Human-Centred Computing News
Cyber Games 3.0: Stockport School takes the prize again!
The final of the School Cyber Games, part of the Cyber Security Challenge’s programme for schools, saw Stockport School emerge victorious once again as UK Schools Cyber Security Champions. This was the third time the competition has been run, and the second time the final has been held at the University of Warwick’s Department of Computer Science.
The Cabinet Office-backed competition aims to raise awareness of the excitement of a career in cyber security amongst a new generation of young people in order to address a growing skills shortage in this sector, as well as help teachers tackle the huge changes being made in the computing curriculum in schools.
Eight teams of Key Stage 4 students overcame a series of fun code-breaking and cyber security themed challenges to claim top prizes, including a cash prize of £1,000 and Hexbug robot kits. There were two teams from Stockport School, as well as teams from, The Kings School (Chester), King Edward IV School (Chelmsford), Grimsby Institute, High School for Girls (Gloucester), Hailybury School (Hertfordshire) and Ysgol Maesydderwen (Powys). Each was selected after finishing as the highest scorers from schools all over the country who registered for the first stage of the Cyber Security Challenge’s Schools Programme, an online code-cracking competition.
Each challenge was devised by experienced cyber security experts at Cyber Security Challenge sponsors and partners, including BT, Bletchley Park, Birmingham City University, the Cabinet Office, Cisco, CompTIA, MWR/Dataline, Raytheon, The Smallpeice Trust and Warwick Manufacturing Group. Brian Higgins, who co-ordinates the Cyber Security Challenge’s programme for schools, was the Gamesmaster.
On completion of these challenges, the teams then had to put together the clues completing each challenge had given them and crack one final code against the clock to discover the password needed to access the winning computer. The winning team from Stockport School managed to interpret the clues and discover the password in less than two minutes!
There was also a good deal of press attention, including a reports from Newsround and the Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/06/computer-hacking-security-teaching-schools)
Warwick Computer Science Ranked 2nd in UK Research Assessment
UK universities are evaluated on the quality of their research every six years. The results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), announced by the Higher Education Funding Council today, rank Warwick Computer Science 2nd out of 89 UK computing departments.
REF assesses the quality of research outputs (academic papers, software, etc.) and the impact that this research has had (including improvements to society and business). Warwick’s output was ranked the best in the country, while its research impact was ranked joint second (with the University of Cambridge).
Professor Stephen Jarvis, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, commented:
We are delighted with this result. Warwick Computer Science produces world-leading research, both in the theoretical underpinnings of computer science and in its translation to real-world problems. Our work over the past six years has created new businesses, developed new standards, generated IP for new products, underpinned national security and defence, and impacted on social policy in education and health.
This result comes on the back of an excellent year. Warwick has been named University of the Year in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015, and Warwick Computer Science was recently ranked as one of the best departments in the world in the 2014 QS Worldwide University Rankings.
Research Excellence Framework 2014: Institutions ranked by Subject
Further Information
Opening: Assistant Professor in Data Science
The Departments of Statistics and Computer Science are seeking a new Assistant Professor in the area of Data Science.
An enthusiastic individual is sought for this unique opportunity to be part of the newly created Warwick Data Science Institute (WDSI), which reflects the commitment of the Department of Statistics and the Department of Computer Science, in collaboration with the Warwick Mathematics Institute, to a coherent methodological approach to the fundamentals of Data Science and the challenges of complex data sets. In addition, the departments of Computer Science and Statistics have created a joint undergraduate degree programme in Data Science, which has recruited its first students in September 2014. You would be naturally involved in this exciting development, which constitutes the first course of its kind in the UK.
You will have knowledge of the current issues in Data Science and the drive to address them at a fundamental level while being part of a collaborative team from researchers across the mathematical sciences at Warwick. You will help shape Warwick’s research and teaching leadership in this fast-developing discipline. This is an opportunity to be part of an exciting collaboration between the Mathematical Science departments at Warwick.
Informal enquires can be addressed to any of Professors Mark Steel (M.Steel@warwick.ac.uk), Stephen Jarvis (S.A.Jarvis@warwick.ac.uk), David Firth (D.Firth@warwick.ac.uk), or Graham Cormode (G.Cormode@warwick.ac.uk), or to any other senior member of the Warwick Computer Science and Statistics departments.
You should have a PhD in Statistics, Computer Science or Mathematics or an equivalent qualification.
It is expected that interviews will take place in January 2015.
Start date: Flexible, although we expect the successful candidate to be in post by 1 October, 2015.