Can you introduce yourself?
I am Bernard van Gastel, and I studied Informatica, the predecessor of the current Computing Science. I teach two sustainability courses, two technical courses on operating systems and the New Devices Lab course. In the latter course, you design a device that you will actually build yourself.
Why did you choose to study/work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
I love my field because you can clearly see its societal impact. There are current problems, and together with societal stakeholders, we look for solutions. For example, I have advised on how Rijkswaterstaat should handle its data, or how Logius (the government's ICT environment) can sustainably procure their services.
What are you currently doing your own research on?
Sustainable ICT is my field. I look at the energy consumption of software, how we can measure it, predict it, and reduce it. This is because the consumption (and therefore our emissions) of our ICT sector increases by 30-40% each year. I want to do something about that.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice?
Experience the programme: talk to students and try to join for a day.
What is the best part of working with students?
The creative ideas that students have. These keep my perspective fresh and help me continue to question whether things could be done differently.