"Disasters can be preemptively detected through the development of specialized software systems."
This year, the 17th European Conference on Software Architecture was held at Yeditepe University. Professor Dr. Bedir Tekinerdoğan, Head of the Information Technology Department at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands, who attended the conference, stated, "Specialized software systems can and should be developed to detect disasters preemptively. This technology exists. Having software that can assist in early detection, prevention, decision support, and also manage coordination and logistics in the event of an earthquake is of utmost importance."
World-renowned scientists working in the field of software engineering convened at the conference held at Yeditepe University from September 18 to 22. Known as one of the top five international software engineering conferences, the 17th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA) hosted over 80 scientists and researchers who have significantly influenced software engineering worldwide, introducing many important approaches and techniques.
The conference, chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Mert Özkaya from the Department of Computer Engineering at Yeditepe University, covered all aspects of software engineering, including the relationship between software architecture and disasters and the infrastructure required for the preemptive detection of disasters. The conference focused on the development of sustainable and scalable software, the importance of software architecture and architecture-centered software development, software abstraction techniques, and quality software development that meets requirements without coding. Educational seminars on significant topics in software engineering were held, various workshops were conducted, and expert researchers presented various scientific publications accepted by world-renowned peers.
"THE MAIN THEME OF THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN DETERMINED AS SUSTAINABILITY"
Professor Dr. Tekinerdoğan, Head of the Information Technology Department at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands, commented on the conference:
"With more than 100 participants, the 17th European Conference on Software Architecture secures its place among leading conferences. This year's conference, held in Türkiye, saw participation from over 30 countries, including European nations, China, Japan, and the USA. The conference's main theme is software architecture, a significant topic in software engineering. Software architecture defines the fundamental structure of software and the relationships between its components. A robust software architecture is crucial for making software more reliable and scalable. Software is used in health, education, defense, and many other fields. Developing these correctly necessitates the creation of a solid software architecture. As usual, while general themes were addressed at this year's conference, sustainability was also designated as the main theme. Making software more sustainable is already a core theme of software architecture. However, this year we will also delve into sustainability related to climate and life; we have included ecological sustainability as a theme in our conference. As software engineers and architects, we will explore our responsibilities in this area, the impact of software on ecological sustainability, and what we as software architects can do to optimize this."
" THIS SITUATION MUST BE PERCEIVED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IF IT DOES NOT EXIST NOW. "
Sharing with us the connection between software and the preemptive detection of disasters, Professor Dr. Tekinerdoğan noted:
"After a disaster occurs, it leaves behind much greater damage in terms of loss of life and economic loss. Software plays a very significant role in preventing these and enabling the preemptive detection of disasters. Specialized software systems can and should be developed for the preemptive detection of disasters. This technology exists. Having software that can assist in early detection, prevention, decision support, and also manage coordination and logistics in the event of an earthquake is of utmost importance. This situation must be perceived as critical infrastructure if it does not exist now. Just as we define banking, finance, and defense systems as critical infrastructure, we must consider earthquake prevention and disaster management critical infrastructure, especially for our country. Software also plays a significant role in critical infrastructures."
"BRINGING THIS CONFERENCE TO TÜRKİYE WAS OUR PRIMARY GOAL"
Professor Dr. Tekinerdoğan, highlighting the global efforts towards sustainability, said, "Although we are a bit late, the notion of 'better late than never' has initiated worldwide activities. Under the concept of responsible engineering, engineering efforts carrying responsibility were highlighted, and scientific studies and projects on this subject have been started. Initiatives on this basis need to be launched in Türkiye as well. Our colleagues from universities conduct studies, and these need support. The conference, now in its 17th year, was previously organized in different European countries. Bringing this conference to Türkiye was our primary goal, and we exerted much effort to achieve it. The participants of this extraordinary conference are leading scientists from around the world. It took us several years to bring it to Türkiye; we constantly communicated with the local organization."
"TODAY, SOFTWARE CONSTITUTES MORE THAN 50% OF A VEHICLE'S COST"
Associate Professor Dr. Mert Özkaya from the Computer Engineering Department at Yeditepe University, discussing the significant growth of software architecture in various sectors, including the automotive industry in our country, stated:
"In today's world, software architecture is a critically important subject that requires an architecture-centered approach to develop software systems that meet all requirements in a quality manner. Just as a beautifully architected building requires the architect to make all decisions before construction workers can build it, a complex software system needs an architectural perspective for its development. This is especially true for our country's defense industry, where software that always works correctly and meets needs is developed. Another industry where software architecture is important is the automotive industry, which is booming in our country with TOGG. In today's automotive industry, software makes up more than 50% of a vehicle's cost. The cooperation of many different software systems within a vehicle indicates a complex structure. Here, the software architecture perspective comes into play. You can manage this complexity with a central approach to software architecture."
"AT YEDITEPE UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE A RESEARCH GROUP DEDICATED TO SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE"
Associate Professor Dr. Özkaya also mentioned that software architecture courses are offered at a limited number of universities, "We have scientists conducting research in this field. We have groups that generate original knowledge and facilitate its application in the industry. At Yeditepe University, we have a research group focused on software architecture. We conduct software architecture-focused projects with undergraduate and postgraduate students within this scope. The outputs of these projects are then applied in various industries, primarily the defense industry; we undertake projects for many industries. Through these projects, students gain the opportunity to acquire knowledge and experience beyond what is taught in the software architecture course, which is one of the most important topics of software engineering. I hope that with the students we train, our country will place more importance on software architecture, and the number of practitioners and academics conducting research in this field will increase both in the industry and academia. Software architecture will become an area in our country known for its high level of knowledge and experience."
