Author: Kath Williamson

On 5 November, CIRES hosted the Thesis Whisperer herself Professor Inger Mewburn at UQ. This full-day intensive workshop focused on managing difficult research projects. Here are some testimonials from our attendees:

“I’ve learnt project management before, yet the workshop gave me many new and practical tools to manage my PhD research. Inger ensured the event was interactive, and I loved her techniques for managing time, both personally and professionally. Thank you, CIRES, for the opportunity to learn!” Nova Sepadyati, PhD Researcher, UQ

“Learning about how AI tools can support project management was really eye-opening, and it was fun to see that some of the tactics we covered—like using a bullet journal and keeping a research reflection diary—are practices I already use. The ideas around the ‘right-to-left’ mindset, the different AI and collaboration tools, and even the formulas for estimating task times were all super insightful. Honestly, this workshop was totally worth it—a valuable and enjoyable experience from start to finish!” Lufan Zhang, CIRES PhD Researcher, Swinburne

“A truly engaging workshop and a great demonstration of how to leverage technology to make your research projects, and your life, easier to manage” Prof. Marta Indulska, CIRES Research Director

“I’m just about to submit my PhD thesis and am at the early stages of planning my first research project as a Postdoc. This workshop was timely and without a doubt the best workshop on Project Management I have been to! Inger not only talks about useful AI tools that are effective at saving time and deliver better project outcomes but she shows you how to integrate them and make them work with your own projects. The workshop was eye-opening, insightful and a lot of fun! Tracey Read, PhD Researcher, ARC Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocomposites.

Thank you Inger for such an insightful and practical hands-on workshop and to all our attendees from The University of Queensland, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University, and Griffith University for your excellent participation!

We finished the week on a high on 31 October by hosting our Centre’s end-of-year celebration at CIRES HQ. The event recognised the contributions and achievements of our research cohort of Postdocs, PhD researchers, Data Engineers, & Research Assistants, with outstanding testimonials from their supervisors. Key highlights were publications (including firsts!), completion of PhD milestones, project delivery, leadership of Centre initiatives, fellowships, and successful research studies & surveys, including with industry partners. It was wonderful to have our Swinburne University of Technology colleagues with us Luhan Cheng, Pa Pa Khin, Hui Yin, and Lufan Zhang.

Congratulations to our research superstars on a successful 2024!

A key highlight of the day was celebrating our wonderful Centre Coordinator Kathleen Williamson and her 35-year work anniversary at The University of Queensland. Kath is instrumental to the success of the Centre and is an incredibly valued member of CIRES & the UQ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. We bottled thank-you messages and testimonials from CIRES and UQ colleagues past and present to capture the gratitude we have for getting to work with her, and for her unwavering support throughout the years. And of course it wouldn’t be a celebration without cake!

A warm Brisbane welcome to Pouria Akbari who joined us this week from Norway! Pouria is a visiting PhD researcher from the Department of Information Systems at the University of Agder (UiA). He will be based with the CIRES Team at The University of Queensland and collaborating with Chief Investigator Dr Ida Asadi Someh and Dr Tapani Rinta-Kahila from the UQ Business School. Pouria’s research focuses on the intersection of algorithmic decision-making and citizens’ fairness perception, particularly in the context of socially disruptive systems.

“I am excited about the chance to engage in research and contribute to discussions through the Centre’s Information Resilience PhD School next week, along with workshops and seminars at the upcoming UQ Business Information Systems conference. This collaboration will enhance my understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the responsible use of AI”.

Congratulations to our CIRES Centre Director Professor Shazia Sadiq who has been elected as one of five new members to the Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia (CORE) Academy for 2025!

The CORE Academy is established to honour and recognise individuals who have made significant and cumulative contributions to the development of computing disciplines in Australasia.

As a researcher and educator in data and process management within the UQ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Shazia’s work has focused on dismantling socio-technical barriers to technology-driven transformation. As director of CIRES, she has helped link research and industry through industry-informed PhD training programs. Shazia actively engages in policy advice and science advocacy activities, including the development of national strategic plans and expert submissions to government initiatives on emerging digital technologies, and was a core author on the government’s Rapid Response Information Report (2023) on Generative AI.

She is also a champion for equity and diversity through her work with the first Australian ACM-W student chapter and DEI@DB, an international group that leads diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the database community.

Congratulations Shazia for this well-deserved recognition!

A big welcome back to Brisbane and the Centre to Professor Felix Naumann! Felix is a Professor for Information Systems from the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany, and is spending a six month sabbatical with CIRES at The University of Queensland.

Felix is a member of the Centre’s International Expert Panel, was a guest speaker at our inaugural PhD School in 2022, and we are so excited to have him join us as a keynote speaker for this year’s PhD School at UQ in October 2024.

He’ll be collaborating with CIRES Director Professor Shazia Sadiq and Chief Investigator Assoc. Professor Gianluca Demartini, and his research will focus on data quality.

“CIRES is a world-renowned centre for excellent research in all things data. I look forward especially to collaborating with faculty and students to advance research in data quality assessment methods. As an academic visitor, I also hope to learn from a new and exciting research environment, gain new insights into research and teaching methods, and ultimately find new academic partners.”

Welcome Felix!!

A warm Brisbane spring welcome to Sarah Pinon who joined us this week from Belgium! Sarah is a visiting PhD researcher from the MINDIT @ NaDI – Management of Information and Digital Transformation research centre at the Université de Namur.

“I’m trilled to join CIRES for the next three months. This incredible collaboration will support a new research project developed with CIRES CIs, Drs. Ida Asadi Someh & Tapani Rinta-Kahila, focusing on the creation of an evaluation framework for the promising new AI generation. Beyond the project, I’m looking forward to fully integrating into life at CIRES through participating in seminars, exchanging ideas, and building lasting connections with researchers from diverse disciplines. I’m excited to see where this journey will lead!”

Welcome Sarah!!

On Wednesday 7 August, CIRES hosted our third Information Resilience Symposium. This year’s event explored the important topic of learning in the age of AI, featuring state-of-the-art insights through a dynamic panel discussion and two thought-provoking keynotes from Dr Kristen Dicerbo, Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, and Associate Professor Paul Denny from The University of Auckland. The event also included an engaging Information Resilience Escape Room, which added a layer of fun, positive engagement, and mild competition, making the experience both educational and entertaining. Congratulations to the symposium chair Hasan Khosravi, and CIRES Director Shazia Sadiq and the team, who also celebrated the year three milestone of the Centre at the event – with a fabulous looking cake!

CIRES turns 3!

From left: Dr Hasan Khosravi [Symposium Chair] with special guest panelists Professor Kelly Matthews [The University of Queensland], Professor Jason Tangen [The University of Queensland], Professor Xiaofang Zhou [CIRES International Expert Panel], Dr Aneesha Bakharia [The University of Queensland] and Professor Shazia Sadiq [CIRES Centre Director]

On 1 August, CIRES Centre Director, Shazia Sadiq was a panellist for the Business Matters event “Building business success from AI and digital innovation” hosted by Business Chamber Queensland, in partnership with the Australian Retirement Trust. Joining Shazia on the panel were Brett Lightfoot (Queensland State Director, Microsoft) and Jamie Wilson (Founder & Executive Chairman, Cryptoloc Data Security) with the discussion moderated by Business Chamber Queensland CEO, Heidi Cooper. The discussion focused on the opportunities for Queensland businesses to gain significant competitive advantages from AI and advanced digital transformation, and the innovation and productivity gains that can be realised through workforces and systems.

On 19 March 2024, The University of Queensland hosted forty of Australia’s foremost leaders in artificial intelligence to workshop joint opportunities to bring Australian enterprise to the forefront of AI and address the industry call to establish a world-first institute for enterprise AI, capability, trust and governance in Australia.  Led by Professor Shazia Sadiq, Director of the ARC Training Centre for Information Resilience (CIRES), and facilitated by Peter Townson from QUT Centre for Future Enterprise, the workshop sparked conversations between industry, government, and academia about what is needed to bring Australian public and private enterprises together and adopt novel, sustainable, and safe AI methods and technologies.