Leagan Gaeilge

A leading Canadian academic has been appointed to a key role at University of Limerick and Lero, the world leading Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for Software hosted by UL.

Professor Lionel Briand, who has 30 years of experience on trustworthy software and AI research, has been appointed to the role of Director of Lero and Professor of Software Engineering in UL’s Department of Computer Science and Information Systems.

He will take up his new role in January 2024, succeeding Professor Brian Fitzgerald.

Professor Briand’s research has been particularly focused on ensuring the reliability, safety, and security of complex, AI-enabled systems, much of it in collaboration with industry partners and he is a previous European Research Council (ERC) Advanced grant awardee, the most prestigious individual research funding grant in the European Union.

As well as an exemplary research career, Professor Briand also has an excellent track record in education and has been the main supervisor of 37 PhD students to date. He has received many awards across his career including, significantly, Fellowship of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Fellowship of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), The IEEE Computer Society Harlan Mills award, The ACM SIGSOFT Outstanding Research Award and The Fellowship of the Academy of Science, Royal Society of Canada.

Professor Briand, who currently holds a prestigious Canada Research Chair, said Lero’s achievements since its foundation in 2005 have been remarkable.

“Ireland has an excellent reputation for software research and much of that stems from Lero. In a country with such a proportionally large high-tech industry, Lero’s role as a national centre of excellence focused on software research, including AI aspects, is pivotal,” explained Professor Briand. 

“Professor Fitzgerald’s leadership of the centre, with the unwavering support of University of Limerick and other key academic institutions in Ireland, as well as many industry partners and Science Foundation Ireland, has led to remarkable achievements for Lero.

“I see Lero’s role as a catalyser for research excellence and impact. I am thrilled, as the new director, to have the opportunity to work with Lero’s excellent network of researchers as well as new and existing industry partners to lead the centre to new heights,” he said.

Welcoming his appointment Vice President Research at University of Limerick, Professor Norelee Kennedy, said: “Professor Briand’s expertise and interest in trustworthy software and AI will further elevate Lero’s leadership position in the field. 

“His varied and impressive research credentials covering everything from software testing and verification – including security and safety aspects – to trustworthy AI, means we all have much to learn from him, while his extensive work with industry makes him a particularly good fit for Lero and UL.

“Professor Briand’s appointment reaffirms UL’s commitment to research as outlined in our research strategy Wisdom for Action, in which our strategic goals include enhancing our research culture, championing excellence, developing our research impact and external partnerships and attracting the best of talent.

“As we begin a new chapter, I would like to thank Professor Brian Fitzgerald for his work and dedication at the helm of Lero,” she added.

Dr Siobhan Roche, Director Science for Economy, SFI said: “On behalf of SFI, I warmly welcome UL’s appointment of Professor Lionel Briand as Director of Lero. It is wonderful to see someone with Professor Briand’s experience being appointed to the position. He will bring a wealth of invaluable knowledge and expertise to the role and to the team at Lero.” 

“This in turn will have a positive impact on Irish software and AI research and further enhance Ireland’s international reputation for excellence in research and innovation. I would also like to thank Professor Brian Fitzgerald for his superb stewardship as Director of Lero over the last eight years.”

Professor Brian Fitzgerald said he was delighted that Lero had secured the leadership of a renowned academic with a world-class research background.

“Academic research is the gateway through which Ireland can secure its position as one of the world’s great software developing nations and can provide the means of solving many of the world’s pressing problems,” Professor Fitzgerald said. 

“Professor Briand’s appointment is not just good news for Lero and UL, but also for software research across Lero’s 12 partner higher education institutions and for Ireland as a whole,” he concluded. 

 

 

 

Ceapadh taighdeoir idirnáisiúnta den scoth le príomhphost ag Lero

Ceapadh príomhacadóir Ceanadach le príomhról ag Ollscoil Luimnigh agus Lero, Ionad Taighde Bogearraí Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann (SFI) atá chun tosaigh ar leibhéal domhanda agus atá á chur ar bun ag OL.

Ceapadh an tOllamh Lionel Briand, a bhfuil taithí 30 bliain aige ar bhogearraí iontaofa agus ar thaighde ar intleacht shaorga (IS), le ról Stiúrthóir Lero agus mar Ollamh le hInnealtóireacht Bogearraí i gCórais Ríomheolaíochta agus Córais Faisnéise OL.

Glacfaidh sé lena ról nua in Eanáir 2024 agus tiocfaidh sé i gcomharbas ar an Ollamh Brian Fitzgerald.

Bhí taighde an Ollaimh Briand dírithe ach go háirithe ar iontaofacht, sábháilteacht, agus slándáil chóras casta atá cumasaithe i dtaobh IS a chinntiú, a ndearnadh go leor den taighde sin i gcomhoibriú le comhpháirtithe tionscail agus bronnadh Ard-deontas na Comhairle Eorpaí um Thaighde air roimhe seo, arb é seo an deontas cistithe taighde aonair is mó le rá san Aontas Eorpach.

Anuas ar ghairm bheatha eiseamláireach taighde a bheith aige, tá sárchuntas teiste ag an Ollamh Briand chomh maith agus ba é an príomh-mhaoirseoir ar 37 mac léinn PhD go dtí seo. Bronnadh go leor gradam air ina ghairm bheatha, Comhaltacht den Chumann Innealra Ríomhaireachta (Association for Computing Machinery - ACM), Comhaltacht d’Institiúid na nInnealtóirí Leictreacha agus Leictreonaice (an IEEE), gradam Harlan Mills Chumann Ríomhaire an IEEE, Gradam Sárthaighde SIGSOFT ACM agus Comhaltacht an Acadaimh Eolaíochta, Cumann Ríoga Cheanada i measc na ngradam ba mhó.

Dúirt an tOllamh Briand, a bhfuil Suíochán Taighde Cheanada mór le rá aige faoi láthair, go raibh éachtaí Lero ó bunaíodh é in 2005 as cuimse.

“Tá sárcháil ar Éirinn i ngeall ar thaighde bogearraí agus a bhuíochas sin le Lero é go leor den cháil sin. Tá ról Lero mar ionad sármhaitheasa náisiúnta atá dírithe ar thaighde bogearraí, gnéithe IS san áireamh, lárnach i dtír ina bhfuil tionscal ardteicneolaíochta atá chomh mór sin i gcomhréir leis,” a mhínigh an tOllamh Briand.

“Rinne Lero gaiscí as cuimse i ngeall ar cheannaireacht an Ollaimh Fitzgerald ar an ionad, le tacaíocht gan staonadh Ollscoil Luimnigh agus príomhinstitiúidí acadúla eile in Éirinn, anuas ar go leor comhpháirtithe tionscail agus Fondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann.

“Ceapaim go ndearna ról Lero sármhaitheas agus tionchar taighde a chur chun cinn. Tá lúcháir orm, mar an stiúrthóir nua, an deis a bheith agam oibriú le líonra sármhaith taighdeoirí Lero chomh maith le comhpháirtithe nua agus reatha tionscail leis an ionad a stiúradh le caighdeáin níos airde a bhaint amach,” a dúirt sé.

Agus a cheapachán á fháiltiú aici, dúirt an Leas-Uachtarán Taighde ag Ollscoil Luimnigh, an tOllamh Norelee Kennedy: “Tabharfaidh saineolas agus suim an Ollaimh Briand i mbogearraí iontaofa agus in IS ardú céime breise do shuíomh ceannaireachta Lero sa réimse.

“A bhuíochas lena dhintiúir ilchineálacha agus éachtacha ina gcuimsítear an uile ní idir tástáil agus fíorú bogearraí – gnéithe slándála agus sábháilteachta san áireamh – agus IS iontaofa, tá an oiread sin le foghlaim againn uile uaidh, agus tá sé an-oiriúnach do Lero agus OL mar gheall ar an obair fhorleathan a rinne sé leis an tionscal.

“Athdhearbhaíonn ceapachán an Ollaimh Briand tiomantas OL don taighde faoi mar a dtugtar cuntas air inár straitéis taighde Wisdom for Action, ina luaitear go bhfuil i measc ár spriocanna straitéiseacha ár gcultúr taighde a fheabhsú, tacú le sármhaitheas, ár dtionchar taighde agus comhpháirtíochtaí seachtracha a fhorbairt agus scoth na tallainne a mhealladh.

“De réir mar a thosaímid caibidil nua, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Ollamh Brian Fitzgerald as a obair agus a thiomantas agus Lero á stiúradh aige,” a dúirt sí freisin.

Dúirt an Dr Siobhán Roche, Stiúrthóir Eolaíochta don Gheilleagar, SFI: “Thar ceann SFI, cuirim fáilte chroíúil roimh cheapachán an Ollaimh Lionel Briand ag OL mar stiúrthóir Lero. Is iontach go bhfuil duine a bhfuil taithí an Ollaimh Briand acu á cheapadh leis an bpost. Cuirfidh sé saibhreas eolais agus saineolais shárluachmhair ar fáil don ról agus don fhoireann ag Lero.”

“Imreoidh seo, ar a uain sin, tionchar dearfach ar thaighde bogearraí agus IS Éireann agus cuirfidh sé feabhas breise ar an gcáil idirnáisiúnta atá ar Éirinn i dtaobh sármhaitheasa i dtaighde agus i nuálaíocht. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a chur in iúl, chomh maith, don Ollamh Brian Fitzgerald as an tsármhaoirseacht a rinne sé mar Stiúrthóir Lero le breis agus ocht mbliana anuas.”

Dúirt an tOllamh Brian Fitzgerald go raibh gliondar croí air gur éirigh le Lero ceannaireacht acadóra cháiliúil a fháil ag a bhfuil cúlra taighde den chéad scoth.

“Is é taighde acadúil an tairseach trínar féidir le hÉirinn a suíomh a bhaint amach mar cheann de na náisiúin forbartha bogearraí is mó ar domhan agus is féidir leis an bealach a sholáthar inar féidir go leor de na fadhbanna práinneacha atá ar an domhan a réiteach,” a dúirt an tOllamh Fitzgerald.

“Ní hamháin gur dea-nuacht é ceapachán an Ollaimh Briand do Lero agus OL, ach do thaighde bogearraí chomh maith i measc 12 institiúid ardoideachais comhpháirtithe Lero agus d’Éirinn ina iomláine,” a dúirt sé mar fhocal scoir.