Research at the COE Department COE Workshop September 2009

Team Members Dr Baroudi Dr Abdel-Aal Dr Mayez Dr El-Rabaa Dr Ahmed Al-Mulhem Additional contributions from: Note: Aspects related to funded research activities are handled by a separate report

Status: Structure Four informal research groups:  Networks & Communication  Computer Architecture  VLSI & Digital Design  Computer Applications No regular research seminars by faculty

Status: Publication Products Annual figures based on 2-year data for 2006 & 2007 Journals/Conferences Ration for COE is about a 1/3 that for SE 80% of COE journal publications are in ISI journals

Status: Group Productivity Comparison 2-year data for 2006 & 2007 Based on paper topic Not group affiliations

Concerns  Emphasis on conference rather than journal publications  Some use of low quality journals  Level of research activities varies widely among the four groups  Groups mainly tackle teaching rather than research activities  Lack of regular research seminars by faculty  Poor attendance of faculty in graduate student research seminars/proposals/defenses  Inadequate showcasing of faculty research activities for the benefit of graduate students  Hassle in meeting DGS requirements when forming thesis committees  Poor dissemination of research results and insights gained from conference attendance  Do we have enough good topics for the increasing number of graduate students?  Inadequate record keeping of data on research activities at the Department level

Recommendations Encourage multidisciplinary and applied research that addresses the needs of, and leads to applications for, the kingdom Need established senior research leaders in core areas who can steer visionary research in topical areas and guide activities of junior faculty and graduate students Reorganize groups to reflect changes in research priorities Define research groups more formally: Group coordination, regular meetings/seminars, pool of graduate students, website, etc. Improve dissemination through enhancing the culture of giving/attending seminars: Regular seminars + seminars on: Project/Thesis Proposals, End of project, Return from conference, Return from sabbatical, etc. Provide guidance to junior faculty in areas such as: grouping with others, utilizing conferences, selecting journals, attracting graduate students, applying for research funds (DAD style support) Establish a web page for each research group that provides links to published papers, lists of funded projects, patents, current topics available for graduate research, etc. Promote use of open-source (versus commercial) software in our research for improved learning, collaboration, and continuity, as well as reduced cost Improve quality of record keeping of research activities/products by the department