The goal of EMW is to provide useful hints to early career researchers (young academic, post-doc, PhD student, or master student).
As a young academic, post-doc, PhD student, or master student with research ambitions, you may wonder how internationally recognised researchers in computer science could become what they are now. What can one learn from their example? What do successful research paths look like? Are the important factors just as expected, or are there surprising aspects which make the difference? What is important to think about at your stage? How do you balance research, teaching, service and family life?
We welcome early career researcher to join the Mentoring Workshop at ETAPS 2025 in Hamilton! During this workshop, well known computer science researchers, of different seniority, will give inspirational talks about the path they took, what was important on the way, and insights they want to pass on to early career researchers. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussions and interaction, during the workshop and in the social programme around it.
Sun May 4th
8:50–09:00: Welcome, Marc Frappier and Elvinia Riccobene
9:00–9:45: Amal Ahmed (Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, USA)
Title TBD
9:45–10:30: Yamine Ait Ameur (INPT-ENSEEIHT/IRIT, Université de Toulouse, FR)
Descriptive and prescriptive models in formal system developments
During the course of my research, three main guiding principles have emerged. First, the distinction between descriptive and prescriptive models appeared as crucial. Then, the need to integrate these two types of models into formal developments of systems, while separating their design, has been a constant preoccupation. Last, the semantics of the domains in which these systems are supposed to evolve must be made explicit. In this talk, I will introduce the concepts of descriptive and prescriptive models and discuss their integration in the context of formal developments of systems. I will use Event-B and associated algebraic theories as a support for formalisation. I will also describe the various stages in my research, the opportunities I have grasped and the successes and failures associated with them.
10:30–11:00: Coffee break
11:00–11:45: Marsha Chechik (Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, CA)
How to Fit it All In
In this talk, I will share some advice about time management as a North American academic researcher (and a recent department chair) raising two kids. It is not a technical talk.
11:45–12:30: Michael Blondin (Département d’informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, CA)
My Humble Journey Through Academia
In this talk, I will share insights from my own path, from early academic experiences to becoming a tenured professor two years ago. In particular, I will discuss decisions, failures and lessons learned along the way. Beyond research, I will reflect on balancing academic responsibilities and personal life.
12:30–14:00: Lunch break
14:00–14:45: Kim Guldstrand Larsen (Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University, DK)
From Recursive Domain Equations to Reinforcement Learning for COVID
In this talk, I will share my personal research journey, spanning from foundational work in domain theory and concurrency theory to the development of model-checking tools such as UPPAAL. Over time, I have embraced machine learning and, more recently, quantum verification. I will also highlight my ongoing efforts to drive industrial adoption of research outcomes and tools—a pursuit that has been deeply collaborative, often supported by European and Danish industry-driven projects as well as personal excellence grants, including ERC funding.
Beyond the technical aspects, I will reflect on how this journey has shaped my life, leading my family and me to extended stays in the US, Scotland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. At the core of my talk is a fundamental question: Should good research be curiosity-driven (basic research) or problem-driven (guided by societal challenges)? I argue that it should be both, following the Twin-Win Model [Shneiderman]. In this approach, breakthrough theories are published in top-tier outlets while being inspired by and validated through real-world problems. Research, I believe, becomes more productive and impactful when tied to actionable insights that benefit society. Thus, good research leadership involves not only fostering high-quality, mono-disciplinary expertise but also creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Reference: [Ben Shneiderman]: Twin-Win Model: A Human-Centered Approach to Research Success. PNAS, December 11, 2018, 115 (50).
14:45–15:30: Eunsuk Kang (School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, USA)
Building Resilience for a Research Career
Completing a PhD is a daunting but rewarding process that is full of ups and downs. I will share experiences from my own PhD journey and some lessons learned that I’ve found useful for dealing with challenges and uncertainty in academia.
15:30–16:00: Coffee break
16:00–16:45: Ina Schaefer (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE)
Things Rarely Talked About in Academia: Failures and Management
Stereotypically, mentoring is often be about time management to achieve a better work-life balance, but I am not very good at time management, and I am also not a good example for a great work-life balance. Thus I will have to leave this advice to other people. But I know quite a bit about failures and bad management, things actually rarely talked about. But I wouldn’t want to do any other job, and it’s all about finding your WHY and fulfilling it to inspire others. Thus, I will tell you about my journey through academia, pointing out quite a few failures from rejected papers to rejected proposals and how to achieve the resilience to deal with those pushbacks. And I will talk about the frustrations of bad management (sometimes leading to those rejections) and share what I have learnt about leadership in academia. Practical advice will include a few easy things which you can do in your daily routines that make meetings way more productive and enjoyable for everyone.
16:45–17:30: Marie Farrell (Department of Computer Science University of Manchester, UK)
A Formal Methods Fellowship
In my career to date, I’ve experienced both the excitement of successful grants and (more often) the lessons learned from unsuccessful ones. Beyond grants, I’ve been deeply involved in building research communities, specifically in Formal Methods for Autonomous Systems. I’ve also worked closely with industry partners (including Collins Aerospace, NASA Ames Research Center, Satellite Applications Catapult and Amentum), translating academic ideas into practical solutions and building lasting professional relationships. To complement my research and influence policy, I’ve contributed to the development of the IEEE 7009 Standard on Fail-Safe Design of Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Systems. In this talk, I’ll share honest insights about these aspects, offering practical advice and lessons learned to help you navigate your own early career path.
18:30: Social dinner
We meet for an informal get-together and dinner (location to be determined), where participants will have the opportunity to get to know each other as well as the mentors and organizers in a relaxed setting. Please note that participants should pay for themselves.
Participating at the workshop requires a registration for the ETAPS workshops on Sunday.