The ever increasing computational abilities of modern computers has led to a new form of science called eScience. Professor Eric Jul gave a talk to the Computing Laboratory at Kent describing the new eScience graduate programme recently introduced at the University of Copenhagen. This programme equips science graduates with the latest computing techniques to handle complex computational problems resulting from the mounting volume of data arising within scientific disciplines.

Traditionally science has been categorized in two forms: observational science such as when Newton observed a falling apple and developed the laws of gravitation, and theoretical science such as when a mathematician develops a new proof. eScience is the science that takes place using computers, for example, the development of new medicine by computer simulation, or data mining results from the new Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

The University of Copenhagen has developed the new masters and PhD eScience programme for scientists who now require advanced computing skills in data handling. The programme is open to science graduates throughout the EU and enables them to combine further studies in their own scientific discipline, such as biology or physics, with computer science components. Such components include modelling and simulation, data acquisition and handling, visualisation and high perfomance computing with core topics covering statistics, scientific computing, data mining and databases.

Eric Jul is a professor of distributed systems at the University of Copenhagen. He is Director of eScience Studies.

The event took place on 27 October 2008 at the Computing Laboratory, University of Kent.

Published 27 October 2008
Contact: M.L.Bowman@kent.ac.uk