Research Topics

The vision for research within the department of Computer Science is described in its 2020-2025 research strategy, "Towards high-quality and intelligent software". The department's research mission is to create an appealing and lively research environment, leading to a high(er) research quality, productivity, and international visibility.

Research in the Department of Computer Science is composed of four program lines:

• Software Quality.
  This program line focuses on quality assurance techniques for software systems. Research concentrates on techniques for, or based on, automated testing, theorem proving, model checking, run-time verification and static analysis. This program line is led by prof. dr. Tanja E.J. Vos, prof. dr. Stef Joosten, and dr. Sung-Shik Jongmans.
• Security & Privacy.
  This program line focuses on security of software and computer systems, and privacy-by-design. This program line is led by dr. ir. Harald Vranken.
• Artificial Intelligence.
  This program line focuses on methods for artificial intelligence (such as Bayesian models, machine learning and deep learning), responsible AI , and applications (smart services). This program line is led by dr. Arjen Hommersom and dr. Stefano Bromuri.
• Teaching & Learning.
  This program line focuses on learning-supporting tools and on computing education. This program line is led by prof. dr. Erik Barendsen and dr. Bastiaan Heeren.

Mapping to university research programme

The above research is executed in the context of the research programmes of the OU, specifically within the Learning and Innovation in Resilient Systems (LIRS) programme. The LIRS research programme consists of three main themes: Learning, Resilience, and Innovation. The department's research efforts align with this programme as follows:

• Learning
  • Learning-supporting tools
  • Computing education
• Resilience
  • Formal verification & testing
  • Security & privacy
• Innovation
  • Artificial intelligence & machine learning