Institut for Mekanik og Elektronik

Simon Skjernaa Erfurth forsvarer sin ph.d.-afhandling ”Strengthening Authenticity and Mitigating Misinformation - Slightly Homomorphic Digital Signatures and Privacy Preserving Folding Schemes” ved et offentligt foredrag med titlen: ”Slightly Homomorphic Digital Signatures and Privacy Preserving Folding Schemes”.Forsvaret finder sted i IMADAs konferencelokale (Ø18-509-2) på Syddansk Universitet.Formanden for bedømmelsesudvalget, lektor Lene Monrad Favrholdt, vil være ordstyrer ved arrangementet.Alle er velkommen.

Algorithmic relations refer to the processes through which algorithmic culture emerges by people establishing and maintaining human-machine connections. It is not enough to ask what algorithmic systems are doing to us; we must also consider what we are doing to algorithms. How are we feeding them with our stories, actions, and affective orientations? This talk engages with ‘the feel of algorithms,’ outlining how the analysis of algorithmic folklore and related emotional responses provides novel perspectives on algorithmic relations. By examining the affective infrastructure of algorithmic culture, we can identify various modes of presence and participation, ranging from enthusiasm and ‘mild paranoia’ to irritation and frustration. The goal is not simply to uncover emotions but to expand the existing domain and methods of social analysis. The enthusiasm, fears, and frustrations suggest a broader argument that calls for appreciating feelings as form-giving social forces that define current algorithmic culture.About Minna RuckensteinMinna Ruckenstein is professor of Emerging Technologies in Society at the University of Helsinki and the founder of the Datafied Life Collaboratory. She has dedicated over a decade to studying the human aspects of digitalisation, datafication, and AI. Currently funded research projects focus on public values in algorithmic futures, repair and renewal of algorithmic systems, and brokering efforts that could lead to better systems.VenueThe DIAS Auditorium, SDU Campus OdenseThis event is open for all. No registration needed.

DIAS talk by Maria Ojala, Professor in Socio-ecological Resilience, FRONT (Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience), University of Oulu, Finland

In this talk I will examine how communities mobilize to resist urban development and how these dynamics shape the future of cities. I’ll discuss the factors that drive opposition to change, such as housing costs, community identity, and the perceived impacts on local character. By understanding these motivations, we can gain insights into the persistent challenges urban planners and policymakers face in building cities that balance progress with preservation.About Martin Vinæs LarsenMartin Vinæs Larsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University.  His research focuses on understanding the politics of housing and local government. Martin was recently awarded a Semper Ardens: Accelerate Grant from the Carlsberg Foundation and a starting grant from the European Research Council to pursue this research. His work has been published in the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics and the British Journal of Political Science. VenueThe DIAS Auditorium, SDU Campus OdenseThis event is open for all. No registration needed.

Despite the temporal distance, Italy and Germany have presently begun to recognize their ethical “implication” (Rothberg 2019) into their crimes of colonialism. The revival of these vital but marginalized memories challenges the core of these countries’ national identities contradicting the singularity of the Holocaust in Germany and the amnesia and embellishment of colonialism prevailing in Italy. This seminar explores the idea that German and Italian authors of postcolonial fiction and memory activists are two types of “memory entrepreneurs” (Pollak 1993), who by different means make Germany’s and Italy’s colonial crimes “memorable” (Rigney 2021) in the public sphere.In the seminar, leading experts of postcolonial literature and memory activists will present key authors of German and Italian postcolonial literature and memory activism focussing on the “Colonialism Remembrance Concept for the city of Berlin” that contests problematic urban spaces. Ultimately, the seminar will open a discussion about possible approaches to transnational and interdisciplinary research into colonialism.Sign up and programme: event.sdu.dk/colonialliteratureEveryone is welcome! For questions please contact Jessica Ortner jort@sdu.dk.

The brain relies on a diverse group of cells called GABAergic interneurons to maintain balance and regulate communication between neurons. These specialized cells play a crucial role in brain function, and when they don’t work properly, they have been linked to epilepsy and cognitive deficits in many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.Despite their importance, we are only beginning to understand how these cells develop, connect, and adapt. In this talk, I will share insights from our research on how interneurons form, how their numbers are controlled, and how they integrate into brain circuits to support healthy function.About Oscar MarínOscar Marín is a Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London. He graduated in Biology and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidad Complutense in Madrid (Spain), followed by postdoctoral training at UCSF (USA). He was a group leader at the Institute of Neuroscience in Alicante (Spain) before joining King’s in 2014. In 2005, he was selected as one of the founding members of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council, where he served until 2010. He is a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Oscar is known for his discoveries concerning the development of the cerebral cortex, with special reference to the development of inhibitory interneurons. His discoveries have provided a novel conceptual paradigm that illuminates current research on the origin of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. He serves on several editorial and advisory boards and has received multiple prizes, including the Rey Jaime I Award for Basic Research (2011), Prix Roger de Spoelberch (2014), the Cajal Medal from the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences (2017), the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award (2023), and the FENS-EJN Award (2024).VenueThe DIAS Auditorium, SDU Campus OdenseThis event is open for all. No registration needed.

There is increasing evidence that most scientific research does not meet standards of reproducibility and transparency. Concurrently, there are many efforts to improve the reproducibility, transparency, and eventually the credibility and usefulness of scientific evidence. Peer review is a central mechanism for vetting, correcting, and improving science. However, it has met with a broadening range of challenges, as 7 million papers are published every year, publication systems are over-commercialized, and reviewers are overfatigued. Many scholars argue that research assessment in general, if done properly for individuals and institutions, can be a major tool for enhancing research design, conduct, and outcomes. A central quest is whether proper incentives are provided and reinforced. Many ideas are proposed for changing peer review and research assessment, but few of them have solid evidence.About John P.A. IoannidisJohn P.A. Ioannidis, MD, DSc was born in New York City and raised in Athens, Greece. He trained at Athens College, University of Athens (medicine and DSc in biopathology), Harvard and Tufts (internal medicine, infectious diseases), and then held positions at NIH, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Harvard, Imperial College, and University of Ioannina. He moved to Stanford in 2010 where he is Professor of Medicine, of Epidemiology and Population Heath, and (by courtesy) of Biomedical Data Science. He launched the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS) in 2013. He has served as President of the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology and of the Association of American Physicians, as editorial board member of many leading journals and as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. He has been elected to many honorific academies and has received 6 honorary doctoral degrees and many awards. He is the author of ten literary books, three of them shortlisted for best book of the year Anagnostis awards in Greece. His work aims to improve research methods and practices and to enhance approaches to integrating information and generating reliable evidence. VenueThe DIAS Auditorium, SDU Campus OdenseThis event is open for all. No registration needed.