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Foundations of Computer Science are not redundant

1,046 Comments

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SHATADRU SENGUPTA
5 years ago

Stopping research in FoCo? Why bother having Computer Science at all??!

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Wendy Hall
5 years ago

We would not have the AI tools and technologies we have today if it wasn't the theoretical work that was done decades. This is very short sighted by Leicester and sends a really bad signal about the nature of computer science/informatics research and why it is as important that we fund the theory as well as the applications.

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Chryssis Georgiou
5 years ago

Computer Science is a science, and foundation is the cornerstone of any science...Therefore FoCo is the cornerstone of CS.

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Samir Khuller
5 years ago

Foundations of Computer Science are actually critical for the growth and understanding of the field. Its like cutting off the root of a tree since the fruit is on the branch!

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Jacopo Emmenegger
5 years ago

University of Birmingham

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Franco Barbanera
5 years ago

Without foundations any building is doomed to failure

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Luca Vigano
5 years ago

The best way to shape for excellence is actually to increase the fundamental research capacity.

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Alex Simpson
5 years ago

A research and teaching environment needs both breadth and depth to be effective. Cutting both is surely shaping for mediocrity. Technology cannot be developed, applied and taught without science.

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Anonymous
5 years ago

A UNIversity should be committed to advance human curiosity beyond what aligns with current capitalist needs. If you go through with this you betray your younger yourselves, your kids, your colleagues, and those who have fought for universities as places of freedom of expression and thought.

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Ilaria Castellani
5 years ago

A shocking decision, which shows a total lack of understanding of the mission of Universities and the way research progresses. Only when grounded on solid foundations will research be able to benefit collective knowledge and society at large.

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Adrian Johnstone
5 years ago

An application with no foundations is like a house with no foundations. Leicester needs to guard its reputation.

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Samson Abramsky
5 years ago

This is completely misguided. I am writing with others directly to the VC.

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Tim Crawford
5 years ago

These are just the areas in which the UK generally lags, though Leicester is one of the bright spots in this. Basically crass decision-making, inspired by short-term 'economics' thinking, and driven by our wretched Tory government.

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Zeynep Kiziltan
5 years ago

Applied research and technology are possible thanks to the foundational research. Today we have computers doing heavy calculations, and tablets and smart phones in our pockets thanks to Turing who envisioned a universal programmable computer and engaged in the development of theoretical computer science (and also the foundations of artificial intelligence). This move would be shame for the university.

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Akshay Gopalakrishnan
5 years ago

I would like the university to note that, addressing foundational problems in computing will indirectly impact our ability to create safe AI based systems.

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Shlomo Argamon
5 years ago

Eliminating research and education in the foundations of computer science will destroy computing and informatics programs from the root.

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Jorge Pérez
5 years ago

This is short sighted, unwise, and wrong.

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Rupak Majumdar
5 years ago

By treating a university like a short-term business, you get neither a university nor a successful business. The goal of a university, to paraphrase Dijkstra, is not to provide what business administrators want but what society needs.

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Alberto Momigliano
5 years ago

As a former member of the Department of Maths & CS at Leicester I'm appalled by this decision

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Douglas Hainline
5 years ago

So they would have fired Alan Turing, but hired Mark Zuckerberg.