The University of Helsinki has officially released the results of its international evaluation of research. The Department of Computer Science came out as a winner!

During 2011-12, the University of Helsinki carried out an international evaluation of research and doctoral training to improve their quality and to raise their international profile in accordance with the University’s strategic policies. In total, 136 researcher communities participated and were evaluated for their work and results during 2005-2010. The main evaluation criteria were (1) Focus and quality of the RC’s research, (2) Practises and quality of doctoral training, (3) The societal impact of research and doctoral training, and (4) International and national (incl. intersectoral) research collaboration and researcher mobility.

The Department of Computer Science participated with three researcher communities corresponding to the three specialization areas of research and education: Algorithms and Machine Learning (ALKO), Networks and Distributed Systems (NODES), and Software Systems (SOFTSYS). ALKO and NODES were found to be top of their classes. SOFTSYS received credit for the promising concept of Software Factory. (See below for more information.)

The University rewards its 43 best researcher communities by 10.47 million euro in total. Both ALKO and NODES received substantial awards, totalling 0.69 million euro. There are no department-wise statistics, but we probably were the most successful department in this evaluation, given the fact that the two awarded communities represent 80-90% of researchers of the department. For comparison, in the rest of the Faculty of Science, only two other communities were rewarded and with smaller sums of money. (For the Faculty, the rewarding scheme was most unfortunate. The Faculty scored highest on the first evaluation criterion, focus and quality of research, but this time other criteria were also heavily emplyed.)

More information about the international evaluation of research is available at http://www.helsinki.fi/arviointi2010-2012/eng/evaluation_report.htm, including a link to the full evaluation report of the whole university. Individual evaluation reports for researcher communities of the Department are available here:

• Algorithms and Machine Learning (ALKO): http://www.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/aineisto/rc_evaluation2012/hallinnon_julkaisuja_80_70_2012.pdf
• Networks and Distributed Systems (NODES): http://www.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/aineisto/rc_evaluation2012/hallinnon_julkaisuja_80_54_2012.pdf
• Software Systems (SOFTSYS): http://www.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/aineisto/rc_evaluation2012/hallinnon_julkaisuja_80_51_2012.pdf

Summaries of reviews

For the busy reader, we give brief summaries of the reviews here.

Algorithms and Machine Learning (ALKO) scored absolute top of the whole university. The community participated in the "cutting edge" category and received highest possible marks in every single aspect. Only 8 other communities in the whole university reached the same result.

Comments by the interational evaluation panel: "The community constitutes one of the world-leading centres in the area of algorithmic and computational data analysis". "The RC [researcher community] is excellently positioned, with an outstanding scientific record in which foundational and application-oriented research are both excellently represented."

Networks and Distributed Systems (NODES) received second best scores in the "close to cutting edge" category of researcher communities.

Panel comments: "The RC is in an excellent stage of development and the overall focus is very strong. The subject area of the RC is highly relevant and well-positioned in the foundational and technical research for modern ICT systems." "The RC has an excellent record of industrial cooperation and actively contributes to leading standardization bodies like the IETF, ISO, the WWRF forum and the W3C consortium."

Software Systems (SOFTSYS) participated in the "innovative opening" category, with emphasis on the newly opened Software Factory.

Panel comments: "The RC is still relatively small (consisting of one chair) but very active in pursuing its mission." "The Software Factory platform is a strong concept also at the international level." "The RC’s scientific work is well-qualified and seeks to follow the new paradigms in the field."

The Algorithms and Machine Learning community is the largest, with 95 researchers in total during the evaluation period. The Nodes community of Networks and Distributed Systems had 34 researchers, and the Software Systems community consisted of 15 researchers.

Text: Hannu Toivonen