Interview with Prof. Dr. Andreas Schäfer

Prof. Dr. Andreas Schäfer is physics professor at the University of Regensburg. There he heads his own chair and specializes in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which can be assigned to the field of Theoretical Particle Physics. Currently he is working on the Lattice Gauge Theory for QCD, perturbative QCD and High Energy Heavy Ion Physics. In addition to university research projects, he is also working on an AI project funded by the Free State of Bavaria to optimize local public transport, in which several universities and the company AVL are involved.

He also offers Bachelor and Master theses on AI applications, especially on personalized Medicine or data analysis.

Question 1: Mr. Schäfer, at which chair / institute at the University of Regensburg do you work?

At my chair in Physics

Question 2: Which topics do you mainly teach? Or. In which subject (s) are your events to focus on?

Physics, more precisely Theoretical Particle Physics, more precisely Quantum Chromodynamics

Question 3: "Knowledge creates² data" is a cross-faculty project at the University of Regensburg. It combines research efforts in the areas of big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning. How do your events relate to AI? Please describe this reference to us. (Please give us example events / example topics)

I am working on all of these topics, but I don’t give any lectures myself, as my teaching load is already exhausted by lectures for the research course “Physics” of the Elite Network Bavaria and “subject module lectures”.

Question 4: How do you convey this relationship to the students? What do you have to pay particular attention to here with regard to various prior knowledge?

I offer Bachelor and Master theses on AI applications either as part of the Computational Science course, there in particular on personalized Medicine, and in the field of Particle Physics, there in particular to data analysis.

Question 5: Building on this, which specialist competencies does the student acquire in the course?

N/A

Question 6: Why do you think it makes sense to convey AI-related topics to students?

AI will play an increasingly important role in the future, this is why education in Physics that does not convey AI competence is no longer up-to-date.

Question 7: In addition to the courses you hold, you are also involved in research. What are you currently doing here?

I’m involved in an AI project to optimize local public transport, especially in the rural area. In this project I work together with the company AVL and other universities. It’s financed by the R&D program of the Free State of Bavaria.

Question 8: Have you already done research on topics that are related to AI? If so, can you give us an example?

Yes, e.g. AI in data analysis at the planned Electron Ion Collider in the USA.

Question 9: Now a question about your personal career. What experience do you have in the field of AI? And how did you get your knowledge of AI? (Ex .: training, self-study, etc.)

Self-study as part of specific research projects. I studied when AI wasn’t yet an issue.

Question 10: Do you personally find it easy or difficult to deal with topics that are related to AI?

Rather easy (depends of course on the individual case)

Question 11: What exactly is it that interests / fascinates you particularly about such topics?

The great future potential

Question 12: Mr. Schäfer, are there currently projects on which you are collaborating with other lecturers on an interdisciplinary basis? If so, can you give us an example of this? And how is the connection to be assessed?

The current projects are not interdisciplinary.

Question 13: What is your ideal vision for the future role of AI in higher education? What could be the biggest change in the future compared to the status quo?

In physics, AI applications should be included in the respective “specialist modules”, i.e. they should get integrated in the master’s course.