Together with the FZI Research Center for Information Tech-nology and the Informatics Society (GI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) organizes the conference “Software Engi-neering” (SE 2011). From February 21 to 25, representatives of industry and research will present and discuss latest develop-ments and challenges in software engineering. The conference takes place every year at another university and is the largest conference on software engineering in the German-speaking countries.
Software engineering plays a key role in our industrialized infor-mation society. Innovative products and services cannot be imple-mented without software. Software is everywhere: It ensures smooth operation of enterprises and public institutions as well as safety of machines and plants. In everyday life, for example, when drawing out money or buying tickets, we trust in functioning and reliable software. Quality and security of software will also be in the focus of the SE 2011 entitled “Software Engineering for Critical Applications”.
“Software systems are increasingly applied in critical infrastructures, for instance, in financial services or telecommunications,” explains Professor Ralf Reussner, host of the SE 2011 and professor at the KIT Institute for Program Structures and Data Organization.” Func-tioning of these infrastructures in a modern society and the success of enterprises depend on the smooth operation of these systems,” says Reussner. Moreover, execution environments of software change rapidly. Increasing dissemination of multi-core computers or new service-oriented technologies like cloud computing massively affect software development. Software development must not only be cost-efficient and meet increasing quality requirements, but should also be easily adaptable to changing environments and allow for the effective use of the advantages of new platforms.
Apart from a number of workshops and tutorials on current trends and issues of software engineering, the conference will offer a high-quality lecture program. Among the keynote speakers will be Robert C. Martin, better known by the community as “Uncle Bob”, and the renowned professors of informatics Manfred Broy, Lutz Heuser, and Johannes Siedersleben.
For the first time, the conference will address interested teachers of informatics. To counteract the expected lack of experts and qualified workers in the information technology and communication sector, possibilities and concepts of including software engineering lessons in school education will be discussed.
The program will be completed by a symposium for young scientists and Ph. D. students. On Wednesday, February 23, an expert discussion of the German Testing Board on the faultiness of software and possible solution approaches will take place.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.