The Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, a leading private tech university in Poland – represented by XR Lab, together with the Laboratory of Innovative Technologies of the National Information Processing Institute, Emotion-Cognition Lab of the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities as well as VR Lab of Institute of Psychology Polish Academy of Sciences would be delighted to co-host the ECSCW conference in the strict center of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland in 2022, 2023 or 2024.
Our vision
Warsaw, as an alpha city according to the index developed by Globalization and World Cities Research Network, is a fast-developing metropolis with a vivid IT scene. As such, it is also a place where diverse cultures and ideals clash. These features make it a promising venue for the birth of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural innovations, but it has been largely overlooked by ICT-focused conferences – an oversight we would like to amend.
We would love to bring the ECSCW conference closer to Eastern Europe, as it has never been hosted in these parts and we believe it would further diversity of thought and bring opportunities for participation to a wider group of researchers. Thanks to our previous research projects and activities we have an extensive contact network facilitated through our research initiative HASE by our distributed Living Lab Kobo. It extends to various regions in Poland, including: central region (Warsaw), and northern Poland Pomerania Region Tri-City (Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia), southern Poland and Silesia Region (Myszków, Katowice, Bytom, Wrocław, Kraków), Eastern Border: (Olsztyn, Lublin, Nowy/Stary Sącz). We can reach local communities directly and/or with the support from local NGOs and local governments.
We would like the theme of the conference to resonate with the idea of diversity, inclusivity and giving voice to underrepresented groups of users through encouraging their engagement in CSCW-technologies.
To further the goal of community integration we offer both pre- and post-conference activities. Pre-conference activities will consist of three tours in the vicinity of the venue, while the post-conference activities consist of alternative one-day trips to friendly research centers from our HASE (Human Aspects in Software and Engineering) initiative, combined with other tourist attractions. We are also preparing to facilitate integration in the online setting if the conference ought to stay remote in 2022. In this case, we will make use of an online venue, using one of the solutions like meetyoo or Altspace platform, enabling both VR- and Desktop- participation in events as well as game and brainstorming sessions with participants.
Hosting organizations
XR Lab: PAJIT
Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PJAIT) is a leading non-state-owned university in Poland offering a unique combination of information technology and computer science along with non-technical areas of research and education. PJAIT was founded in 1994 and has been expanding ever since, with over 6.000 students and over 500 faculty. The academy has the right to confer doctoral degrees in Computer Science and Mechanics as well as the Fine Arts. While the head office of PJAIT is located in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland located in the central part of the country, there is also a campus in Gdańsk (Pomerania region, northern part of Poland) and in Bytom (Silesia region, southern Poland) with advanced Research and Development Center in Bytom.
PJAIT and its researchers have an extensive national and international collaboration network, in particular between leading Warsaw-based academic institutions, incl. University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, SWPS University of Social Studies and Humanities, Medical University of Warsaw as well as an established record in research and innovative projects, including FP and Horizon2020 and long-lasting transnational research cooperations like CLARIN ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium).
Experience:
XR Lab of PJAIT is hosting a PDL workshop at INTERACT 2021 on the frontiers of participatory design this year. Moreover, PJAIT has hosted multiple conferences and events related both to Japanese Culture and the wide scope of New Media Arts and focused on diversity and inclusion (for example: https://thresholds.pja.edu.pl/). PJAIT, in collaboration with NIPI has been co-organizing the transdisciplinary international computer science MIDI conference for the last 8 years. The previous conference editions can be found here: https://midi2020.opi.org.pl/midi-series/
EC Lab: SWPS University
SWPS University excels in exploring the human mind and applying this expertise to address practical challenges of today and tomorrow. The University was established in 1996 by three eminent professors of Psychology and now, after more than twenty years of a dynamic growth, it is a strong community of over 300 permanent faculty of researchers and experienced academics, who teach over 17,000 students enrolled in 35 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, across five campuses located in major cities in Poland. Our broad education offer includes 15 programs taught entirely in English to over 1,300 international students from more than 60 countries.
The Emotion Cognition Lab (ECL) of the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities focuses on experimental research on cognitive process and emotion regulation in normal psychology and psychopathology. Our current research projects focus on the role of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), and non-adaptive daydreaming.
LIT: NIPI
Laboratory of Innovative Technologies is a part of NIPI. NIPI is a research institute supervised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Its principal aim is to provide access to complex and up-to-date information concerning Polish science. In addition, the institute conducts its own R&D projects in the area of artificial intelligence and human-technology interaction. National Information Processing Institute (NIPI) gathers, analyses, and creates information about the Polish R&D sector. NIPI also conducts R&D projects in the area of artificial intelligence and human-technology interaction. Together with a community of scholars NIPI aims at building a society and economy that exchange knowledge and foster innovation.
Experience:
NIPI has been involved with the MIDI conference for a couple of years, but last year’s edition was special, as it was hosted completely online. More information on the technology and scope of the conference is available here: https://midi2020.opi.org.pl/
VR Lab: IP PAS
The Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IP PAS) is an independent research organisation which belongs to the Polish Academy of Sciences network and is funded from public funds. IP PAS is fully accredited to grant doctoral degrees and habilitations. The Institute can also initiate the review process for awarding titles of professor. Members of IP PAS engage in studies spanning many areas, including: economic psychology, cross-cultural, psychophysiology and neuroscience, psychology of animal behavior, social and environmental psychology.
In addition to basic research, it conducts applied research projects addressing the needs of local businesses, court systems, educational institutions, national defense, social and health policies. Our experts offer a variety of services aiming at the popularization of science. In 2016 the IPPAS was awarded the “HR Excellence in Research” logo by the European Commission – a proof of the highest standards in providing researchers a stimulating work environment. Out of 15 Polish institutions granted this award so far, IPPAS is the first one in the social sciences
IPPAS has a modern, well-equipped Virtual Reality and Psychophysiology Laboratory which carries studies in three key areas: Human functioning in immersive virtual reality; Application of VR in social, cognitive, clinical, and interdisciplinary research on human-robot interactions. Functioning of individuals and groups in the form of digital representation in virtual environments such as media, computer and mobile communication systems, games. State of the art EEG, peripheral psychophysiology and ET signal registration and real time computations
Committee
General and Scientific Co-chairs
Wiesław Kopeć, PhD, MBA, Head of XR Lab, Computer Science Department, Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PJAIT), Google Scholar Profile, ResearchGate Profile
Cezary Biele, PhD, Head of Laboratory of Interactive Technologies, National Information Processing Institute (NIPI), Google Scholar Profile
Monika Kornacka, PhD, Head of Emotion Cognition Lab, Institute of Psychlogy,SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS), Google Scholar Profile
Grzegorz Pochwatko, PhD, Head of Virtual Reality and Psychophysiology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IP PAS), Google Scholar Profile
Jakub Możaryn, PhD, Warsaw University of Technology, Google Scholar Profile
Jacek Lebiedź, PhD, Gdansk University of Technology, Lab Profile
Marzena Wojciechowska, PhD, PJAIT Resarch Center, ResearchGate Profile
Industry Co-chairs
Dominika Tkaczyk, PhD, Crossref, Google Scholar Profile
Sebastian Zagrodzki, Google, LinkedIn Profile
Łukasz Czarnecki, Amazon, LinkedIn Profile
Anna Jaskulska, Kobo Association and Living Lab, Kobo Profile
Supporting Co-chairs
Kinga Skorupska, XR Lab PJAIT, Google Scholar Profile
Julia Paluch, XR Lab PJAIT, ResearchGate Profile
Technical Chairs
Rafał Masłyk, XR Lab PJAIT
Barbara Karpowicz, XR Lab PJAIT
Maciej Krzywicki, XR Lab PJAIT
Marcin Niewiński, XR Lab PJAIT
Piotr Gago, XR Lab PJAIT
Location
Venue and Facilities
The physical conference will be hosted by the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in its new building, at the main Campus in Warsaw. There are two large lecture halls with a capacity of over 200 people each available at the campus, as well as four smaller lecture halls each with a capacity of between 50-100 people. In addition a multitude of modern individual rooms which can host from 20 to 30 people each is available. Additionally we have a fast eduroam connection, a cafeteria and a nice park nearby. The campus is located in the very center of Warsaw, within walking distance from the main Railway Station, as well as a 20-minute ride away from the Warsaw Chopin Airport. Surrounding it in close proximity there is a wide variety of accommodation options available with rates as low as 19€ but also including main hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott, Accor, Radisson, Holiday Inn and other.
Hotels
- Conference venue:
PJATK
Koszykowa 86 - Radisson Blu Sobieski ****
price: 56 €/night
plac Zawiszy 1
4 min drive / 6 min walk - Campanile ***
price: 35 €/night
Towarowa 2
4 min drive / 7 min walk - Premiere Classe *
price: 35 €/night
Towarowa 2
5 min drive / 9 min walk - Holiday Inn ***
price: 45 €/night
Twarda 52
3 min drive / 10 min walk
- Hampton by Hilton ***
price: 47 €/night
Wspólna 72
3 min drive / 13 min walk - Mercure ****
price: 59 €/night
Złota 48-54
5 min drive / 16 min walk - Marriott *****
price: 113 €/night
Aleje Jerozolimskie 65/79
4 min drive / 13 min walk
- Holiday Inn Express ***
price: 43 €/night
Rondo Daszyńskiego 2a
5 min drive / 14 min walk
- Crowne Plaza ****
price: 56 €/night
Rondo Daszyńskiego 2
5 min drive / 14 min walk
- AB Hostel
price: 25 €/night
Tarczyńska 1/59
4 min drive / 5 min walk - Hostel COCO
price: 26 €/night
Aleje Jerozolimskie 107
3 min drive / 6 min walk - Prestige Apartments
price: 37 €/night
Kolejowa 45a/76-79
5 min drive / 16 min walk - Central Station Hostel
price: 19 €/night
Emilii Plater 25
6 min drive / 15 min walk - Warsawrent Apartments
price: 39 €/night
Złota 63A
4 min drive / 13 min walk
Travel infrastructure
Warsaw has a very good and cheap public transportation system. Day ticket for unlimited rides in a 24-h period for all trains, trams, subway and buses costs about 3€.
Airports
Warsaw Chopin Airport – located 20 minutes by train/taxi from the conference venue, offers direct flights to most cities in Europe as well as key hubs in the USA.
Modlin Airport – located an hour outside of town it is a budget Ryanair airport with flights to major European cities.
Train station
The Warsaw Central Train Station has direct connections to Berlin, Frankfurt, Prague, Moscow, Bratislava, Budapest.
Activities
Pre-conference tours
Even in the unfortunate time of the limitations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of attractions to enjoy in the open air. Pre-conference walking tours of Warsaw would include.
Łazienki Królewskie – famous park complex housing a palace surrounded by water, a botanical garden and an amphitheater. In summer, the Chopin Piano Competition takes place there, dating back to 1927; it is the most important musical event in Poland and one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world, attracting talented young pianists from all around the world. The competition brings the opportunity to listen to the music of famous Polish composer and virtuoso Frédéric Chopin in the beautiful scenery of the gardens.
Wilanów Palace – one of the examples of Z baroque architecture and former summer residence of King Jan III Sobieski, called the “Polish Versailles”. The palace, constructed in the 17th century, is surrounded by a French-style garden that looks especially beautiful during the summer. It houses one of the oldest museums in Poland, displaying the country’s royal and artistic heritage and attracting around 3 million visitors annually. Cultural events also take place in the palace garden, such as the Summer Royal Concerts in the Rose Garden.
Warsaw Old Town – the oldest and the most picturesque part of the city, spreading out to the Gdańsk Boulevards and the bank of Vistula River. In 1980, it was placed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites as “an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century”. The district is centered around the Old Town Market Place, surrounded by elements of medieval architecture such as the old city walls, St. John’s Archcathedral and the Warsaw Barbican (a remnant of historic fortifications dating back to 1540). One of its most famous locations is the Castle Square with the Sigismund’s Column and the Royal Castle, the former residence of Polish monarchs.
Post-conference tours
Visit to a R& D Centre and a Local Vinyard
Research and Development Center in Bytom consists of a number of laboratories with top-notch equipment, including Human Dynamics and Multimodal Interaction Lab, Human Motion Lab, Human Seeing Lab, Human Facial Modeling Lab, Human Microexpression Lab and Wearable Technologies Lab.
Moreover, we have access to a nearby friendly vineyard (Winnica Rajska), which has kindly offered to give us a tour of the vineyard and the winery.
Gdańsk CAVE experience and Old Town
Gdańsk University of Technology offers an extraordinary Immersed Spatial Visualization Laboratory with the most technologically advanced CAVE system in Poland. CAVE (an acronym standing for Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) is a fully immersive virtual reality solution in which the user sees and interacts with the environment displayed on six walls of a cube, each measuring 3.4 meters on the side which makes it one of the largest facilities of such kind in the world. The Gdańsk CAVE is equipped with a spherical gait simulator – a unique transparent sphere that rotates while walking, offering unlimited mobility and allowing the user to utilize natural transportation mode while using VR.
Apart from that, we offer a tour of Gdansk, which was referred to as “Pearl of the North” and was founded in the 10th century. It is located next to the Baltic Sea, with an impressive port and a wonderful old town.
