‘Urging the computer science community to do more’

She is not only internationally known for her work on software reliability and verification, Professor in Software Reliability at the University of Twente Marieke Huisman is also a very visible, strong advocate for more diversity and inclusivity in the field of computer science. ‘Diversity leads to creativity, and creativity leads to better software.’

How did you end up in computer science?

‘When I was about 15 years old, I first read about computer science and immediately knew that was what I wanted to study. In essence, the field is about solving puzzles and finding answers to problems. That is where my heart is and what gives me a kick. And when it comes to becoming a scientist: I didn’t enter academia because I wanted to have a big career. I simply thought research was really interesting.’

What types of topics have you been working on over the years?

‘During my studies at Utrecht University I learnt that software is not just a thing you can create, but also is something you could reason about. From my first encounter with this notion, I liked proving the correctness of a program better than programming the software itself.
In the 1990’s, my colleagues and I were among the first to introduce so called program verification programs: software programs that can help to translate pieces of code into logical descriptions effectively and efficiently. After obtaining my PhD on this topic at Radboud University, I moved to the INRIA Sophia Antipolis in France, where I applied verification to Java Bytecode. During this period, I specialized in formal methods and tool-based program specification and verification, with a focus on security of applications and platforms for trusted personal devices.’

What have you been working on more recently?

‘In recent years, I have been focusing on concurrent software – software where multiple processes take place simultaneously. The standard example of concurrency in software is a bank account into which a certain amount of money is deposited simultaneously from two other accounts. Suppose there is 100 euros in it, and 100 euros is transferred from two different accounts at the same time. You then want there to be 300 euros in the account in the end. But if the software is not programmed properly, the system may only add 100 euros once, so you’ll end up with 200 euros instead of 300.
We have developed a toolset called VerCors, which can help to apply program verification to different types of software in a relatively easy way. Initially, it was focused on Java software. But modern software often consists of different layers, which might even have been written in different languages. If you want to provide guarantees for this kind of software, the tool must be able to support multiple programming languages. Therefore, we are now making VerCors more generic. My dream is that commercial software developers will consider this type of verification tool as an integral part of their software development.
A recent development I am also keen to research is the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, for verification tools. I would like to investigate how we can use generative AI to develop verification tools faster and smarter, while still providing the correctness guarantees that you expect from a verification tool.’

For over a decade now, you have made your voice heard in discussions about diversity and inclusion. Why are you convinced that striving for a more diverse field is necessary?

‘In the Netherlands, to this day, computer science is a strongly male-dominated field. In fact, during one of my first days as a PhD, it seemed like all other women in the department were secretaries. Fortunately, I was wrong, and I eventually ended up in a group together with a fair number of other women. It was immediately noticeable how the diversity in the group actually led to more good ideas, a pleasant atmosphere and new possibilities.
Over the years, I have come to realize that diversity is broader than just hiring more women. It’s also about inclusivity – that people feel they are at the right place, valued and respected. In terms of awareness quite a lot is happening already, but I still want to keep urging the computer science community to do more.’

Since January 2023, you have joined the board of IPN. What is your ambition for the platform?

‘We act as the single interface to stakeholders, such as industry and government, and are able to speak for the entire community regardless of the subdiscipline or institution. We can identify shared concerns, challenges and strengths, and advocate the need to invest in computer science research. In our field, student-staff ratios are going through the roof. At the same time, society realises that there is a need for some counterweight to big tech companies that are now directing the future of digitalisation. As IPN, we need to make clear to policymakers why basic research in computer science is needed and how it can be used to counterbalance big tech, what role Dutch researchers can and should play in this, and what is needed for our country to keep pace with the fast technological developments in this field.
In addition to that, if we are to act as the voice of the Dutch Computer Science community, it is imperative that everyone is involved and has the feeling they are being heard. That means specific attention is needed to include the younger generation, people with different personalities, sexual orientations, and gender, and people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic environments. One of the priorities I have defined for myself is to fire up ICT-Next Generation. We are looking into how we can make sure that the assistant and associate professors are sufficiently informed about and connected to discussions related to science politics and agenda setting, as the outcomes of these discussions are often very important for their future.
And I will further build on my work as a member of the IPN working group on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which, among others, issued a report on how to attract and retain more women to Dutch computer science.’