UP ComSci Deparment to develop office automation systems

The UP Department of Computer Science, known for its breakthrough alternative software solutions, announced efforts to expand its research to include developing homegrown office automation for the university.

"If the university has some overall plan or system that will identify key areas that can be computerized, this will help increase efficiency and we might even save money in the long run," says Dr. Cedric Festin, who chairs the Department of Computer Science (DCS).

Various computer-based applications developed by the DCS in recent years have, in fact, already facilitated what used to be cumbersome university-related procedures.

Examples of these are the online Computer Registration System (CRS) which was set up in 2000, and Prof. Evangel Quiwa’s project which developed software to implement the rules in determining the admission of students to their respective units in UP and in the Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) brackets.

One program that will also serve as a model for other colleges in the university is the "Engineering Orange" website (http://www.engineeringorange.com), an online repository of resumés of the graduates of the College of Engineering.

After obtaining funding late last year, the prototype was implemented early this year. The program allows engineering graduates and alumni to search companies, view statistics and profiles, do online employment tracking, searching and posting for job openings, messaging, and more.

Interestingly, most of these innovations began as thesis projects of Computer Science seniors, spread out in different areas: Computer Security Group, Computer Vision and Machine Intelligence Group, Networking and Distributed Systems Group, Internet Technologies Group, and Theoretical Computer Science Group.

This year, the projects are geared toward the development of mobile applications for commerce and business.

But there are also projects that attempt to integrate "computer vision" systems for bomb detection surveillance, and explore collaborative "venues" using the Internet for medical purposes.

"The intention is for them to be able to engage in research activities that can produce tangible output which can be used either within or outside UP. The experience the students will obtain is significant since they are working on research projects that would be useful to other people. This is more meaningful than just getting a passing grade or meeting a course requirement," says Festin.

In fact, industry partners such as the Ayala Foundation, Microsoft, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Innove, Globe, Mirant, Sun Microsystems, International Rice Research Institute, Trend Micro, Accenture, Diliman Computer Science Foundation, Inc., and the Java Research and Development Center see the relevance of the students’ work.

These top companies are invited annually to assess the thesis projects for their marketability.

"These companies help us in various ways by providing employment for our students and graduates, donation of equipment, and research grants. We also have some joint activities such as the development of the department’s course materials to meet industry-specific needs," says Festin.