To criticise foundational work for not being applicable is to miss the entire point of foundational work! Number theory had no applications but is now the foundation on which cryptography and much of computer security is built.
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Olaf Beyersdorff
5 years ago
Professor of Theoretical Computer Science, Jena, Germany
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Michael Engel
5 years ago
This is absolutely unacceptable - without fundamental research, there would be nothing the applied subjects could reliably work on. In addition, this sets a horrible precedent for treating "tenured" staff. Scientists already accept the very low (in an international context) salaries at UK universities - if there's no reliable tenure any more, why should anyone choose an academic career?
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Fabrizio Montesi
5 years ago
This is a short-sighted decision that could cast a dark shadow over the entire Department of Informatics at the University of Leicester. It is evident that the Foundations of Computer Science group is scientifically of very high quality. The proposed plan looks like "running after the hot buzzwords" without being informed about the essential role of foundational research in computer science. This can drive away future potential candidates for positions at the department (even those in AI!), because they will naturally start doubting the long-term scientific vision and reliability of management.
If it happens, I will surely not recommend to our candidates to seek out positions at the University of Leicester.
Professor, University of Southern Denmark
Head of the Section of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Programming Languages
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Xin Zhou
5 years ago
University of Oxford
Trendy research directions are largely built on previous theoretical work, and still need the support from theroretical research. This plan is like destroying building foundations.
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Torsten Mutze
5 years ago
Pure madness.
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Benjamin Zorn
5 years ago
Theoretical computing research has had global impact through numerous advances. The Tire Tracks diagram illustrates concretely the long-term impact computing research has had on many billion-dollar industries: https://cccblog.org/2016/07/27/the-tire-tracks-diagram-corrected-and-humanized-by-national-academy-workshop-report/
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Anonymous
5 years ago
No redundancies! Expansion not destruction of a fundamental component of future tech growth.
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Reinhard Pichler
5 years ago
It is very short-sighted to cut off foundational research. Applications come and go; foundations persist.
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Mariusz Rawski
5 years ago
Associate Professor, WUT
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Natarajan Shankar
5 years ago
Computing theory is not just the soul of computer science, it is the key to organizing, processing, and understanding information. Mindless hacking will get you to a very different place than mindful theory.
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Anonymous
5 years ago
A house without a firm foundation does not last long.
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Michael Butler
5 years ago
Cutting foundational research and education is mistaken and misunderstands the role that theoretical principles play in all aspects of Computer Science and in future innovations.
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Martin Farach-Colton
5 years ago
My theoretical research, which I undertook for purely theoretical reasons, eventually lead to a database company and a new file system. You don’t know what will and won’t pan out.
As for going all in for AI in the middle of an AI bubble (the third of my research career) I have some GameStop shares I’d like to sell you.
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Jun Pang
5 years ago
We can't emphasize enough the importance of theoretical computer science.
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Robert Rand
5 years ago
This is madness. These areas are the bedrock of the internet and the modern world. Throwing out everything from algorithms to formal verification is consigning yourself to irrelevance.
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Ugo Dal Lago
5 years ago
In times like these, information technology becomes even more central in our lives, but also potentially dangerous. As a consequence, breaking away from the fundamentals is a strategically wrong choice.
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Joemon Jose
5 years ago
Computing is become the basis of making a number of social systems; it makes no sense to make CS staff redundant!
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Sebastian Rudolph
5 years ago
Full Professor, TU Dresden
Managing Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence
Pursuing AI without regard for the theoretical foundations of computing is just tinkering.
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Shivesh K Roy
5 years ago
I hope the following quote will help you to rectify your mistake.
"Rejecting theory as useless in order to work only on everyday things is like proposing to cut the roots of a tree because they do not carry fruit." ~ Marquis de Condorcet
"The advancement and perfection of mathematics are intimately connected with the prosperity of the State" ~ Napoleon
"Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe." ~ Galileo Galilei
“Some of the most applicable mathematics that's occured in history has been discovered not for the purpose of the application, but because one was just searching for the most beautiful mathematics out there.” ~ Manjul Bhargava, 2014 Fields Medalist
To criticise foundational work for not being applicable is to miss the entire point of foundational work! Number theory had no applications but is now the foundation on which cryptography and much of computer security is built.
Professor of Theoretical Computer Science, Jena, Germany
This is absolutely unacceptable - without fundamental research, there would be nothing the applied subjects could reliably work on. In addition, this sets a horrible precedent for treating "tenured" staff. Scientists already accept the very low (in an international context) salaries at UK universities - if there's no reliable tenure any more, why should anyone choose an academic career?
This is a short-sighted decision that could cast a dark shadow over the entire Department of Informatics at the University of Leicester. It is evident that the Foundations of Computer Science group is scientifically of very high quality. The proposed plan looks like "running after the hot buzzwords" without being informed about the essential role of foundational research in computer science. This can drive away future potential candidates for positions at the department (even those in AI!), because they will naturally start doubting the long-term scientific vision and reliability of management. If it happens, I will surely not recommend to our candidates to seek out positions at the University of Leicester. Professor, University of Southern Denmark Head of the Section of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Programming Languages
University of Oxford Trendy research directions are largely built on previous theoretical work, and still need the support from theroretical research. This plan is like destroying building foundations.
Pure madness.
Theoretical computing research has had global impact through numerous advances. The Tire Tracks diagram illustrates concretely the long-term impact computing research has had on many billion-dollar industries: https://cccblog.org/2016/07/27/the-tire-tracks-diagram-corrected-and-humanized-by-national-academy-workshop-report/
No redundancies! Expansion not destruction of a fundamental component of future tech growth.
It is very short-sighted to cut off foundational research. Applications come and go; foundations persist.
Associate Professor, WUT
Computing theory is not just the soul of computer science, it is the key to organizing, processing, and understanding information. Mindless hacking will get you to a very different place than mindful theory.
A house without a firm foundation does not last long.
Cutting foundational research and education is mistaken and misunderstands the role that theoretical principles play in all aspects of Computer Science and in future innovations.
My theoretical research, which I undertook for purely theoretical reasons, eventually lead to a database company and a new file system. You don’t know what will and won’t pan out. As for going all in for AI in the middle of an AI bubble (the third of my research career) I have some GameStop shares I’d like to sell you.
We can't emphasize enough the importance of theoretical computer science.
This is madness. These areas are the bedrock of the internet and the modern world. Throwing out everything from algorithms to formal verification is consigning yourself to irrelevance.
In times like these, information technology becomes even more central in our lives, but also potentially dangerous. As a consequence, breaking away from the fundamentals is a strategically wrong choice.
Computing is become the basis of making a number of social systems; it makes no sense to make CS staff redundant!
Full Professor, TU Dresden Managing Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Pursuing AI without regard for the theoretical foundations of computing is just tinkering.
I hope the following quote will help you to rectify your mistake. "Rejecting theory as useless in order to work only on everyday things is like proposing to cut the roots of a tree because they do not carry fruit." ~ Marquis de Condorcet "The advancement and perfection of mathematics are intimately connected with the prosperity of the State" ~ Napoleon "Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe." ~ Galileo Galilei “Some of the most applicable mathematics that's occured in history has been discovered not for the purpose of the application, but because one was just searching for the most beautiful mathematics out there.” ~ Manjul Bhargava, 2014 Fields Medalist