The 6th Summit on Gender Equality in Computing (GEC’24) was held in Nicosia, Cyprus in June 2024.

The 6th Summit on Gender Equality in Computing (GEC’24), organized by the Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus, and the Greek ACM-W Chapter, took place on the 13^th and 14^th of June 2024 at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The Summit aims to promote gender-equal access to computer-related scientific frontiers and encourage and educate women and men in an equal way to achieve their goals and utilize their potential in digital professions. The goal of the Summit is also to celebrate and disseminate the achievements of computer professionals in a fair and gender-equal way.

Through a series of activities, including two keynote talks, a panel, one poster session, and an opening session with welcome talks from Professor Georgia Panayiotou (Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, Dean of the Graduate School), Professor Anna Philippou (Chair of the Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus), and Professor Panagiota Fatourou (Chair of the Greek ACM-W Chapter, University of Crete), attendees had the opportunity to become acquainted with current and emerging topics and essential achievements in computer science (CS).

The program included two keynote talks delivered by internationally renowned researchers and professionals:

“Natural Language Data Interfaces: A Data Access Odyssey,” Georgia Koutrika, Research Director at Athena Research Center in Greece. This keynote explored the historical and current developments in natural language interfaces for databases Bs), highlighting the renewed interest and advancements driven by deep learning and natural language processing, and discussed the challenges and research opportunities that remain in the quest for democratizing data access.

“Vision-based Robotic Perception: Are We There Yet?” Margarita Chli, Professor of Robotic Vision and the director of the Vision for Robotics Lab at the University of Cyprus and ETH Zurich.   This keynote presented recent advancements and ongoing challenges in developing vision-based perception for robotic navigation and intelligence at the Vision for Robotics Lab of ETH Zurich and the University of Cyprus.

Additionally, GEC 2024 hosted a stimulating panel discussion touching upon “What Lies Ahead? Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on the Transformation of Work, the Future of Computing Careers, Inclusion, and Equality.”

 

The panel participants were:
- Dr. Margarita Chli, Professor of Robotic Vision and the director of the Vision for Robotics Lab at the University of Cyprus and ETH Zurich.
- Prof. Panagiota Fatourou, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science, University of Crete and Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH).
- Ms. Eftychia Frangeskou, Senior Technology Software Sales Manager for Cyprus & Malta, Computer Science & Management Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London.
- Prof. Elpida Keravnou-Papailiou, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus (moderator).
- Dr. Xenia Miscouridou, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Cyprus, and Honorary Visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London and Imperial X.
- Dr. Antonia Michael, General Manager of IBM Cyprus, with a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Imperial College London.

Finally, GEC 2024 provided the opportunity for undergraduate and postgraduate students to present their work in a poster session. Twenty-four 3-minute presentations touched upon different areas of computer science. More details can be found at: https://gec24.cs.ucy.ac.cy/index.php/poster-session/

GEC 2024 would like to thank its supporters and sponsors (Oracle Academy, WarGaming, Computer Science Department at the University of Cyprus, and FORTH) for their invaluable support. Sponsors' contributions enabled the organization committee to bring together a diverse group of experts and students, fostering an environment of learning, innovation, and collaboration.

• Eleni Constantinou, University of Cyprus
• Maria Halkidi, University of Piraeus

Local Organizing Committee:

• Georgia Kapitsaki, University of Cyprus
• Elpida Keravnou, University of Cyprus
• Anna Philippou, University of Cyprus

Website & IT manager:

• Joanna Georgiou, University of Cyprus

GEC Steering Committee:

• Panagiota Fatourou, Univ. of Crete & Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH)(Chapter Chair)
• Ioanna Kantzavelou, Univ. of West Attica (SC Vice-Chair)
• Georgia Koutrika, Athena Research Center (Chapter Treasurer)
• Grammati Pantziou, Univ. of West Attica
• Evangelia Pitoura, Univ. of Ioannina (SC Chair)
• Effi Psychogiou, IT Consultant
• Maria Roussou, Univ. of Athens (Chapter Vice Chair)
• Amalia Miliou, Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki (SC Publicity Chair)
• Vana Kalogeraki, Athens Univ. of Economics and Business