Seminar 2025-2026

MAPi Seminar 2025/2026 - Tuesdays, DI 0.02 (A1, ground floor), 14h30-16h00 (.pt time)

(Upcoming: 4, 11, 18, 25 November; 2, 9, 16 (paper checkpoint) December)

04.11.2025 - "Secure Programming Frameworks", Prof. Hugo Pacheco, Dept. of Informatics, University of Minho
Abstract:
The design and development of secure programming frameworks represents a longstanding interdisciplinary challenge at the crossroads of programming languages and cryptography. From the programming languages perspective, foundational questions center on how to extend traditional languages to express computations over secure data, and how to declaratively specify user-driven security policies that can be automatically enforced or verified. From the cryptographic perspective, the focus is on designing and implementing protocols that enable secure computation, along with formal proofs that these protocols satisfy rigorously defined security properties. Although these two communities have historically evolved in parallel, recent years have witnessed a growing convergence toward a unified goal: secure compilation—the process of translating high-level programs into cryptographic protocols that execute securely while providing end-to-end guarantees of both correctness and security preservation.
In this talk, the speaker will offer a historical overview of this evolving field, reflecting on his personal journey, key contributions, and the pivotal milestones achieved through the synergy between programming languages and cryptography. He will also discuss the open challenges that continue to shape his current and future research directions.

28.10.2025 - "Artificial Intelligence in Hybrid Systems: Theoretical and Multidisciplinary Foundations", Prof. Francisco Marcondes, Dept. of Informatics, University of Minho

Abstract:

(...) (short version)

The seminar will begin with a brief exposition on the theoretical foundations of Artificial Intelligence, followed by the presentation of the ongoing research lines, framed within the scope of hybrid systems, with an emphasis on their current stage of development. The aim is to demonstrate how the articulation between theory and application has supported a multidisciplinary approach to AI, involving domains such as law, education, and the study of disinformation. In particular, it seeks to show how hybrid systems integrate neuro-symbolic aspects with the human dimensions of interpretation and meaning.

21.10.2025 - Seminar 03 - "Dependable Distributed Systems", Prof. Ana Alonso, UM 

Abstract:
In this talk, I will present research topics on the intersection of distributed systems, fault tolerance, and data management. 
Broadly, dependable systems remain safe (correct) and highly available (responsive) even when failures occur. I will first give a short overview of the road so far. Next, I will present recent research on heterogeneous database replication, which uses diversity in replicas to ensure fault independence. As replica diversity is an opportunity but also a challenge, we use LLMs to tackle it without introducing single points of failure and eschewing the need for complex middleware. This is particularly relevant as the usefulness of replication as a key tool for fault tolerance hinges on fault independence among replicas. Then, I will present an ongoing research project working to provide result attestation for database queries. The approach uses a distributed architecture with a trustworthy third party that enables the detection of inconsistencies among provided results, without having to reveal the contents of the database to the third party. Applications include enabling service providers to publish attested KPIs without revealing sensitive business- or client-related information. I will close the talk by pointing out research directions in these and related topics.

14.10.2025 - Seminar 02 - "High-Speed High-Assurance Cryptography", Prof. Tiago Oliveira, UM

Abstract: The development of cryptographic implementations is a challenging task. Cryptographic operations are, in general, computationally expensive and often need to be carefully implemented with respect to performance. On top of this concern, implementations also need to include countermeasures against side-channel attacks; attacks that exploit information about the physical execution of the algorithms, such as execution time. Yet another concern is correctness: how can we firmly assert that a given implementation performs the computations that it is supposed to perform? It is important to note that bugs in this context can compromise security. The use of formal methods is the answer. In this talk, the speaker will explain, first, the challenges of implementing high-speed and high-assurance cryptographic algorithms, and second, how these challenges have been tackled by recent research results in which the speaker is involved.

07.10.2025 - Seminar 01 - "From Research to Publication: Disseminating Scientific Knowledge", Prof. Rui Borges Lopes, University of Aveiro