Question: As a statistician, you experienced the growth of computer science studies at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. What were the expectations for the computer science program?

Helmut Beran: First a personal comment: In the fall of 1967, I joined Professor Adolf Adam at as an assistant professor at the former Institute for Statistics and Data Processing at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences as part of the former Hochschule für Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften Linz. I was in a position to follow Prof. Adam’s initial constitution of the Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, officially transferring the institute to the new TN faculty in 1968, the start of the first Austrian degree program in computer science in 1969 and its continual development “up close”, so to speak, but as a statistician, I was always a little bit on the side, which should be taken into account in my responses.

Now in response to the question, during the last century at the end of the 60s, visionaries such as Adolf Adam recognized that the computer was not just a better calculating machine, but had the potential to establish a new era of information processing (in the broadest sense) and change society in a sustainable way. He felt it was the right time to introduce the (not yet clearly defined) academic degree program in "Computer Science" as a major at the university in order to educate experts in this field and conduct corresponding research. The program kicked off in 1969 at the then Hochschule Linz as the first computer science program in Austria and at a European university. To celebrate the success of the program’s 50^th anniversary in Linz not only proves that the decision at that time was right and necessary, but that this degree program soon ranked among the opportunities that the JKU was able to offer to new students.
 

Question: To what extent has the Computer Science program influenced or changed other disciplines?   

Helmut Beran: The use of computers in many scientific areas of research and applications has become indispensable.  This applies particularly - but by no means exclusively - to the areas in life sciences, engineering, medicine, and business. This fact that has been taken into account over the years and, in some cases, over the decades, is that corresponding courses have been included in the curricula.

Question: In your opinion, what has been the biggest innovation in the field of information technology over the last 50 years?

Helmut Beran: Looking back, these are two areas for me: namely miniaturization in the field of microelectronics and the introduction of the Internet. Both have revolutionized our lives. The first has made mobile calling possible and in the future, it will have a major influence on our everyday lives in the form of processors and sensors incorporated into all kinds of objects and even networked, if necessary. The Internet, on the other hand, has made untold amounts of information available to everyone, but also has created communication structures in the form of social media that were never previously thought possible. Of course, this is not the time to go into the advantages - but also the dangers - of these developments.

Question: Looking back, what would you have thought impossible at the time?

Helmut Beran: Basically, there were a number of key technical and physical prerequisites for the following developments already in place 50 years ago and visionary researchers anticipated many of the scenarios that would occur later. However, very few predicted just how quickly and to what extent these innovations would change our lives and society.

Question: In your opinion, how will - or should – studies in Computer Science continue to develop?

Helmut Beran: When it comes to the program, the fact that computer science is one of the most innovative research areas must be taken into account. The JKU has already done this to a great extent, especially when comparing today’s curriculum to the curriculum from five decades ago. Today, the curriculum includes a number of areas that were previously considered not all that important, or that have not yet been addressed, such as computer security, pervasive computing, data science, etc. The JKU’s curriculum is based on principles of the "computer science" curriculum. I believe that in the future, the curricula and educational content will be continually reviewed, revised, and adapted in order to offer "state-of -the-art" education at all times.

Question: Half a century later, there is a new generation of pioneers at the Johannes Kepler University Linz launching the "Artificial Intelligence" program. The program is unique in Europe - what advice do you have for students?

Helmut Beran: A pioneering spirit is key when creating new things, but also in order to further develop existing things. For over 50 years, information sciences at the JKU have been shaped by their protagonists’ pioneering spirit and unequivocal enthusiasm for science and it continues to this day. My advice to students is to let this pioneering spirit and enthusiasm ‘infect’ you and stay with you for a lifetime.