First DataBeers Copenhagen was a smashing success

On May 23rd, the first DataBeers took place in Copenhagen, featuring 7-minute informal “data story” talks by five data scientists from academia and industry. The event, co-organized by NERDS members Roberta Sinatra and Michael Szell, became a smashing success with over 120 participants and 400 units of free beer consumed, filling up the historic Byens Lys cinema in freetown Christiania. Michael Szell’s first talk on the data visualization project What the Street!? was particularly well received by the energized crowd. From anarchist commune now to high society in Monaco two weeks earlier, NERDS are relentlessly spreading their research all over the world. 

DataBeers is a global not-for-profit initiative (currently in 31 cities), that brings data scientists and data enthusiasts from industry, government, academia and the arts to knowledge share. The DataBeers teams organise events and invite speakers to tell their experience with data: analysis, visualisations, applied data, data journalism etc., always in an informal and agile manner.

The Copenhagen edition is sponsored by SODAS @ KU and DTU Compute. We are always happy about sponsors, especially for beer – talk to us at databeers.cph@gmail.com
The next DataBeers Copenhagen is scheduled for Fall 2019. Follow us at @databeers_cph for updates. Stay tuned, and cheers! 🍻

Postdoc wanted!

Update 2019-06-21: This application is now closed.

We are looking for a postdoc in data/network science, to start in fall 2019. The postdoc will work in the NEtwoRks, Data, and Society (NERDS) group at IT University of Copenhagen with Roberta Sinatra and Michael Szell. The group currently focuses on quantitative projects at the boundary of computational social science and network science, including science of science, social dynamics, urban sustainability, data visualization, and fundamental questions in complex systems.

We seek a researcher with strong quantitative background in fields such as statistical physics, applied mathematics, machine learning, network analysis, complex systems, urban computing, or other closely related fields. Our priority is to attract technically strong researchers who are interested in asking bold, new questions with data. A stated passion and experience in data analysis is a must, including excellent programing skills in Python or a similar language and experience handling large data sets.

The initial length is 12 months, full-time, with possibility to extend up to 3 years. Apart from research, a moderate amount of co-teaching is expected within the Data Science program. Postdoc salaries in Denmark are determined according to the collective agreement for academic staff employed by the State Sector. Researchers from abroad can request a reduced researcher taxation scheme.

If you are interested please contact Roberta Sinatra at rsin@itu.dk.

 

Roberta Sinatra presented at Prix Monte-Carlo Femme de l’Année

NERDS member Roberta Sinatra has returned from Monte Carlo, where she presented her research in an inspiring keynote talk for the yearly Prix Monte-Carlo Femme de l’Année. The theme of this year’s edition of the accompanying Women For Women (W4W) conference was Arts & Science, to which Roberta’s recent research on the scientific quantification of success in art fit perfectly. The conference was held in a very special place: the headquarters of Monaco’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The talk and its consequent discussions were well-received by the mainly female audience, and by The Prix’ illustrious patrons such as Walgreens Boots Alliance COO Ornella Barbara or the reigning monarch of Monaco, Prince Albert II.

For more information see: this Monegasque media report

NERDS launched online

We are thrilled to inform the world about the launch of our new research group: NEtwoRks, Data and Society (NERDS), at IT University of Copenhagen.

We are Michele Coscia, Luca Rossi, Roberta Sinatra, and Michael Szell. Our group’s research focuses on network and data science applications to social systems.

Find us online at nerds.itu.dk and on Twitter: @nerdsitu
Here we will also post job announcements (postdocs etc.)

NERDS founded

NEtwoRks, Data, and Society (NERDS), a new research group at ITU’s Computer Science Department was just founded by Roberta Sinatra, Michael Szell, Luca Rossi, and Michele Coscia.

The agenda of the group is to apply jointly for funding opportunities, have a seminar series, host research visitors, outreach activities, and in general be a reference point at ITU for the research on network and data science applications to social systems.