ICETA 2024

Graduate of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, specializing in human resources, marketing, accounting, strategic planning, management, and finance. He holds a master certificate in project management from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career at AT&T in 1999 as a project manager. Over 25 years, he held various managerial roles in the Global Managed Services organization.
Since 2014 he has served on the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia and in January 2019 has been elected as president. He also chaired the Business Service Center Forum, representing 35 companies and over 37,000 employees. As chairman of AislovakIA, he promoted innovative technologies and digitization.
Currently, he serves as the Director General leading the Strategy Section at the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, focusing on improving the business environment, innovation and sustainable mobility.

Presentation: Competitiveness and growth - human resource requirements.

Dr. Eng. Anna Grabowska has long term experience in distance education. In 1994 she received a master's degree at the University De Montfort in Leicester in the UK. In 2001 she defended her doctoral thesis with the title of a doctor of technical sciences at Gdansk University of Technology. Since 1995 she has been the manager of Autodesk Authorised Training Centre at Gdansk University of Technology (Autodesk Academic Partner). In 1998-2004, she served as head of the Distance Education Centre at Gdansk University of Technology. She is a founding member of the Association of Academic E-learning, an advisor at U3A online. Since 2007 she has been conducting meetings with the computer for elderly at Gdansk University of Technology. She has been involved in educational European projects dedicated to Lifelong Learning for All. Since 2021 she is in a team behind U3a Communities. Since 2022 she has been involved in organising Gdansk Festival of Light.

Presentation: Senior Welfare - Gdansk Festival of Light Case Study

Gabriel Juhás is a full professor of Computer Science and an R4 leading researcher within a Next Generation EU project at Faculty of Informatics, Pan-European University Bratislava, Slovakia and a co-founder of NETGRIF company. Previously he was a full professor of Applied Computer Science at Institute of Computer Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (FEI STU). Gabriel Juhás was the dean and the vice dean of FEI STU. He worked at several universities in Germany, namely at Technical University Berlin, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, where he received his habilitation. Previously, he was also a visiting PhD student at University of Aarhus in Denmark. His main research interests in theory are Petri nets and other models of concurrency. In the application area he focuses on business process management, process-driven programming and low-code languages. He is co-author of an open-source low-code language Petriflow and co-author of NETGRIF low-code application development platform.

Presentation: Can Low-Code Languages be used for Core Enterprise Applications?

Low-code platforms become still more popular in Digital Transformation, mainly in the area of business process automation. This popularity arises from the fact that low-code platforms on one hand speed up the application development process and on the other hand they make the application development accessible for business users without deep expertise in information technologies, i.e. for so-called citizen developers. At the same time, there is a widely spreaded opinion, tha low-code platforms can only be used for simple applications, consisting often in only single process automation. There is a strong belief that there is a necessary trade off between simplicity and complexity - a platform simple to use cannot be used to automate complex systems. In this paper we discuss whether this is necessarily true. As the main cause for this claim we identify the lack of mechanisms for inter process relationships and interprocess communications in nowadays recognized low code platforms. Then, using low*code language Petriflow, we illustrate how such inter process communication can be incorporated into low code platforms in order to serve for developing complex core enterprise applications consisting of interplay of many data objects and processes, resulting in so called applications based on object-centric processes.

Marián Kireš has a PhD in Physics Education and works as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia. His research interest includes inquiry-based education with an emphasis on conceptual understanding and development of selected pupils' skills, action research on gifted youth education and science teacher professional development. He was a national coordinator of two fp7 projects and team leader of many national projects. He teaches Didactics of Physics, Selected topics of General Physics, Physics demonstration experiments and Methods of solving physics problems. He has supervised 6 defended PhD students, and is currently supervising two PhD students in the Physics Education.

Presentation: Learning environment in the digital age for personalised STEM education

Current position: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SLOVAK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN BRATISLAVA, FACULTY OF INFORMATICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Management: Entrusted with the management of the Institute of Informatics, Information Systems and Software Engineering

Teacher and researcher
Teaching:

• Aspect-Oriented Software Development
• Object-Oriented Programming
• Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
• Software Modeling
• Specification Methods and Tools
• Engineering Methods
• Procedural Programming
• Principles of Software Engineering/Software Systems Development
• Information System Development in Team I
• Information System Development in Team II

• Member, AdvanSD research group
• Member, ECBS, European Conference on Engineering of Computer Based Systems
• Member, CompSysTech

Main focus on: object-oriented analysis and design, software engineering, complex event processing, educational content specification and modelling, learning management and content management

Presentation: Changing the paradigm: the role of modelling in educational content engineering

In numerous scientific disciplines, the utilization of formalism serves as a vital precursor to the implementation of intentions, often characterized by significant costs. This practice is particularly prominent in electrical engineering, where the utilization of circuit and connection models transcends linguistic barriers, enabling precise expression of intent regardless of the author's native language. Moreover, the availability of software tools for simulating and validating these models plays a crucial role in circumventing unnecessary expenses associated with flawed implementations.
Analogously, within the domain of construction and architecture, architects traditionally rely on formal expressions such as construction drawings, studies, or physical models of proposed buildings to convey their ideas effectively. These tangible representations serve as focal points for discussions among stakeholders, facilitating alignment and consensus before substantial resources are committed to construction and execution. Additionally, software tools designed for architectural modeling offer preemptive insights into potential risks and structural issues, allowing for preemptive mitigation strategies to be devised prior to implementation.
The pervasive nature of modeling extends beyond engineering disciplines, finding application in fields such as management, where detailed models of business processes are employed to optimize efficiency and productivity. Similarly, software engineering leverages Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools, which empower developers to create executable models, perform critical design checks, and identify errors and vulnerabilities, thereby ensuring the robustness and security of software systems.
However, despite the widespread adoption of modeling methodologies across diverse domains, there exists a conspicuous absence of dedicated tools to support curriculum design. This gap in resources hampers the efficiency and effectiveness of educational program development. Given the significance of precise curriculum design in shaping the knowledge, skills, and competencies of learners, there is a pressing need for specialized modeling tools tailored to the educational context.
Our proposed approach involves the implementation of an executable qualification model, comprising a collection of executable open content subject models embedded within the curriculum framework. Similar to the practices observed in other domains, the content model itself should serve as a platform for stakeholder collaboration and discussion, facilitating refinement and alignment prior to the deployment of the executable curriculum model. By leveraging modeling methodologies in curriculum design, educators can enhance the coherence, effectiveness, and adaptability of educational programs, ultimately fostering enriched learning experiences for students.

Mário Lelovský (57) is a leading professional in the area of Digital skills and Digital transformation in Slovakia.
From 2014 was acting as a president and actually as a 1st Vicepresident of IT Association of Slovakia.
As of 2018 holds the position of 1st Vice President of the National Union of Employers of Slovakia and heads the Education committee and Digital economy committee.
He co-founded Slovak National Digital Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs and performs the position of Chairman of the Executive board.
He is a co-founder of the platform “AISlovakAI”, the national platform for AI research and development in Slovakia (2019).
Graduated in Informatics (Slovak Technical University in Bratislava 1988). Entitled Doctor Honoris Causa (University of Economics and Management in Bratislava 2019).
CEO of Media Control company from 2004 acts as a leader in the construction of smart homes building construction sector using fully integrated control, energy, and security systems and develops telemedicine solutions in Slovakia.
In 2022 was elected as a member of DigitalEurope Executive Board.

Presentation: Strategy of Work with Talent and Proposal of Talent Policy for the Government of the Slovak Republic

Ján Paralič has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and works as a Professor at the Department of Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice (FEI TUKE), Slovakia. His research interest includes data science in various application domains, in last years mainly medical data analytics, including explainability and usability of AI models. He has completed more than 35 Slovak and international research projects, most of them as the leading researcher (e.g. EU-funded projects UrbanSensing in FP7 and KP-Lab project in FP6, IncoCopernicus project GOAL, bilateral Slovak-German project, several Slovak-Austrian projects). He has supervised 15 defended PhD students and is responsible for Business Informatics study programs and the FEI, TUKE. He is the chairperson of the Accreditation Committee of the Technical University of Košice.

Presentation: Education focused on research skills, with examples from the field of artificial intelligence

The Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) defines qualification levels for individual study degrees, among others, through a descriptors for each cycle based on learning outcomes and competences. For the second cycle of higher education, important features of the learning outcomes include e.g. originality, creativity, complexity, synthesis of solutions, as well as social and ethical responsibility in decision-making, interdisciplinary overlaps and communication of conclusions. The second cycle of higher education is, therefore, often associated with scientific research, and one of the main tools that helps students acquire and develop mentioned competencies is the master's thesis project. In this lecture, we will first introduce the organization and main content of a course (entitled Current Trends in Business Informatics) that we run in the study program of Business Informatics, and which is closely linked to the master's thesis projects. In this course, we guide students through the fundamentals of scientific research and help them practically acquire the essential skills needed for the research process. The second part of the lecture will be dedicated to several selected examples of master's thesis outputs that have been incorporated into our research projects in fields related to artificial intelligence.

WORK EXPERIENCES

• CURRENT POSITION: Research on deep neural networks applications in chemistry
• 2015 – present: Professor of Applied Computer Science, FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, University of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava
• 2006 - 2014: Professor of Applied Computer Science, Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies STU in Bratislava
• 1990 - 2006: Assistant and Associate Professor, Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies STU in Bratislava
• 1993, 1996, 1999 (6 months total): Visiting researcher, Southampton University, Cambridge University, UK

• Heuristics and metaheuristics
• network theory and its applications
• applications of evolutionary algorithms in optimisation
• neural networks
• applications of artificial intelligence

• Co-author of 2 monographs
• 65 journal papers
• over 46 peer-reviewed conference papers.

• Slov. Society for Artificial Intelligence, EURO Working group on fuzzy sets (EUROFUSE)
• Editorial board of journals
  • Computing and Informatics
  • Journal of Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Informatics

Presentation: Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence - A Critical Examination of Dilemmas

The embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) into various domains, including business, security, medicine, academia, and consumer entertainment, is transforming human society. Despite its many advantages, AI also generates significant ethical dilemmas and threats, such as privacy violations, discrimination, bias, lack of transparency, accountability issues, and threats to human dignity. These issues can undermine public trust and acceptance of AI systems and impact their social and legal implications. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that AI is developed and deployed ethically and responsibly, that respects human rights and values. This paper offers a thorough and critical examination of AI systems' key ethical issues and challenges. It reviews existing ethical frameworks and policies, such as those of the European Commission, IEEE, and OECD, while identifying shortcomings and limitations, including enforceability, inclusiveness, and stakeholder participation. It also provides recommendations and best practices to promote the alignment of AI with human values and foster social good, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including researchers and practitioners.

Prof. Dr Ľubica Stuchlíková graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU) in 1990, received her PhD degree in 1996 and was appointed associate professor in 2006. She works as a teacher at the Institute of Electronics and Photonics. Since 2016, as a full professor. Her fields of interest are the electrical characterization of semiconductor structures, devices and materials since 1990 and computer-aided engineering education, retraining, and lifelong learning since 2000. Her priority is education, training new electrical engineers, and popularizing science and technology for children and youth. She implements a student-centric approach. In 2004, she co-founded the educational platform "eLearn central," where she and the "eLearn central team" have developed original interactive animations, educational and popularization e-learning courses, modules, and educational games in virtual reality.

Presentation: From Information to Insight: Reimagining Critical Thinking Pedagogy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education offers a unique opportunity to enhance student learning. AI-powered tools provide personalized support, enabling students to understand study materials better, visualize complex concepts through dynamic animations, and engage in interactive problem-solving. However, the role of AI in education is not without challenges. While AI systems are rich in information, they often lack the depth of understanding required to convey the essence of complex ideas. Their explanations can be superficial, often overwhelming students with information without fostering deep understanding. Furthermore, the overreliance on AI tools may limit students' creativity, as they begin to mirror the AI's reasoning patterns rather than develop their own critical thinking skills. One of the most pressing concerns is the potential dependency on AI, where students might accept AI-generated answers without critically evaluating them.
Therefore, cultivating critical thinking is the key to higher education in the AI era. Students must be able to discern truth from misinformation and learn to think beyond the AI's recommendations. Without this, AI could potentially replace the unique contributions of human insight and innovation. Universities must prioritize teaching methodologies that encourage critical thinking, logic, and the scientific method, bridging traditional philosophical foundations with modern technological contexts. Only by fostering these skills can students transcend AI's limitations and drive future innovations.
This paper highlights the dual role of AI in education, both as a powerful tool for knowledge acquisition and as a potential barrier to developing deeper intellectual insight, underscoring the necessity of reimagining how we teach critical thinking in the age of AI.

PhD. (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, TU Košice), Associate Professor in Economics and Management (Faculty of Economics, TU Košice). She has over 30 years of experience in project and financial management, including coordinating large EU projects. A certified PRINCE2 (Foundation & Practitioner) project manager, she has extensive expertise in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional development, having coordinated over 45 projects. Her professional interests include educational technologies, lifelong learning and human resource development.

Presentation: Empowering the Future: Achieving Excellence in Vocational Education for Industry 5.0