COMPUTER SCIENCE

An open letter and an opinion article were recently published by three researchers from Karlstad University and Chalmers, warning about the government's legislative proposal for increased transparency in encrypted apps. One of the authors is Simone Fischer-Hübner, a professor of computer science at Karlstad University.

The letter, supported by 85 cybersecurity researchers from Swedish universities, highlights the issues with the proposed law that would allow law enforcement agencies access to apps like WhatsApp and Signal. According to the researchers, the proposal presents serious risks to both individual privacy and society at large.

Why an open letter?

Icomera, a company that develops digital communication equipment for trains, has had a successful collaboration with Karlstad University for over 10 years. One of the latest outcomes of this collaboration is the testing of Icomera’s new router in a 5G Stand-alone (SA) network through the DRIVE project.

Testing Icomera’s router in a 5G SA network means the company can ensure that their equipment functions optimally with the new 5G SA technology, which will be rolled out in Sweden next year.

“This is especially important for ensuring fast and stable data transfer onboard trains, which affects the passenger experience. Icomera now has the opportunity to test its equipment before 5G SA becomes commercially operational, giving us a head start when the 5G network is fully up and running,” says Claes Beckman from Icomera.

A unique testbed for development

In the DRIVE project, a so-called MEC simulator is used, where student Douglas Wilhelmsson had the opportunity to develop the model as part of his thesis.

As 5G, IoT, and AI continue to evolve, there is a growing need for infrastructure that can efficiently and securely manage vast amounts of data. MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) is a simulator designed to test and develop edge computing solutions within 5G and network infrastructure.

Second-year students in the bachelor's program in computer engineering and fourth-year students in the master's program in computer engineering will be offered a personal mentor from the industry. The goal is for mentors to provide valuable insights, help students build networks, and ease the transition from studies to professional life.

— Students get the opportunity to meet representatives from local IT companies and gain insight into working life. This is a great way to create meetings between students and companies, helping them build a network outside academia, says Jan Håkansson, collaboration coordinator.

On February 6, it was time for the mentors and students to meet for the first time.

Thomas Rosevall from CGI sees mentorship as a chance to share his experiences:

The project “Foundational Algorithms, Protocols, and Systems for Multi-Tier 6G-Non-Terrestrial Networks Integrated Communication and Environmental Sensing (6G-NTN-E),” has been awarded a grant of 28 MSEK by the Swedish Research Council.

The grant extends over a four-year period and is part of the Swedish Research Council's call for grants to support research environments focused on sixth generation wireless systems (6G). This call is part of the Government's initiative to develop the next generation of wireless systems (6G) and aims to support build-up of strong research environments, where teams of researchers work towards a joint research goal, both nationally and bi- or multilateral collaborations.

Four computer science students at Karlstad University have been recognized for their exceptional project work in the Software Engineering course. The project team, comprising Jonatan Altebro, Viktor Hajto, Martin Ramnér and Elmar Gebre Yekuno, earned high praise from faculty for their professionalism and innovation.

The team developed GoldenYears, an Android application designed to support elderly users in maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. With a focus on habit-building and health tracking, the app provides features such as goal-setting for activities like walking and social interactions, mood logging, wellness insights, and motivational tools.

The achievement is particularly notable given the six-week timeline for the project. Faculty were impressed by the team’s ability to produce a professional and functional application.