Greek Signal Processing Jam Held in Athens

Contributed by Nikos Sidiropoulos (Technical University of Crete, Greece) . The EURASIP and the IEEE Signal Processing Society Greek Chapter jointly organized a full-day event on 17 October 2009: the inaugural "Greek Signal Processing Jam''.  Greece has a tradition in signal processing, encompassing a relatively large and vibrant research community in Greece, as well as many Greek researchers working abroad. The Greek Signal Processing Jam was envisioned as an opportunity to bring this community together, attract new talent to signal processing, and expose all to some of the latest developments in the broad area. The event was organized by Sergios Theodoridis, Nikos Sidiropoulos, and Costantine Kotropoulos, and took place right at the heart of Athens: the elegant Propylaia Amphitheater of the University of Athens on Panepistimiou street. The technical program featured six speakers, including three IEEE SPS Distinguished Lecturers. Each lecture was one hour long, to give enough time for in-depth technical coverage and questions. The lectures covered topics ranging from speech recognition to machine learning, multi-linear algebra with applications in communications and speaker separation, sensor networks, audio-visual information fusion, and music genre classification. The event was attended by 60 participants, including many students and young researchers. The feedback from the participants was very positive. The lunch buffet and informal group discussions and meetings before and after the event nicely complemented the lectures - and the timeless elegance of Propylaia made the experience even more memorable. Many participants felt that the concept was worth repeating, and Costantine Kotropoulos has volunteered to help organize it in Thessaloniki (Northern Greece) next year. The organizers and the participants wished to thank EURASIP and IEEE SPS for their support!