FREE ADMISSION. Please RSVP to info@cycat.io

Tuesday, October 9, 2018 09:30 a.m.

Bank of Cyprus Cultural Center, Old Nicosia City

Cyprus Center for Algorithmic Transparency - CyCAT

Opening Event & Press Conference

The Cyprus Center for Algorithmic Transparency (CyCAT) and the Open University of Cyprus (OUC) as the coordinator of the H2020 Widspread Twinning Project "CyCAT," have the pleasure to invite you to attend the CyCAT Opening Event and Press Conference, which will take place at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation in Old Nicosia City on October 9th, 2018 at 09:30 a.m.

Algorithms and Big Data analytics play an increasing role in citizens’ lives, as they underlie popular information services and “smart” technologies, which are rapidly being adopted across sectors of society, from transportation to education to healthcare.

But many of the algorithms that underlie our modern information ecosystem are not transparent and not neutral. Are we aware of the social and political consequences of algorithmic biases?

The CyCAT Research Team from the Open University of Cyprus, along with its Advanced Partners from The University of Sheffield, University of Haifa, University of Trento and The University of Edinburgh are preparing an outstanding event, where researchers' insights and vision for the project will be shared with the public.

Speakers:

Jahna Otterbacher - CyCAT Coordinator (Ph.D., University of Michigan at Ann Arbor), is an Assistant Professor in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences and the Academic Coordinator for the MSc in Social Information Systems at the Open University of Cyprus. Otterbacher’s research focuses on understanding people’s information needs through analysing their behavioural traces in systems, as well as on the way that information systems represent the social world, as well as their resulting impact. She has a growing track record in top-tier international conference and journal publications for her work on the reproduction of social stereotypes in algorithmic systems such as search engines.

Loizos Michael - CyCAT Core Team Member (Ph.D., Harvard University) is an Assistant Professor at Open University of Cyprus, where he founded and directs the Computational Cognition Lab. His research focuses on the principled study of cognitive processes associated with individual or collective intelligence — such as learning, reasoning, sensing, communication, cooperation — and how those are used by humans and other organisms in everyday life. Emphasis is placed on the development of computational models for various aspects of cognitive processes, and the analysis of the formal implications that such models have.

Michalinos Zembylas - CyCAT Core Team Member (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Academic Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Educational Studies, will coordinate the educational work package of the project as well as dissemination activities related to raising educators’ and students’ awareness of the social and political consequences of algorithmic biases. His research explores how affective politics intersect with issues of social justice pedagogies, intercultural and peace education, and citizenship education. Zembylas has published 7 books, as well as more than 70 book chapters and 190 articles in international peer-reviewed journals. He has been honoured with important awards, such as the CIES Jackie Kirk Outstanding Book Award and the 2016 Cyprus Distinguished Researcher award, and has coordinated or participated in more than 20 research projects.