Conformal and Probabilistic Prediction with Applications Conference: Robert Choudhury

At the somewhat antisocial hour of 4am on the 12th September 2023, a taxi arrived to take me to Heathrow Airport – destination Limassol in sunny Cyprus for the annual COPA (Conformal and  Probabilistic Prediction with Applications) conference organised by Frederick University Cyprus.

This conference is not a typical security conference as it is focused on the advancement of machine learning and conformal prediction. However, many of the theories presented and their applications such as advancements to concept drift and conformal prediction have been used in security papers in fields such as finance and malware.

 

I would say that the value of attending a conference is not limited to listening to people’s presentations. The opportunity to network with other researchers and companies and see how they are using similar technologies was invaluable. I was able to speak to the creators of machine learning libraries that I use and it was interesting to hear that they look for research that is not being continued and create libraries that are free to use. I found this unusual as from a non-academic perspective, I can see that having libraries professionally maintained is a benefit to the academic community.

 

It wasn’t ‘all work and no play’ however. Contributors were treated to an evening meal in an atmospheric Cypriot Taverna and also a day trip which included a tour of the Roman ruins at Kourion, followed by wine-tasting (we got to try a local blue wine!) and a traditional market in a picturesque mountain village which was also home to an ornate monastery. All this in extremely sunny weather which was an added bonus.

 

 Overall, it was an extremely positive experience. I gained several contacts and some insights into my research and am extremely grateful to our research council for funding my attendance.




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