDF platform in Shanghai on July 22nd at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Tauranga-based maybe, but with a real focus on global Internet and Enterprise markets and partnerships.

NZCSRSC: What role does Pingar play in the NZ ICT industry?

Peter: During 2010, Pingar will be announcing the establishment of an Advanced Search and Knowledge Engineering Research centre in Tauranga. This centre will provide research collaboration between Pingar, the University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology and the University of Wales (UK). We have initiated an exchange of PHD and post doc researchers between NZ / UK. In the UK, they will be placed with Pingar’s UK-based subsidiary, Kaimai Research. The ‘NZ ICT’ aim is to generate both functional and blue sky research in the areas of Advanced Search and Knowledge Engineering to make New Zealand a global centre of excellence in this space. The bigger vision is for New Zealanders to understand the real depth of knowledge and talent that we have in our universities and that as a country we need to provide world leading research positions to make New Zealand an attractive home and destination for global scientific research talent.

NZCSRSC: Are there any employment or internship opportunities at Pingar?

Peter: Yes! Pingar is seeking to increase its internal research teams with exceptional people. We are aiming not simply to build a great company, but provide global research opportunities right here in NZ We are working with our University partners, Tech NZ and the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology (FRST) to identify the best candidates to make Pingar and New Zealand a global leader in this space. You do not have to have been to either the University of Waikato or Auckland University of Technology to apply. We are keen to engage with leading candidates in any NZ University or research institute. To register your interest in either employment or internship opportunities with Pingar, simply email your CV to jobs@pingar.com or meet us at our stand at the Careers Industry Night on Wednesday 14 April at NZCSRSC 2010.

An Interview with Google

2010-02-16T11:07:00.014+13:00

The organising committee recently caught up with Isa Notermans, Talent & Outreach People Programs Specialist from Google (Australia) who are a Platinum Sponsor of NZCSRSC for an interview.

NZCSRSC: Who and what is Google?

Isa: At Google we are making the world’s information universally accessible and useful to all, which can come in all shapes and sizes such as our search engine, Android and Chrome operating systems and our wonderful world of apps. Google was founded in 1998 by two Stanford Grads – Larry Page & Sergey Brin and the term Google comes from ‘Googol’ – 10 to the 100 zero’s relating to the fact that there is an endless supply of information out there.

NZCSRSC: What makes Google tick?

Isa: One thing over all else powers Google’s momentum and that is it’s people. Those that are passionate about making a difference and making the world’s information universally accessible and useful all contribute to what Google has become and what it will be. We share a few common values, top of most is our belief that if we focus on the user, everything else will follow. For example, search is what we're known for. For us we won't be satisfied until a user finds exactly what they are looking for first time, every time. Naturally we still have a long way to go!

NZCSRSC: What can we expect from Google in 2010?

Isa: We are constantly innovating and working on ways to improve our products, so you can expect to see lots of exciting things this year ... locally, we're busy working on products and features that make life easier for Australians and New Zealanders, like making it easy to search for movie show times near you, or being able to see public transport options on Google Maps.

NZCSRSC: What is Google and the Internet going to be like in 2020?

Isa: It's very hard to predict ... with a flourishing internet eco-system, you never know where the next application will come from. We do notice a few major trends though ... the web is becoming increasingly social as people want to share the useful and fun information they find, and more and more people are visiting the internet from their mobile phone. As these trends converge we're going to see some really interesting new products emerge.

NZCSRSC: How is Google helping with global issues such as climate change?

Isa: Climate change is something we feel very strongly about, particularly because it fits so well with our mission of organising information and making it accessible and useful. More information
about how power is being used can help consumers make more informed decisions, which is why we have created a feature called Power Meter (available in the US right now) so people can manage and monitor their usage more closely. We've also developed special layers for Google Earth that share climate change information. To make sure that we're doing our part, we're committed to being carbon neutral, and we've designed some of the world's most efficient data centres, as well as developing on-site renewable energy in some places, to reduce our impact on the environment.

NZCSRSC: What involvement within the NZ ICT community does Google have?

Isa: We are currently about to embark on our Australasian national campus tours. We will bringing our roadshow to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Waikato. We also have several Alumn’s working at our office in Sydney and around the world and our Girl Geek Coffee Clubs on campus currently have a chapter running out of the University of Auckland.

NZCSRSC: How is Google helping support women in computer science and technology?

Isa: In lot’s of ways! The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is in it’s 5th year! Through the scholarship, we aim to encourage women to excel in computing and technology, and become active role models and leaders in their communities. Such scholarships have created programs like the Google Girl Geek Coffee Clubs on campus as well as sponsorship of the Girl Geek Dinners in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. We also want to encourage young girls to think about computer science at a tertiary level which is why we started the Girls@ Google Day. This year we hope to launch the Junior Anita Borg Scholarship for such girls hoping to study an ICT discipline at University.

NZCSRSC: Why is Google a great place to work?

Isa: We still maintain a small company feel. At lunchtime, almost everyone eats in the office café, sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from different
teams. Our commitment to innovation depends on everyone being comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. Every employee is a hands-on contributor, and everyone wears several hats (as well as bare feet and shorts if that is what you feel comfortable in). The rumours are true, we enjoy a very colourful and entertaining workplace that is filled with inspiring people, projects and passions.

NZCSRSC: Are there any employment or internship opportunities at Google?

Isa: There sure are! As we continue to grow, we are always looking for those who share a commitment to creating search perfection and having a great time doing it. We are aggressively inclusive in our hiring, and we favor ability over experience. Also, take a look at:
http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/jobs/

We have a year round intake of interns for our 12 week full-time program for all degree levels check out: http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/jobs/students/internships/

An Interview with The IET

2010-02-09T17:25:00.009+13:00

The organising committee recently caught up with Karla Smith from The IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), a Gold Sponsor of NZCSRSC for an interview.

NZCSRSC: What did you study when you were at university?

Karla: I did Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Canterbury. I've completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), a Postgraduate Diploma and a PhD.

NZCSRSC: What are you doing now?

Karla: At present I am self-employed and still based in Christchurch. I'm currently contracting to Rodgers Hulston and White Ltd (a consulting firm specialising in telecommunications engineering).

NZCSRSC: How did you get involved with The IET?

Karla: I got involved with the IET through the Present Around the World Competition; I won the Christchurch Event in 2007, and went to Melbourne for the next level of the competition (the South Pacific Present Around the World Competition). Shortly after I returned the Young Professionals AGM was held, and I thought it would be good to be more involved. I am currently Treasurer of the Christchurch Young Professionals, and an IET Council member (Council advises the Board of Trustees, which is the IET's main governing body).

NZCSRSC: Who is The IET?

Karla: The IET is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community, with more than 150,000 members in 127 countries and offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The IET provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promote the positive role of science, engineering and technology in the world.

NZCSRSC: What does The IET do?

Karla: The IET aims to share and advance knowledge in Science, Engineering and Technology to enhance people's lives. Some examples of the way it does this are: running seminars, workshops and conferences, publishing magazines, creating materials for schools to use and providing career development tools for engineers.

NZCSRSC: What role does The IET play in the NZ ICT industry?

Karla: The IET runs seminars and lectures in the subject area. Plus the IET offers the professional registration ICTTech for ICT Technicians.

NZCSRSC: How can I get involved with The IET?

Karla: There are lots of ways to be involved with the IET. Membership is the first step most people take, but many of our events are open to non-members as well as members. If you see advertising for an IET event, come along! Your Local Network's Present Around the World Competition is a great way to get started as well, since you don't need to be a member to enter. All you have to do is a ten minute presentation on a topic of interest to the IET, and most of the marks are given for presentation skills. An entrant from New Zealand has won the Global Competition (held in London) for the past two years!

NZCSRSC: How can I become a student member of The IET?

Karla: If you email membership.auckland@theiet.org, membership.wellington@theiet.org or membership.christchurch@theiet.org (as appropriate), we can answer any queries about becoming a member. We subsidise the first year of membership for student members, so it only costs $25.

NZCSRSC: What are the benefits of being a student IET member?

Karla: You get informed of any events that are being run in your area, you get a fortnightly magazine full of articles about new advances in engineering and technology, you get free or reduced entry to certain events, and it looks good on your CV! I've found that you get out what you put in - especially if you volunteer your time to help govern the IET. As a Council member I talk to engineers from all over the world, get to experience meetings with 60+ people, and influence the direction the IET takes. It's an amazing opportunity for me to network and gain experience. At the Local Network level I've honed my organisational skills, learnt some PR skills, and done more networking!

NZCSRSC: What scholarships and awards are there that students can apply for?

Karla: The main award that the IET offers in NZ is the NZ postgraduate award. This is open to any member of the IET who is going to undertake postgraduate study (entries close at the end of September each year for the following year of study). There are also a number of awards and scholarships open at all members of the IET. These can be found at http://www.theiet.org/about/scholarships-awards. As an example, a New Zealander won the Sir Henry Royce Award in 2009.

NZCSRSC: Where can I find out more about The IET in my area?

Karla: You can take a look at the website: http://www.theiet.org/nz, which has information about the IET in New Zealand, and also has links to the three Local Networks (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch). The Auckland Local Network covers the top half of the North Island, the Wellington one the bottom half of the North Island, and the Christchurch one covers the whole South Island. Alternatively, go along to any event that you see advertised and talk to a committee member.

Submission deadline extended!

2009-12-17T12:03:00.002+13:00

The final call for papers deadline has now been extended to 31st December 2009.

1st Call For Papers Submission Deadline: 11 December 2009

2009-11-12T13:18:00.006+13:00

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

We are now inviting submissions for full and short papers for the 8th New Zealand Computer Science Research Student Conference (NZCSRSC 2010), to be held in April 2010 at Victoria University of Wellington.

OVERVIEW

The NZCSRSC is a conference organised by Computer Science research students to strengthen the research community in New Zealand by providing opportunities for students to share, discuss and acquire valuable feedback in regard to their research, build research network and definitely establish friendship. It is also a good opportunity for Computer Science research students from around New Zealand to gain vital experience in writing academic papers, peer reviewing, and presenting work at the conference.

More information available at:
http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010

PAPERS

Submissions are now being accepted for:

Full papers (with presentation) – not exceeding 8 pages.
Short papers (with poster) – not exceeding 4 pages.

All papers must be in PDF format.

Papers must follow the ACM style guidelines (PDF).

Papers must be written by a student author and reflect the student's own research. Papers can contain research in progress i.e. research does not need to be complete for a paper to be accepted. Papers may be co-authored as long as the primary author is a Computer Science research student at the time of submission and is affiliated with a New Zealand university. Papers extending work published in previous NZCSRSC are also accepted, provided the advancement is significant.

More information available at:
http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/Submissions

IMPORTANT DATES

Paper submission deadline: 11 December 2009
Review period: January 2010
Camera ready deadline: TBD
Conference: 12-15 April 2010

More information available at:
http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/ImportantDates

TOPICS OF INTEREST

The conference incorporates all major research areas in Computer Science including (but not limited to) the following:

Agile Software Development
Algorithms and Data Structures
Artificial Intelligence
Bioinformatics
Computer Vision
Computer Theory
Data Mining
Databases
Digital Libraries
Distributed Systems
Formal Methods
Genetic Programming
Graphics
Human Computer Interaction
Image Processing
Information Systems
Intelligent Tutoring Systems
Internet Security
Knowledge Engineering
Machine Learning
Networks
Pattern Recognition
Programming Languages
Software Engineering
Software Visualisation
User-Centred System Design
Virtual and Augmented Reality

REVIEWING

The NZCSRSC is a peer reviewed conference. By submitting a paper, each student author agrees to be a reviewer. For each paper an author submits, they will receive three papers to review during the review period. Each author will be presented with their papers to review at the beginning of the review period.

PLAGIARISM

All submissions will be checked for plagiarism. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism, or would like more information on academic referencing, please see http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/Submissions

PUBLICATION STATUS

These papers are work in progress. They are not archival publications and will not constrain future submissions. Your work in progress may be reused for later publications if appropriate. Copyright belongs to the author(s) / owner(s) of the paper. Note that this is a student conference reviewed by students.

CONTACT DETAILS

Queries regarding the call for papers or submissions:

Rashina Hoda, rashina@ecs.vuw.ac.nz

General contact and queries:

Craig Anslow, craig@ecs.vuw.ac.nz
Siva Dorairaj, Siva.Kumar.Dorairaj@ecs.vuw.ac.nz

http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010/

NZCSRSC 2010

2009-09-01T18:20:00.003+12:00

Following on from the successful tradition of previous NZCSRSC conferences. Next years conference, NZCSRSC 2010 is going to be held at Victoria University of Wellington 12-15 April 2010. More information is located on the conference web site: http://ecs.victoria.ac.nz/Events/NZCSRSC2010

I hope you will either submit something or attend the conference.

Best wishes.

Cheers Craig

NZCSRSC '09

2009-05-19T15:34:00.004+12:00

Taken from the May 2009 CSANZ Newsletter

The 7th New Zealand Computer Science Research Student Conference (NZCSRSC ’09) was held at the University of Auckland from 6-9 April 2009. The NZCSRSC is a truly unique and significant event, being the only dedicated ICT student conference in New Zealand. Moreover, NZCSRSC is organised and run entirely by postgraduate students.

The aim of the NZCSRSC is to establish and reinforce a nationwide community of ICT research students. It provides an opportunity for students to establish contacts and share their research with graduates from across New Zealand, and members of the wider community.

This year’s NZCSRSC, like past years, was an action packed week! We opened the conference with a powhiri where we heard an incredibly moving and sincere speech from Prof. Ian Witten from the University of Waikato, and enthusiastic welcoming words from the University of Auckland’s Acting Dean of Science, Prof. Alan Lee and Computer Science Head of Dept. at the University of Auckland, Assoc. Prof Robert Amor.

Following the official welcome we moved to the Fale Pacifika for the Endace Opening Dinner. Here we were treated to a truly unique performance from the Auckland Playback Theatre who took real stories about the lives of postgraduate students from the audience and replayed them, in a somewhat embellished version. Very entertaining!

During the week we had the chance to hear about the cutting edge of research in Computer Science here in NZ with 25 student presentations and 14 student posters. Congratulations to Matthew Jervis for winning the best poster award on Augmented Document Trays and Lech Szymanski for the best presentation on Building a Support Vector Machine using a Neural Network.

We also heard fascinating and inspiring talks from keynote speakers. Dr. Alan Blackwell from the University of Cambridge spoke about Interdisciplinary Design Research for Interactive Technology, J.P. Lewis from Weta Digital explained Why academic research matters to Weta Digital and Assoc. Prof. Poul Nielsen from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Department of Engineering Science here at the University of Auckland presented The Physiome Project: a framework for understanding ourselves through computational modelling.

In keeping with NZCSRSC tradition we ran a range of workshops aimed at building skills in research and beyond. And as in previous years the workshops were a great success, with topics ranging from staple favourites such as “The publication game” and thesis writing, to discussions about industry, research careers, presentation skills and time management. Also, during lunch on Wednesday we held discussion groups where each table discussed interesting topics in Computer Science ranging from advances in specialised fields to ethics and the wider community.

Of course NZCSRSC ’09 would not be complete without the Orion Health Social Night! On Tuesday night we were whisked away for a pleasant dinner cruise around Auckland harbour including a team quiz onboard. It was a night to relax, enjoy the beautiful views and indulge in the wonderful company!

On Wednesday night we held an industry dinner. This was a mix and mingle event where companies prepared stalls with information, and students were invited to visit each stall and chat with industry representatives about their experiences in the ICT industry.

What NZCSRSC would be complete without a little live music? Thanks to Prof. Ian Witten and Hong Yul Yang for providing us with some tunes during the closing lunch on Thursday. To complete Auckland’s four seasons in one week, the conference closed with a spectacular hail storm. What a week!!

We would like to thank all those who helped in the organisation and running of this conference including local contacts, volunteers, authors, keynotes, workshop presenters and the departments around the country who encouraged and supported their students to participate in NZCSRSC ‘09. We would like to extend a special thank you to our leading sponsors, BuildIT, Orion Health, Endace and the University of Auckland.

In terms of meeting the conference goals, I can confidently say that the NZCSRSC has had a significant impact on strengthening the ICT research student community in NZ. What does this mean in practical terms? It means that we, as students, feel connected to a group of people who can understand and identify with our experience as research students. For many of us, this was a chance to meet with old friends again, as well as meeting new people this year. We are learning more and more about the ICT research that is done in this country. NZCSRSC is about getting us out from behind those computer screens and putting us face to face with the cutting edge of Computer Science research in NZ and the research students who are behind it all. Our hope is that it may continue for many years to come, and we simply can’t wait to see what the next NZCSRSC have in store for us!

Rachel Blagojevic
On behalf of the NZCSRSC ’09 organising committee
For more information visit https://nzcsrsc09.auckland.ac.nz/

NZCSRSC ’09 is almost here!!

2009-04-05T15:19:00.003+12:00

NZCSRSC ’09 is less than one day away! We hope you are all ready for an great week here in Auckland! Get ready to be inspired, to share your research, to learn new skills and to meet other research students from all around the country!

We have an exciting programme planned for the week beginning with a Powhiri, our official welcome, at 4.30pm. Following this will be the Endace Opening Dinner with a performance from the Auckland Playback Theatre.

Over the rest of this week you will have the chance to hear about the cutting edge of research in Computer Science here in NZ through student presentations and the poster session. You will also hear from keynote speakers, Dr. Alan Blackwell from the University of Cambridge, J.P. Lewis from Weta Digital and Assoc. Prof. Poul Nielsen from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Department of Engineering Science here at the University of Auckland. Our keynote speakers are all very active in the research community here in NZ and around the world and are sure to inspire us with their knowledge and experience.

There are many opportunities for you to participate in NZCSRSC ’09. You will have the chance to attend a range of workshops aimed at building your skills in research and beyond. See here https://nzcsrsc09.auckland.ac.nz/workshops for more details. Also during Wednesday lunch we will be running discussion groups. This is a chance for you to discuss interesting topics in Computer Science with like-minded conference participants. See here https://nzcsrsc09.auckland.ac.nz/discgroups for more information.

Of course NZCSRSC ’09 would not be complete without the Orion Health Social Night! On Tuesday night we will whisk you away for a pleasant dinner cruise around Auckland harbour. It’s a night to relax, enjoy the beautiful views and the wonderful company.

On Wednesday is our industry dinner. This is a mix and mingle event where we have invited companies to set up stalls with information and students are invited to visit each stall and chat with industry representatives about their experiences in the ICT industry.

All in all we are set for an exciting, action packed week! So safe travelling for those of you coming from afar. We can’t wait to see you all here tomorrow!!

Conference Programme

2009-03-23T11:45:00.002+13:00

Hello everyone,

We're now only 2 weeks from NZCSRSC09! We're getting the last details ironed out and have now got the programme sorted. You can see it on our Web site - go to https://nzcsrsc09.auckland.ac.nz/programme to see everything we have planned!

We're still finalising room bookings for some of the events, so these aren't available yet, but rest assured you'll get a complete programme (with maps) when you arrive. Also please note that times for specific events are subject to change, although we'll be trying our best to keep things running on time.

If you have any questions, please email me (jdow038@aucklanduni.ac.nz).

We look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks' time!

Cheers

John Downs

Things to do while in NZ

2009-03-13T11:08:00.007+13:00

Hello

The conference is getting closer and closer and some of you might have started to plan their trip to Auckland. We, as your Auckland hosts, thought it would be a good thing to give you an idea what you could do in Auckland besides attending an awesome conference.
We grouped our recommendations according to the trip "size".

Big day trips

Waiheke island
Rangitoto island
Black sand west coast beaches: Muriwai, Piha, Bethells..
Waitakere ranges
Goat island
Tiritiri Matangi
Auckland coast to coast walk

More local

Domain museum
One-tree hill
Mt Eden
Kelly Tarlton's
Parnell rose gardens
Indoor skiing
Kart racing
Paintball
Minigolf

Auckland city

Rakinos on High St
Ben on Fort St
Mezze bar on High St
Rizlau on Atrium
IMAX cinema
Sky Tower inclusive sky jump/walk
Harbour bridge bungee jump
Viaduct Basin

Notable districts

Ponsonby
Parnell
New Market (shopping)
Mission Bay

Discussion Groups!

2009-02-06T15:00:00.001+13:00

As you might have seen, registration for NZCSRSC '09 is now open!! At the same time we also revealed some information about something we are quite excited about – the DISCUSSION GROUPS! (Note to ourselves: we need a fancier title for this)

During the conference we'll be introducing a number of discussion groups as part of an effort to strengthen ties in the postgrad computer science community in New Zealand. You, the participants of NZCSRSC '09, will decide which topics are fit for discussion and a short gathering will be arranged where you will be able to discuss those topics with like-minded conference participants.

This idea was inspired by similar concepts like Birds of a Feather, the Unconference, BarCamp, and others. A similar session was also help at NZCSRSC '07.

You can find details about how it will work on our conference website.

What will roughly happen is this:

1) You, the participants of NZCSRSC '09, will propose topics during the registration process. Possible topics could be anything related to CS/IT which you think would be an interesting topic to discuss (tip: this would be a good chance to discuss things with link-minded people, that is NOT neccessarily the actual focus of your research ;)

2) After we collected your suggestions for topics, we will send them out to all conference participants. All of you will than have the option to choose up to (probably) 4 different topics which you will actually want to participate in.

3) We will then do some scheduling magic, decide which topics will be discussed at what time, and finally…

4) …we will have the discussion groups, in an informal setting during the conference (groups of around 6-8 people, 15min per discussion, probably during a lunch)

One last thing: We would like to have arbitrators who will guide the individual discussions to some extent (details about the role of arbitrators can be found on the website). Please let us know during the registration process, if you would be up to such an interesting, challenging, character-building, [insert any buzz-word here], and fun task!

Feel free to use the forum to post questions or discuss this event. You can also contact the discussion group committee (Andrew andrewh@cs.auckland.ac.nz and Christian chir008@aucklanduni.ac.nz) directly.

We hope that we can get you all excited about this fun event, and we count on your active participation! Looking forward to seeing you all at NZCSRSC '09!

Your DISCUSSION GROUPS committee!

Andrew and Christian

---------------------------------------

BuildIT, platinum sponsor of NZCSRSC '09

Registration for NZCSRSC'09 is now open!

2009-02-05T16:18:00.010+13:00

Registration for NZCSRSC'09 is now open! Be sure to get in quick to secure your space in the Waipapa Marae for FREE!

As the conference date approaches, I'm feeling both ecstatic and terrified at the same time! Things are really getting fired up here at UoA - sponsors are signing on, and we've secured J.P. Lewis from Weta digital as a keynote speaker, with a number of other exciting speakers in the pipeline.

My main task is looking after external communications, acting as the interface with other universities and departments through our excellent and enthusiastic team of local contacts at your university. This has involved relaying announcements and keeping local contacts abreast of progress in organisation.

I participated in the last two NZCSRSCs, brilliantly organised and hosted by Waikato in 2007 and Canterbury in 2008. NZCSRSC is such a great opportunity to meet students and make friends, find out about the awesome research happening all over the country, attend thoroughly instructive workshops and enjoy wonderful exciting keynote talks -- and if you're a student you can get all this for just $50!

I really can't wait to meet you up here in Auckland come April, as either a NZCSRSC new-comer or a friend from a previous NZCSRSC episode!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-15T12:39:00.005+13:00

Hope you’ve all had a great holiday and are recharged and ready to go for 2009!

I realize we are long over due for some introductions to the Auckland team organising this year’s conference so here we go…

Rachel Blagojevic - Conference coordinator
Carl Schultz – Communications
Dave Uthus - Treasurer
John Downs - Submissions and reviews coordinator
Hong Yul Yang - Conference promotion and website
Andrew Hay - Internal administration
Paul Schmieder - Social events
Christian Hirsch - Catering
Prof. John Hosking - Conference mentor

As the conference coordinator my main role is to oversee all areas of the conference and ensure the direction and momentum of the project is maintained. I will get onto the other members of our team to write their own posts, letting you in on what their roles involve, in the near future.

There are lots of exciting things happening here! We are almost at the end of our paper submission and review process with all reviews due in tomorrow. We have almost confirmed some very exciting keynote speakers too...but more on that later ;) Keep and eye on our website over the next few weeks as we will have a lot more information available very soon. Also remember to use the forum and the NZCSRSC Facebook page for any queries you may have.

NZCSRSC ’09 is coming to Auckland!!

2008-12-05T15:40:00.006+13:00

Taken from the November 2008 CSANZ Newsletter

We are proud to announce that the NZCSRSC will be held at the University of Auckland from 6-9 April 2009. Preparation is already well underway to make NZCSRSC ‘09 a conference to remember! Our team is really excited to be organising this event and we are working hard to make this another successful conference.

So what is the NZCSRSC? If you are a Computer Science Research Student in New Zealand then this Conference is especially for you, a conference for students, run by students. It is a chance for you to meet others from around the country, share your research and learn about what others are working on. It’s aimed at getting us out from behind those computer screens and putting us face to face with the cutting edge of Computer Science research in NZ and the research students who are behind it all. It’s also a great chance to build friendships among our research community that will last long after we have all (finally) finished our degrees. Students are encouraged to get involved by submitting their research papers and reviewing work by their peers. At the conference students will be showcasing their research during formal presentation and poster sessions, participating in workshops, and enjoying a number of exciting invited keynote presentations, along with fun social events.

For those of you who have been to this conference in the past, most recently at the University of Canterbury, we know that you need no convincing of what a great experience attending the NZCSRSC is. We can’t wait to see you once again and catch up on your latest work, but this time here in Auckland!

The call for papers has already gone out to universities; you can also view this on the website. The submission deadline has been extended to 9 December 2008 so if you haven’t already started your paper, get writing and tell the CS research community all about what you’re working on. For more information see your local university contact otherwise general queries can be made to Rachel Blagojevic (contact information is on the website)

The week of the NZCSRSC'08

2008-08-19T09:33:00.005+12:00

Taken from the May 2008 CSANZ Newsletter[PDF]

The sound of bagpipes signified the start of this weeklong, immersive conference. From the opening ceremony on Monday to the goodbyes on Friday – it was a packed and exhilarating week! Run by students for students, it was a week full of events focused on the needs of postgraduate NZ ICT students. The Deputy Mayor of Christchurch Norm Withers welcomed the 135 participants (about 110 students) from all eight universities to the Garden City, the ICT hub of New Zealand. Pro Vice Chancellor (UC) Peter Jackson opened the NZCSRSC 2008, motivating students to participate and engage as much as possible over the week. The Father of the NZCSRSC Ian Witten, and Dr. Darin Graham (Director, NZi3) talked about the NZCSRSC, the ICT students, and the state of the ICT world today. After the opening ceremony, Tony Dale (BlueFern) gave a presentation of the world-class supercomputing available here, followed by tours of the UC supercomputer facility.

Over the next few days there were five student presentation sessions featuring 26 paper presentations and a poster session with 24 poster talks, showcasing the high quality, diverse, cutting-edge research produced here in NZ. Congratulations to Shaoqun Wu and Edmond Zhang for winning the best presentation and best poster awards respectively. These were presented by University of Canterbury Vice Chancellor Roy
Sharp at the closing ceremony.

There were four inspiring keynote speakers. Businessperson and public speaker Martz Witty entertained and educated the participants on presentation and social networking skills. Edwin Dando (CEO, Clarus) encouraged participants to ‘Strive for Excellence’, combining his story of success with practical software engineering and quality management principles. Dave Lane (CEO, Egressive) in his talk ‘The Open Road; Doing the Right Thing and Making a Living’ brought in the aspects of open source, open standards, ethics, and values in the ICT world. David Park (CEO, Geospatial Research Centre) in ‘Be confident in who you are and what you do’ combined practical words of wisdom illustrating them with examples from his life and the various projects he has managed. Experts engaged in active discussion with participants on topics affecting an ICT student’s Present and Future skills, in eight workshop topics. Students were able to discuss the reality of life in industry (e.g. risk management, agile processes etc) in seven casual and interactive chalk’n’talk sessions with software developers.

The social night allowed participants to mingle and make contacts over a delicious BBQ to the sounds of a live Jazz band.

We also had the traditional “Ian Witten and Tim Bell music session”, this time with Gian Perrone. This was followed by the Comedy Night at the Ngaio Marsh, which included performances from the Court Jesters and the Aranui Theatre Company.

The industry event was another time of building social networks. After the dinner and sponsors’ talks, students were able to mingle with industry reps (HR and technical) from local industry at the Human Interfaces Technology (HIT) Lab at UC. This also included playing around on many of the cool demos displayed.

Over 40 people participated in the CSUnplugged Workshop, aimed at promoting the innovative, internationally renowned CSUnplugged educational concept throughout NZ. CSUnplugged is a home-grown initiative, started by Tim Bell that teaches computing concepts to school kids without the use of a computer. The workshop included seminars, ‘real-live’ demonstrations with students from Chisnallwood Intermediate School, and hands-on sessions.

We’re grateful to all those who helped in the organising and running of this conference including the local contacts, ICT departments, authors (reviewers), supporters, and volunteers.

Special thanks go to the premium sponsors: BuildIT, NZi3, Orion Health, and the University of Canterbury.

NZCSRSC 2009 is now being organised by Rachel Blagojevic, Carl Schultz, and the Auckland uni team. We're looking forward to April 2009!

Pics from the NZCSRSC'08 are available online

It's Here

2008-04-12T11:59:00.005+12:00

Hi everyone!

That time of year is just about here - the week of the NZCSRSC 2008 - starting with the main conference 14-17 April followed by the CSUnplugged Workshop 17-18 April. We are excited and looking forward to this fully immersive week. It's all about being part of the NZ ICT family, building your social networks, sharing your ideas, giving and receiving feedback, and learning important skills.

After the check-in at 1:00pm on Monday, we will see the official kick off (***now at 3:00pm***) with the opening ceremony. Straight afterwards, there will be a presentation and trips to the supercomputer - NZ's fastest research supercomputer. At 6pm, we will be at the UCSA ballroom for a nice sit-down dinner followed by a keynote presentation by a well known public speaker and businessman Martz Witty at 7pm. He will be talking about the do's and don'ts of presentations, public speaking, social networking (all the things that are important for us to know!) - with funny stories from his own life - tailored specifically for us. Following the presentation at 8pm will be dessert!

Over the next few days there will be presentation and poster sessions where we will get to hear the latest in research about what is going on around the country. We have had some great quality research papers - and we are looking forward to viewing the presentations (both talks and posters). Digital proceedings will be made available during the conference.

Like everything else, the workshop sessions this year have been designed with postgraduate students in mind, covering 8 of the important issues over two categories (Present and Future). Students can choose four of the eight topics offered - and attend up to four 30 minute sessions on Wednesday afternoon. Check out the workshops page (http://nzcsrsc08.canterbury.ac.nz/site/workshops) for more details.

All keynote speakers (including Edwin Dando, Dave Lane, and David Park) have been chosen specifically for their passion, enthusiasm, and their work in their Industry. These are not managers who are tired of what they are doing - but enthusiastic, passionate people who are right there in the forefront of their field working hard every day. They know the in's and out's of their domain - and what it entails including what works, and what fails. This is their story. Check out: http://nzcsrsc08.canterbury.ac.nz/site/keynotes

The Orion Health Social Night on Tuesday promises to be a night of fun and entertainment. Enjoy the evening starting with a casual BBQ dinner (accompanied by a local Jazz trio) and our own local talent (did you remember to pack those instruments?) followed by a Night of Comedy at the Ngaio Marsh (starts at 8pm) with the first performance by nationally renowned Court Jesters. After the intermission, be entertained by the Aranui Drama Theatre Company and their rendition of "Mr. and Mrs A Scottish Play" - a Monty Python-meets-Blackadder take of "Macbeth".

The NZi3 Industry event on Wednesday is geared to meeting and mingling with people that work in Industry. From the stand-up/mingling dinner at 6pm, through to the "Meet the Industry" event at 8pm at the HIT Lab. This should be a very informative and interesting event with people who are very keen to talk with students about daily life in the ICT industry.

The lunches are purposefully informal, casual, stand-up/mingling lunches. This is a chance for you to wander around and talk with others - perhaps the ones whose research presentation has caught your attention. On Tuesday, the lunch will also have "chalk and talk" sessions scattered around the C-Block foyer. Software developers who are working in industry have volunteered their time to come and discuss various issues (including stories from their work life) with students. These include experts in Software development, Processes (including Agile and SCRUM), Test Driven Architectures and Environments, Security .... etc.

Straight after the main ceremony (and the awards for best presentation and poster - yes there will be awards and you will be voting!), the CSUnplugged Workshop will begin. Remember this is separate registration to the main conference - so register now if you haven't already. Everyone is invited to the first session where you will be able to view the very interesting activities of the CSUnplugged project.

Check out the programmes page: http://nzcsrsc08.canterbury.ac.nz/site/programme

This in an immersive event. Come prepared to inspire and be inspired. This conference is run by students for students ... it is your conference. You are not the 'audience' but the 'interactive participants'.

We are excited and looking forward to seeing you all here next week.

Moffat Mathews,
General Chair,
NZCSRSC 2008

--------------------------

Orion Health, premium sponsor of the NZCSRSC 2008

Adding fun to the NZCSRSC 2008

2008-04-06T20:41:00.002+12:00

Besides attending presentations, poster sessions and workshops, what else do you expect to experience when coming to NZCSRSC’08? Fun, entertainment, excitement, while keeping within the goals of this immersive event - all this is our job. As the NZCSRSC'08 Ministers of Culture, our main responsibility is to organize all the events during the conference. These include check-in on your arrival, opening and closing ceremonies, the industry event, as well as social event. Therefore everyday, the two of us keep on thinking about how we can make people comfortable and happy, how things can be interesting and appealing, how…

Anyway, I think you get the idea. Now, only if we had an unlimited (non-student) budget!

We want to give you the warmest welcome when you arrive in Christchurch, followed by a "welcome-to-NZCSRSC/Canterbury" opening ceremony. After the ceremony, you may want to take in a tour (with presentation) of NZ’s fastest supercomputer or have a look around the university! That evening we are combining a delicious sit-down dinner with an informative and fun after-dinner public speaker. After presentations on the second day, you get to relax during the social night, meet with others, and make new friends (build your network). Here people can mingle with each other and enjoy a couple of nice comedy shows we have planned. If you are a musician at heart, bring your instruments down and you might have a chance to jam during the BBQ (keep an eye on the forum for more details). The following evening you will be dining and mingling with representatives from the ICT industry. Here you can see some cool demos and talk to people from local or even national wide ICT companies and organizations, and build your industry-based network. We hope that you will find useful information there on software/tools or for future employment, collaboration, or partnerships. On the last day, award presentations and the closing ceremony will, we hope, draw a perfect end to the conference.

Now the question is: “who are we???” “We” are … Sharon and Xianglin - two of a few girls in the Computer Science & Software Engineering Department (We have to add, girls here are powerful!), who enjoy working for this Ministry. Sharon is from the ICTG (Intelligent Computer Tutoring Group). She is currently designing multiple presentations for open student models used in one of the tutoring systems. Xianglin is from the Network Security Lab. Her topic is on the security of Voice over IP.

NZCSRSC is new to the both of us as we enrolled in our Masters thesis in mid 2007, but now we have become very passionate about it and are really looking forward to experiencing it first hand. Imagine … many of the best computer science research students from around the nation will gather here and present their findings; how can we miss such an event! So come on and join us! Let’s talk to each other, learn new things and make friends. Together, let’s make it a fun, educational, interesting, and memorable experience!

Sharon and Xianglin are looking forward to meeting and mingling with all of you at the NZCSRSC'08.

--------------------------

BuildIT, premium sponsor of the NZCSRSC 2008

Registration

2008-02-28T03:30:00.010+13:00

Registration for the main conference went live at 1:21AM this morning. Much kudos has to go out to Robert Lechte for all the hard work, late nights and constant revisions he has had to endure to make online registration a success. Some thanks also has to go out to the MSN live messaging service for its not-always-foolproof late-night conferencing abilities :-)

Main conference registration can now be made via the registration page, however, before you register there are a couple of things you need to check.

Visit and read over the terms and conditions. These outline everyone's responsibilities, and hopefully clarify a couple of questions people may have.
Check with your local contact if your department is subsidising your trip [updated at bottom of post]. Some departments are paying for registration in bulk. If this is the case then the online form won't be of much use, as it asks for your credit card information. We will be releasing information shortly to your local contacts regarding how you can register. A list of local contacts can be found on the people page.

Accommodation Subsidies
We currently have enough money in the budget to pay accommodation for all (out of town) post-grad students who have had a paper accepted. If this applies to you, you can claim your subsidy by registering before the 10th of March.

If you're a post-grad student and you haven't had a paper accepted, you still have a chance at an accommodation subsidy! When you hit the accommodation page on the registration form you will be presented with two options: book 3 days guaranteed accommodation for $150, or go on the waiting list for free accommodation. What's the difference? If you choose the first option you are guaranteed a bed at Bishop Julius Hall (provided your payment goes through), however you have to pay for it. The second option gives you a chance at free accommodation should not all paper-accepted students register before 10 March. 'Winners' will be chosen at random, and notification given on 12 March. If you choose this option and are unsuccessful, then you will be given the option to book a bed at Bish for $150 only if there are rooms free.

In short: one option guarantees you a bed, the other risks it.

We are always trying to get you more subsidies, but this is heavily dependent on sponsorship.

CSUnplugged Workshop registration will be online soon. In the meantime, make sure you have those nominations from you HOD.

Questions
We will keep the registration page updated to cover any issues or questions that arise with registration. Descriptions of the changes will be tacked on to this blog post.

If you have any questions, comments, or need something clarified please let us know: nzcsrsc08@canterbury.ac.nz

Andrew issszzzzzzzzzz...

---- Update 3.3.08 5pm ----
We should add a big thank-you to AUT and Otago universities who have offered to pay the accommodation costs for authors from their respective institutions. It's only with their support that we've been able to offer free accommodation to the remaining authors.

If you're registering and you're an author from one of these universities, just tick the "three nights free accommodation" box---we'll then invoice your university (after validation) for your accommodation.

If your university is also willing to pay for your accommodation, please get in touch (via your local contact, or by emailing nzcsrsc08@canterbury.ac.nz), or use your department's credit card to pay for it as you register. The more rooms that are paid for, the more students we can offer free accommodation to, making a better conference for everyone!

Jason Alexander

Going Unplugged: Teaching Computing without Computers

2008-02-25T20:30:00.000+13:00

Associate Professor Tim Bell, the founder and one of the principle authors of CSUnplugged dropped by to tell us more about the project.

NZCSRSC: Tim, we are very pleased to be working in partnership with CSUnplugged to organise the Unplugged Workshop (17, 18 April) in conjunction with the NZCSRSC’08. We’re excited that NZ ICT students can be involved in this type of a project; one that has such an influence on our future generations. However, for those who aren’t familiar with this project … what is CSUnplugged? ... and where is it used?

Tim: Thank you! This conference is a great opportunity to share these ideas with postgraduate students. CSUnplugged is a collection of fun teaching materials that we used to demonstrate university Computer Science concepts to pre-schoolers so they can decide if they want to be computer scientists when they grow up instead of train drivers. Well, that's the extreme version... it gets used at all sorts of levels in education, but the most interesting point for me is when kids are around 12 years old, and aren't thinking they're too cool to have fun with new ideas, but are about to make important career decisions (like, "I might as well only scrape through in maths, since computer science doesn't use maths, right?" or "I love communicating with people, so there's no way I'd want to get involved in a loner job like software engineering, right?")

It's always easier to explain Unplugged with a video [01:43 min] example...
In English or in Swedish, or Chinese, or Korean ....

NZCSRSC: It looks like so much fun, Tim! So, why CSUnplugged? What led to the need to create this project?
Tim: It is fun! And the kids think so too. Unplugged started for me when I was asked to give a talk about computers to my son's class in the early 80's, and wanted to try to convey what Computer Science is to 5 year olds. Showing them a laptop wouldn't be particularly impressive, and how interesting would watching an O(nlog n) sorting algorithm be for kids who mainly think of computers as a games machine?

So I took the radical step of not using a computer at all. I turned some CS ideas into games and puzzles, which turned out to be (mainly) very engaging for the kids, and a lot of fun for me.

15 years later, and the collection of games has grown, but the basic material is still useful. The problem is that the way school students encounter computing these days is mainly through learning MS Office, or making web pages, or perhaps a little programming. From this they make wrong assumptions about what a career in CS would involve... and this is a large part of the explanation of falling numbers of students enrolling in CS, despite the huge growth in demand from employers.

NZCSRSC: And this home-grown project has gone international too …

Tim: Yes! In fact, in the last couple of years it surprised me as it has generated huge international interest from the CS community. Unplugged has turned up in lots of places: the ACM K-12 curriculum uses it as examples of good practice, it is used by famous universities including CMU, UCLA, U Washington and Purdue as part of their school outreach programmes, and NCWIT use it to promote IT to young women. It has been published in Korea and Japan --- in Korea it is directly influencing the national school curriculum, which is pretty cool considering it is one of the leading nations in plugged in technology. Translations into about 10 other languages are also underway, supported by enthusiasts all over the world. Google have given substantial sponsorship to Unplugged to help address the low enrolments in CS. And to drop a few names, Peter Denning is a strong supporter of Unplugged, and is using it as part of a new initiative that involves luminaries like Vint Cerf and Peter Neumann, to improve the image of CS.

NZCSRSC: Wow that’s very cool! So what are some of the future plans?

Tim: Apart from eventually making the world a happier place by replacing all computers with pen, paper, strings and sellotape, we want to publish lots more activities to cover more areas of computer science; and adapt and translate activities for into different formats... for example, there is work on activities for the disabled, video versions, a parent-and-child activity book, and an animated story version. The movie rights are still up for grabs.

In the meantime, we want to share the resources with lots of people (and get their ideas too)... which is why we're hooking into the NZCSRS conference, and offering a free afternoon, evening and morning playing with these cool ideas.

NZCSRSC: Thanks Tim! I wish we had learned CS this way! We're looking forward to experiencing more of these activities hands-on at the Workshop.

The CSUnplugged workshop will follow the NZCSRSC 2008 (17, 18 April). Register for the Workshop to attend!

Winston Peters move over.

2008-02-21T12:54:00.009+13:00

When I was thinking about taking on the role of NZCSRSC'08 Foreign Affairs Minister, some one pointed out that FA Minister is the first person to blame if NZCSRS08 is poorly attended (this is not the voice in my head, but one of my colleagues who was eying the job). I took this as a challenge and my previous experience (as the UC local contact for NZCSRSC07) has helped me lots. My main job is to keep in touch with the local organisers at each university informed where we’re at with the conference. I think local contacts play a crucial role for making NZCSRSC08 a great success, as they promote the conference within their university and also help us understand what is feasible and what is not from their ends. I feel fortunate to work with a cool bunch of people who are just as keen about NZCSRSC08 as the bunch at UC. Thank you guys and gals.

Last year when I was the local contact for UC, my biggest challenge was to get the best travel for our group at UC and Lincoln, for that I had to jump through a lot of hoops. Thanks to our UC travel agent!! Were it not for our very efficient UC travel agent, there would have been no UC contingent at the 2007 conference. My advice for those few local contacts new to the role, is to find out the procedure to book travel as early as possible specially if your university travel agent has a reputation of being difficult to deal with (like UC). Also if there’s anything you’re uncertain about, hound us until you get a sufficient answer.

Ok, a little bit about me. I'm a PhD student at UC and also a mother (of a 4-yr old girl, Ravisha); one who is finding her PhD a breeze compared to her mothering duties … Though that said, it’s still no walk in the park. My husband is also working in the computer field, as a software developer. Yes you guessed it, computer talks are off-limits at home. We’re from warm, sunny Sri Lanka. Moved to Chch about 7 years ago and loving it here.

My PhD research is about encouraging students to be more involved while using Intelligent Tutoring Systems (adaptive educational system). My project is based on the evidence that some students tend to try different answers to the problems (provided by ITSs) just to complete the task without actually thinking (which equates to no learning happening ).

Before attending NZCSRSC07, my national network of CS people were very limited. (Facebook was not that popular then :). I got to meet so many postgrads, academics and people from the industry. I realised that I am not alone going through the different stages of the postgrad life (the excitement and the frustrations etc.) Also I got a lot of great ideas from the workshops at the conference (things like effective networking, time management, publishing etc.). We also got the chance to see the CS dept at Waikato, to get a taste how things are done and how things are set up. We actually had the chance to taste a Waikato-made cup of coffee from their Espresso machine.

So I highly recommend attending NZCSRSC'08. Even if you don't have a paper or a poster submission. If you're at the early stages of a research degree, this will give you a taste of a postgrad student life (the good, the bad and the ugly).

Amali, the NZCSRSC'08 Minister of Foreign Affairs, is considering a move to politics.

Attack of the 50ft Ministry

2008-02-13T09:58:00.004+13:00

About ~~four score and~~ three months ago, the conference's call for papers was broadcast in Computer Science departments across the country. In the following two months we received over 50 submissions of long or short papers - an increase on the previous year, meaning the NZCSRSC is growing steadily, and with your input, we're looking forward to a great conference in April.

Submissions closed just before Christmas, and since then everyone's been furiously writing and sending in reviews - we know because we receive an e-mail for every review sent (54 papers x 3 reviews each = enough email to fill up the inside of ~~Lancaster~~ ~~Jad~~ Christchurch's sports arena, if the emails happened to be printed on the sides of meteors). All reviews have now been received and we'll be releasing the results to the paper authors this week. This should give everyone enough time to absorb the comments and make adequate changes to their papers before camera-ready copies are due on the 7th of March.

We will open registration for the event shortly after the results have been sent out. Registration is open to everyone, not just those who submitted, so even if you didn't have the time to submit a paper, we'd still love to see you at the conference!

Some info about us, the Ministry of Justice (this is our official name; world governments and the U.N. simply refer to us as the Justice League of NZCSRSC08). Although the name evokes images of a semi-famous superhero clan, we assure you that we are devoid of special powers (except for Amanda, who has the ability to bend time; this comes in handy when deadlines are approaching. Bending space is proving to be more of a challenge, hence people will still need to find their own travel to the conference).

Our main purpose as a group is to act as the Programme Chair for the conference. Anything to do with papers and conference scheduling is either our duty, or a shared duty with another ministry. Any time responsibility is ambiguous, disputes are settled by three rounds of rock-paper-scissors, or pistols at dawn, depending on the weather and the phase of the moon.

As for the nature of the group's individuals, the Cliff's notes version begins....NOW: Jay is a postgraduate student currently in the process of finishing his Masters degree. His area is Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), specifically tutors that teach programming. Amanda is in the second year of her PhD, also in the area of ITS. She is looking at curriculum integration of knowledge spaces into ITSs. Delio's research is in the area of network security, specifically: traffic self-similarity and distributed denial of service detection.

The conference itself is shaping up quite nicely, with four days of amazing academic activity (and alliteration) anticipated. But, alas, more conference planning awaits. To paraphrase a popular marionette-starring TV series, Justice League is GO!(ing to end this blog post now).

Making the world a safer place for paper submissions everywhere,
JL-NZCSRSC08

The Justice League thinks that it's pondering what you're pondering, but where will we find a speedboat and 3 manila folders full of termites at this hour?

Darin Graham and the NZi3

2008-02-07T11:27:00.000+13:00

Dr. Darin Graham is the director of the NZ ICT Innovation Institute, an applied research institute based in Canterbury, that combines academic expertise and industry driven research. He moved to NZ in 2007 from Canada, where his previous post was President of Canadian organisations Innovation Initiators, a commercialisation company.

The NZCSRSC team recently caught up with Darin to talk about the NZi3 and his role in the organisation.

NZCSRSC: Darin, the NZi3 is all the buzz in the NZ ICT world – and for those at UC it is even making quite a physical mark with all that construction taking place! Tell us, what is the NZi3 and where do you see it fitting (its position) within NZ ICT?

Darin: First, I’m pleased to hear that NZi3 is “all the buzz” in the NZ ICT world. Hopefully as we build both the NZi3 Facility and the operational capability over the next year we will get into the exciting work of actually having a positive impact on the ICT R&D landscape. The role of NZi3 is about getting industry needs connected with academic researchers to help create a stronger economic and social foundation for NZ. By developing really effective partnerships everyone wins – the researchers now have real world problems to work on as well as additional funding sources; industry gets to tap into the outstanding capabilities of the academic community (both people and facilities); and graduate students get the opportunity to work on some really cool stuff. The i3 in NZi3 stands for ICT Innovation Institute. As such we are trying to create an entrepreneurial and collaborative environment to help move ideas from the lab to the marketplace. I also like to talk about 3 other i’s…NZi3 is all about creating Ideas (of our students, researchers and industry partners), developing Interaction (between multi-disciplinary teams), and supporting Investment (of both tangible money and less tangible people’s efforts).

NZCSRSC: You say that students are a vital part of the mix (of industry, government, and academia) in NZ ICT. How does NZi3 cater for students, and what role do they play within the organisation?

Darin: Actually, NZi3 is all about people and necessarily about technology as one might first assume. The reason for creating NZi3 was all about people – the government getting more highly-trained, world-class researchers and students; industry having access to the capabilities of those researchers and able to hire top-notch students; and graduate students getting the opportunity to work on some challenging and valued problems. If I was to choose one single stakeholder group was the most important for NZi3 to focus on it would be students. All though the NZi3 mission is to get good ideas out to industry, it is the students who do the majority of creativity thinking and work. At NZi3 we recognize that and have built our programs around students. For example, the first thing that NZi3 did was to set up a scholarships program to attract the best Master’s and PhD students. It started even before the first person (me) was hired into NZi3. Now we have 7 students supported by scholarships and hope to have 50 in 5 years. Also, the entire second floor of the new NZi3 Facility is one huge collaborative workspace tailored to allowing teams of students to tackle the industrial-driven projects. This floor, about 1300 m2, will have the latest in computer and communication systems, and will even have furniture specifically designed for collaborative research teams. To help students develop the entrepreneurial skills they need, we will be supporting business competitions, talent-development programs, industry-led workshops and bringing in business mentors.

NZCSRSC: Darin, you have had an impressive range of roles with large organisations in a diverse range of fields before you came to NZ. Why NZ? What were some of the draw cards?

Darin: Yes, I’ve had the chance to lead some R&D initiatives in some pretty interesting and diverse areas – government research at the Canadian Space Agency, the high-tech industry in North America (including security, robotics, and ICT), assisted in starting-up and leading some new companies, and helped create some exciting programs that involve some of the top Canadian universities in generating products and creating new companies. But what I enjoy most is the challenging area that brings all three together. When the role for the Director of NZi3 came up it was an ideal fit. In fact, a close friend said that the job had my name written all over it. Several things excite me about the opportunity. All the partners really took a risk in helping create this new idea – in fact, they probably didn’t know what they were getting into in this new area of “innovation.” In addition to my experience in working directly in this space for the last 10 years, it gave me the opportunity to help the partners build something from scratch, and by learning from my own experiences help build the best concept we could. Working in another country has always interested me, and New Zealand’s culture is close enough to that of Canada that it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to someone over 40! My wife and I like the outdoors and look forward to flying around a new country in our heritage aircraft. Opportunity, risk and balance-of-life all had a hand in the decision – and NZi3 and NZ has all three.

NZCSRSC: One of the things I get from you each time we talk is that you truly strive for excellence in whatever you do. What defines excellence for you?

Darin: I have to smile a little at that question as on one hand it is simple – and on the other, not so simple. Excellence to me is striving to be the best you can be. That takes a lot of hard work and always thinking and doing things differently. My wife always says I must have extra CPU-cycles in my brain as I’m always thinking of how to make or do things better. That’s the simple part. One soon learns that excellence can’t be achieved by a single person…it requires creating an environment and culture that brings together lots of people with diverse backgrounds all trying to do better through collaboration. That’s the hard part, and is exactly what we’re trying to create at NZi3.

NZCSRSC: What are some of the future plans of the NZi3? What can we look forward to?

Darin: We’ve just finished developing a comprehensive plan of what NZi3 hopes to do in the next 5-years. It includes a whole set of programs like scholarships and training mentioned previously. There are over 40 specific initiatives we hope to do – some small, some large – but all linked together to provide support for a complete innovation chain. I’ll mention two particular areas. First, over 95% of the NZ ICT industry is made up of companies that employ less than 50 people! If we want to grow the ICT economy, then we will certainly have to focus on these Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This presents some interesting challenges as these small companies don’t have a lot of spare resources to fund research…but, they do have some of the best ideas and can be much more dynamic and creative than larger companies. This presents a prime opportunity for NZi3 students and researchers to focus on. Second, NZ barely has enough critical mass to support an ICT industry. To be successful, NZi3 needs to link to other like-minded research institutions around the world. We also need to provide the conduit for global companies such as Nokia, Google, Microsoft, and RIM to invest significant research dollars. By doing so, we can continue to help create success for everyone – and help achieve the excellence we are striving for.

The NZCSRSC is proud to have Darin and the NZi3 on board as platinum sponsors of the conference.

Seasons Greetings!

2007-12-25T00:00:00.000+13:00

It's Christmas - the end of 2007. Time for relaxing and reflecting on the year that's been... for enjoying the company of friends, family, and all the things that we've most likely had very little time for during the year. Time also to start making silly resolutions that we would most likely never keep!

As we look back here at the NZCSRSC, we can see just how much we have accomplished in such a short time. It is great to be part of a team of people that are committed and passionate about what they do - a team that extends through all the eight universities in NZ. It is also exciting to be part of creating our future - and affecting the future of NZ ICT.

On behalf of the NZCSRSC family here, I'd like to wish you all the best for the season - including a fabulous Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Introducing David Park and the Geospatial Research Centre

2007-12-18T13:34:00.000+13:00

Dr David Park is the founder and director of the Geospatial Research Centre (GRC) in Christchurch. The GRC is a joint venture between The University of Nottingham, The University of Canterbury, Canterbury Development Corporation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. David moved to New Zealand to set up the GRC in 2006; it was officially launched in April 2007. Recently, we were privileged to meet with David and see the GRC first-hand.

NZCSRSC: The GRC is probably one of the fastest growing centres in NZ ICT. But it's so much more than a university department. Can you tell us more about it?

David: The Geospatial Research Centre is a university owned, university based company. We are trying to implement a reasonably novel set-up where permanent company employees are integrated in a single, cohesive team with University support staff (finance, HR, PR, administration, etc) and students at undergraduate, Masters and PhD levels. The students are physically located within the company premises and are working on commercial projects and activities as part of their course of study or research (yes - we do pay reasonable rates!).

NZCSRSC: Often when we think of opportunities in the ICT field we think of other bigger countries. What made you choose NZ?

David: I was looking for a country or region in the world that had no incumbent in the space I wanted to play in, was actively looking to support and grow its ICT sector and had a good mix of companies and opportunities - all wrapped in an environment that would be a positive help in attracting staff and students! New Zealand was top of the list and since our initial approach to the NZ Embassy in London in 2005 we've never looked back. We are now successfully securing and completing contract work from companies in the US, UK and New Zealand.

NZCSRSC: David, your passion and enthusiasm is infectious. What/who inspires you?

David: Good question! I can't say that I have been explicitly inspired by a single individual in either my personal life or the wider world. However, I have always believed that it is important to get a balance between work and home priorities and that you should always "give it a go" if you have an idea or dream. These two themes underpin much of what I do and are probably a result of listening to a number of individuals during my life. It is always worth listening and trying to learn from others, especially in terms of what really matters in the long term.

NZCSRSC: How is your family adapting to life in NZ? I hear you are about to have an addition to your family.

David: I am happily married and have three boys (currently aged 6, 3 and 15 months). We are expecting the arrival of #4 baby on 11th January 2008 so there may be a few more sleepless nights ahead for me through next year! The family is settling in OK. Galen, my eldest, is going to a great local school and we all love living by the beach - it's great to be able to take the dog out for a walk in the late evening and unwind.
The kids are already picking up the local accent and it will be a positive step to have a true Kiwi baby in the house in a few weeks time.

NZCSRSC: Thanks David! We wish you the best of luck with the family and look forward to hearing from you next year.

David Park will be speaking during the NZCSRSC'08. If you have any questions or comments for David please post them in the comments section.

The committed comittee.

2007-12-07T12:53:00.000+13:00

Organising a conference of this scale is no mean feat.

Planning started early in April with a small feasibility committee. In October, the committee became a Government. 8 new members, myself included, were recruited bringing the total number of student organisers to 13. Each member was given a "ministry portfolio" outlining their responsibilities on the committee.

Ministries and their Ministers include:

Department of the Prime Minister General Chair (Moffat Mathews)
The Treasury Treasurer (Jason Alexander)
Ministry of Justice Programme Chair (Delio Brignoli, Amanda Nicholas, Jay Holland)
Ministry of Internal Affairs Secretary (Andrew Mckenzie)
Ministry of Broadcasting Publicity (Sascha Rehbock)
Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage Events (Xianglin Deng, Sharon Duan)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Other Universities (Amali Weerasinghe)
Ministry of State Services Accommodation + Catering (Ray Hidayat, Devon Barrow)
Ministry of Transport Transportation (Mohammad Obaid)

As Minister of Internal Affairs, I'm responsible for general management, communication and administration within the committee. This involves tasks like chasing up ministers, co-ordinating our weekly meeting, and organising our internal wiki and blog.

Over the next couple of months, one of the things I'll be chasing up our ministers about is writing blog posts giving some insight into what they do. I'm hoping for about one a week, so watch this space.

Andrew, Minister of Internal Affairs, is starting to realise how inaccurate the movie "The Secretary" is.

Lunch and info session at UC goes down well

2007-12-02T19:28:00.000+13:00

To promote the conference to our local students, we organised and hosted a lunch and informal information session at UC. Students and some staff responded to the emails and door knocking (nothing like a bit of peer pressure) and followed the smell of pizzas to the gathering in the staff tea room. Jason Alexander (our Minister of Finance) kicked off the session with a presentation about the NZCSRSC, complete with pictures from the last conference.

Tim Bell, Brent Martin, and Tanja Mitrovic spoke about previous conferences that they had attended and the benefits for students. Tim was at the very first conference. Warwick Irwin also showed his “Top Five Presentation” award from a NZCSRSC he had attended as a student. Apparently that year, six people received the award! Go figure.

After the informal talks, students and staff mingled over pizza and drinks, talking about various aspects of the conference. It was great to see interest from students – including final-year undergraduate students considering postgraduate study options.

It is also good to see the effect that events like this have on the morale in the department.

Sascha, the Minister of Broadcasting, is wondering if there is a better bribe than pizza for students.

--------------------------
NZCSRSC Sponsor:

The NZCSRSC 2008 lunch and info session at the University of Canterbury was sponsored by CSUnplugged.

--------------------------

Welcome to the NZCSRSC!

2007-11-18T22:12:00.000+13:00

November 2006. I just finished my Honours. It had been an exhausting and gruelling year. To make things worse, I was moving house. It was during this time that the call for papers for NZCSRSC’07 had gone out. In my fatigued state, I ignored anything that meant more work. I had never been to a conference before and wasn’t about to waste my precious resources on this. I mean, why waste time and energy for a possible 20 minute slot in just a student run conference? Amali was a persistent local contact though! Muttering under my breath, I proceeded to write a paper. How on earth was I meant to condense all my research into just eight pages? Didn’t people realise that this was impossible?

Fast forward to April 13, 2007. It was the last day of the conference; we were saying our goodbyes. It was only then that the importance of this event started to dawn on me. Over this period, I was introduced to the ICT research world. I gained some knowledge and experience into writing an academic paper (and yes, it is possible to write an eight page paper!), being a reviewer, and presenting my research. I started to understand the value of adequate communication in both research and industry, including the importance of feedback and discussion. I had an instant connection with these people; they understood without me having to explain. There were people at various stages in research here. The more experienced automatically took on an informal role as mentors; their stories (filled with learned wisdom, warnings, shortcuts, and tips) combined with laughter rang in my head.

Today, November, 2007. I’m sitting here, a year after first hearing about the NZCSRSC. I have decided the NZCSRSC is inaccurately named. This is not just a conference. It is not just a four day event. This is the forming and maintaining of the NZ ICT family; our family. It is the building of long-lasting networks, something that is vital. It is the receiving of an empathetic email from someone across the country just when you feel you’re knee-deep in a swamp and about to give up. It is community. It is also a training camp – one that is focussed on building the skills of those that will shape the future of ICT. It is students using their initiative to take control of their future and the direction of ICT in NZ. This is good for the student and ultimately good for ICT in NZ.

Welcome to the NZCSRSC!

Moffat, the Speaker of the House, is not singing “We are family; I got all my sisters with me”.