Noted Data Management Professor joins DIKU

On 1 October 2023, we welcomed a distinguished addition to the Department of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen (DIKU). 

Previously affiliated with Aarhus University, Panagiotis Karras is recognized for his research designing robust, scalable, and versatile methods for accessing, mining, analyzing, exploring, and representing data. 

Panagiotis Karras, affectionately known as Panos, expresses his appreciation for the opportunity to be part of a diverse group at DIKU, encompassing data management, software development, and formal program analysis. 

- I am excited about the opportunities to collaborate with strong groups working on machine learning, natural language processing, algorithms and the theory of computing, and human-centered computing, as there are areas of overlap in my work with these areas, he says. 

Research Interests and Aspirations 

In Panos' own words, his research revolves around developing systems, algorithms, and models that facilitate access, produce representations, detect patterns, and guide the exploration of various types of data. 

With a keen eye on efficiency, accuracy, robustness, privacy, integrity, and fairness, he aims to make data exploration, analysis, and knowledge derivation more accessible while upholding ethical standards. 

During his tenure at DIKU, Panos aspires to continue his work on developing data management systems that are responsive to user needs. 

- Systems are responsive in the sense that they progressively learn, proactively anticipate, and adaptively self-organize themselves in response to those needs and interests. I also hope to develop algorithms and tools that facilitate efficient and scalable pattern matching and machine learning tasks and operations, says Panos. 

Head of the Software, Data, People & Society section, Dmitriy Traytel, is happy to welcome Panos to the section.  

- I look forward to Panos’ valuable contributions in the area of data management and to his prospective fruitful collaborations with colleagues at DIKU. 

Beyond Panos’ academic achievements, he brings a global perspective to DIKU, having lived and worked in over ten countries.