Studies

Structure

The Department is staffed by approximately 40 members, professors, teaching, laboratory and technical staff, as well as administrative and other employees for secretarial support. The laboratories and the Computing Center are well equipped, while major upgrades are expected in the next 1-2 years. The Department is organized in 3 Sectors (Hardware and Architecture, Logic, Applications and Foundations) that extend across the entire scope of the Science of Computer Engineering, Informatics and Communications (EMYPE). Studies largely concern the study and implementation of artifacts (artifacts, as Turing and Nobel laureate Herbert Simon aptly called them) designed with scientific principles and “multi-technical intelligence” as, as Peter Denning states, “science , technology and mathematics are irrevocably woven into the fabric of computing.” The goal is for graduates to be able as engineers to analyze complex problems and design and develop complex integrated computing systems and applications. The basic Diploma awarded by the Department requires 5 years of study (300 ECTS credits). In the first 3 of the 5 years of the program, compulsory courses from the entire scope of EMPYE are taught, then specialization and in-depth courses are offered, while in the last year a Diploma thesis is prepared. Computational Thinking, which is useful in all scientific fields, is taught – directly or indirectly – in all subjects. The five-year program has a high laboratory intensity while many courses have a strong mathematical tone. Besides, as Leslie Lamport (Turing Award 2013) advises software designers, “they need to acquire a good mathematical literacy”. Many courses are available through OpenCourses. The Internship course enables selected students to gain experience in companies, while in some cases the Diploma Theses have an interdepartmental character as they are prepared in collaboration with professors from other departments, institutions or research organizations abroad.

Academic Studies

The awarded Diploma is of postgraduate level (Integrated Master’s) with professional rights regulated by a recent Presidential Decree (PD 99, Official Gazette 187 /Α΄/5.11.2018). 3 Interdepartmental Master’s Programs are also supported which provide specialized knowledge in cutting-edge issues: 1) “Data and Decision Computing”, 2) “Integrated Hardware and Software Systems”, 3) “Information Processing Systems and Machine Intelligence”. These, as well as several other DPMS in which the Department participates, are conducted in collaboration with other departments of the University of Patras (Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology, Medicine, Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering, and Philology).

Professional Rights

The professional certification of Computer and Informatics Engineers, based on the general and specialized scientific knowledge they acquired during their studies, is certified by Presidential Decree 99, (Government Gazette 187/Α΄/5.11.2018) in accordance with who have the ability to engage in activities that cover, depending on their field of knowledge, study, design, analysis, construction, construction and operation supervision, evaluation, maintenance, expertise and certification of compliance with standards in their facilities and in all kinds of their applications in the scientific fields:

of computers,
of telecommunications and telecommunications systems and networks,
of IT and information systems and
of automation systems, signal processing, image and sound processing, speech processing, graphics, etc

Research

Research activities are reflected in the Research@CEID yearbook. The members of the Department are active in national and European research and development programs and collaborate with researchers from other departments in Greece and abroad. The Department regularly participates in the organization of important scientific events, such as the leading European theoretical computing conference ICALP’19 (Int’l. Conf. Automata, Languages and Programming), DCOSS’19 (Int’l Conf. Distributed Sensor Systems), the IISA’19 (Int’l. Conf. Information, Intelligence, Systems and Applications), SETN’18 (10th Hellenic Conference on Artificial Intelligence), ALGO’15, the 2015 Gene Golub SIAM Summer School, etc. Researchers of the Department participate in scientific committees and other important international conferences (such as IEEE Int’l. Conf. Data Mining, ACM Int’l. Conf. Supercomputing, ACM Int’l. Conf. Hypertext and Social Media, ParCo, Europar, etc. .a.) and as scientific editors of leading scientific journals (such as IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Journal of Discrete Algorithms, SIAM J. Scientific Computing, Theoretical Computer Science, Computer Networks). They also contribute to research and the deepening and transmission of knowledge, publishing articles in leading journals and conferences and writing books and scientific monographs with high impact indices (h-index) and take positions of responsibility in international committees and scientific organizations.

Contribution to Development & Activities

Since its establishment, the Department has been a key provider of public organizations and private companies (banks, mobile telephony, etc.) with resourceful executives who with their scientific knowledge (“builder” rather than “user” in the apt words of Thanasis Tsakalides , emeritus professor of TMIYP) had a central role in setting up the ecosystem of PC and Informatics technologies as well as related automation and networking in Greece. Graduates took the lead in introducing students to the subject of Information Technology and in setting up the relevant services of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which is the main technological body of the Ministry in matters of Information and Communication Technologies, founded in 1985 by professors of the Department and the Department has always had a strong presence in him. The Department utilizes and also contributes to the local ecosystem of organizations and companies (e.g. within the Patras Science Park and the PatrasInnoHub) active in cutting-edge technologies. The existence of the Department and the excellent quality of its graduates has led to the creation of IT companies in the region with significant development and research activity. In fact, in the last two years, large companies with activity in Greece and internationally are developing branches and development centers in the region to directly utilize the graduates. Hundreds of students and their teachers visit the Department every year as part of events and summer schools, while the Department organizes information days for the region about its activities. In addition, as seen on the website and in social networks, the Department and student groups often organize events related to current research and professional topics, such as the CEID Seminar & Social Hour. Students of the Department organize the annual art event Artware, while participating and often winning prizes in intramural sports activities.