Featured Member
- iSchools News
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Issue #3
Kostas Stefanidis
European/African Region
Finland
Tampere University
Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
iSchools member since 2011
Hello Kostas! Please tell us a bit about you!
I am a Professor of Data Science at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University in Finland, and the Director of the Data Science Research Centre.
I also lead the Recommender Systems Group, which focuses on advancing recommender systems with an emphasis on fairness, transparency, and user-centric personalization. Our research addresses challenges such as balancing recommendation quality with ethical considerations, minimizing bias, and ensuring equitable user experiences. We also explore sequential recommendations—understanding user behavior over time to deliver more contextually relevant and timely suggestions. This work is crucial for capturing evolving user preferences and adapting to users’ changing needs and interests.
Originally from Greece, I have lived in Finland since 2016. I enjoy traveling and cooking—traveling allows me to explore new cultures and ideas that inspire me both personally and professionally, while cooking is a creative outlet I love sharing with friends and family.
You are organizing TPDL 2025 together with your colleague Zheying Zhang this year, please tell us a bit about it!
Yes! Together with my colleague Zheying Zhang, I am co-organizing the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries (TPDL) 2025. We are especially excited to be hosting the conference in Tampere, Finland, a vibrant city known for its strong research community and beautiful natural surroundings.
TPDL has a rich history of bringing together researchers and practitioners from across disciplines—including digital libraries, information retrieval, and knowledge management—and we are honored to continue that tradition. For TPDL 2025, we are aiming to create an inspiring and welcoming environment that encourages collaboration, fresh ideas, and forward-looking discussions.
We are putting together a dynamic program featuring cutting-edge research, interactive workshops, thought-provoking keynotes, and plenty of opportunities for networking and community building. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase not only the latest in digital library research but also the innovation and energy coming from the Nordic region.
We can not wait to welcome the TPDL community to Tampere—it is going to be an exciting event, and we hope to see you there!
You are a Data Science professor, an information research field that is sometimes located in information science departments and sometimes in computer science departments. What experiences have you had with your research field being in an intermediate space?
That is a really insightful question. Data Science naturally sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines, and I have found that being in this intermediate space—between information science and computer science—has been both intellectually enriching and practically rewarding.
On the one hand, my work is grounded in core computer science methods, particularly in areas like algorithms, and large-scale data processing. On the other hand, many of the problems I focus on—such as fairness in recommender systems, user-centric personalization, and responsible data use—are deeply rooted in information science and human-centered computing. These are challenges that require not just technical solutions but also a broader understanding of societal impact, user behavior, and ethical implications.
Being in this in-between space has allowed me to collaborate across disciplines, engage with diverse communities, and approach research questions from multiple angles. It has also helped me in training students who are not just technically strong, but also attuned to the values that come with working with data that impacts people’s lives.
At Tampere University, I feel fortunate to be part of a faculty that embraces this interdisciplinary spirit. It gives us the flexibility to bridge gaps, explore new research directions, and contribute to both scientific advancement and societal good.
If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be?
If I could give just one piece of advice to future information scientists, it would be: stay curious, but always stay human-centered.
Information science is evolving rapidly, driven by powerful technologies like AI and data-driven systems. It is easy to get caught up in technical progress—but the real impact comes when we design systems that serve people, respect their values, and enhance their lives. So ask bold questions, explore new methods, but never lose sight of the human perspective. That is where the most meaningful and responsible innovations happen.
Thank you very much, Kostas!
Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org in case you would like to be featured as well.
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