Author: Shamima Runa

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I’ve just returned from an incredible two days at the UK and Ireland Computing Education Research Conference (UKICER 2025), held from September 4th to 5th in the historic city of Edinburgh, Scotland. UKICER is a premier forum for researchers and practitioners to share and discuss the latest advances in computer science education, making it the perfect venue for showcasing LISDA’s impactful work.

My main reason for attending was to present our poster, “A Cross-National Comparison of Computing Students’ Sense of Belonging in Ireland and Scotland.” The presentation began with a rapid 1-minute lightning talk to pitch the project to the entire audience, which was a thrilling challenge! This was followed by an engaging poster session where I had in-depth discussions and received valuable, constructive feedback.

I immersed myself in the entire conference programme. I attended fascinating paper sessions that showcased the latest computing education research, was inspired by thought-provoking keynote addresses, and participated in hands-on workshops. The conference dinner was also a fantastic opportunity for me to network and socialise with researchers from around the world in a more relaxed setting.

As my first conference outside of Ireland, it was both a professionally enriching and personally unforgettable adventure. I’m so grateful for the experience and have returned with fresh perspectives and great memories of exploring the beautiful city of Edinburgh.

– Shamima

It’s my Research MSc Graduation day!! With a project titled “Exploring Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Computing Students,” two years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance have finally paid off, culminating in one peer-reviewed published conference paper and two journal articles currently under review. I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for the exceptional individuals who have supported and guided me throughout this journey. I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to my esteemed Supervisor Catherine, whose guidance, motivation, and support have been invaluable. Brett, my co-supervisor and the ultimate problem solver, your insights have been indispensable. To my Lisda teammates, your camaraderie and support have significantly enriched this experience. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with all of you. Thank you for being an integral part of this remarkable journey.

Our LiSDA group is absolutely delighted to extend a huge welcome to our newest member, Maryam Saeedi, who has joined us as a PhD student with a prestigious IRC Scholarship.

We are so thrilled to have you on board, Maryam, and we cannot wait to see the incredible research we will accomplish together. We’re looking forward to collaborating on exciting projects, breaking new ground, and of course, creating some fantastic memories and having a lot of fun along the way.

Congratulations once again on this fantastic achievement. The entire team is excited to support you on this journey.

Welcome to the LiSDA family.

Wishing our LiSDA stars birthdays filled with vibrancy, dynamism, and the boundless energy that mirrors our exceptional team. May the coming year be marked by soaring to new heights, conquering challenges, and collectively creating a positive impact that resonates far and wide!

Happy Birthday once again to you all! 🎉🎂🎈

The UCD School of Computer Science celebrated the World Day of Cultures by showcasing diverse student cultures. Participants from different counties presented their unique traditions, languages, and cuisines, creating a vibrant and inclusive event. The event fostered intercultural understanding and collaboration, creating an enriching environment within the School. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and look forward to celebrating this occasion every year.

 

Congratulations Andrew!

We would like to extend our warmest welcome to you as our newest post-doctoral researcher. We are absolutely thrilled to have you on board, and we can’t wait to collaborate with you on exciting research projects. Along the way, we’re going to create some great memories and have a lot of fun. Once again, congratulations, and welcome to the LiSDA group!

As part of our celebration of Ramadan, we celebrated the first iftar with other PhD students, our respected teachers, and staff members, as well as our close friends and family members. Everyone shared delicious and mouthwatering food while having a lot of fun.

During this event, all PhD students had the opportunity to get to know one another and to learn about the Iftar culture of other Muslim countries. We would like to thank all of you for attending this program and for making it such a memorable and successful event.

Our warmest wishes go out to everyone around the world celebrating Ramadan during this holy month.

May this month of fasting, prayer, and reflection bring you closer to your faith and grant you peace, happiness, and blessings in all areas of your life.

Ramadan Mubarak!

 

It was a wonderful experience presenting a poster at the PhD/MSc by Research Poster Event organised by the UCD School of Computer Science.  We presented and shared our recent findings to get valuable feedback from other researchers. We are grateful for the effort put forth by the organising committee to make this event possible.

Having Pizza afterwards.

 

Today we celebrated Yuhan’s Birthday and met Mercy for the very first time. It was a nice day to celebrate.

On behalf of the team, we would like to wish you again a very “Happy Birthday”, Yuhan. You are the coolest member of our team. Thanks for being so helpful all the time.

Welcome to our unique, collaborative, dynamic and energetic team, Mercy.  You are a great addition to the team. Hope we will have fun together.

 

The “Cancer Awareness Workshop in Bangladeshi Community”  was hosted by Precision Oncology Ireland as part of UCD Science week on 19th November. It was worth attending this workshop.  They highlighted the importance of the patient voice in Cancer Research.  They are aiming for inclusive Cancer Research, including minority groups.  As a member of a minority group, it will be a milestone for our community.

Huge congratulations to Dr. Claudia Mazo for her well-deserved success. Best wishes for your new role as Assistant Professor at DCU.  You are an inspiration to us and we are proud of you.

Congratulations to Mercy for getting a School of Computer Science PhD Scholarship and starting her Ph.D.!!!  You are very welcome to our team — we are looking forward to working with you. 

My very first participation in UKICER-2022 conference.

I am delighted to present our poster in this conference. I couldn’t thank you enough for being my inspirational supervisor Dr. Catherine Mooney and co-supervisor Dr. Brett A. Becker.

Highly appreciate to be a member of the LiSDA group.

 

 

A refreshing morning together with coffee. It was lovely to meet you all in person. ☺️ 

Celebrating Science Day  in UCD 

Today there were some student societies who demonstrated their extraordinary scientific experimental discoveries and also showed some very interesting projects. While physics societies have shown their formula for making liquid ice cream using physics equations, the School of Earth Science societies have been presented with a few rare collections of stone, glass, and fossils. Women+ in STEM Society  put music in STEM. They showed off their banana piano tests there and they also added another test called Glow-in-the-Dark Jar. There were couple of societies who also have participated this demonstration table to successfully celebrate Science day in UCD.