Emin Zerman – new associate senior lecturer at IST

What subjects are you going to teach?

My research focuses on human perception of visual media. I have been working on quality of experience (QoE) of immersive visual media for the last few years. Here, I will focus on information visualization research, how people perceive it and interact with it. Overall, my teaching will reflect my experience as well. I will teach visualization, computer graphics and VR, and other topics that include human perception, interaction, or vision.

I will also be a part of Realistic 3D research group while I am here.

When did you move to Sundsvall and how has your time been so far?

It has been a month since I moved to Sundsvall, and this last month was pretty nice. I have already seen some of the most breathtaking views of my life, including a very long and stunning sunset and northern lights. Of course, moving to a new country has its challenges, and I do not believe that I have seen the full extent of what Sundsvall and MIUN can offer, yet.

Where are you from and what did you do before coming to Mid Sweden University?

I am originally from Turkey. A good portion of my life was spent near Ankara, the city in which I completed my BSc degree (2011) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with high honors, at Middle East Technical University. I then completed my MSc degree (2013) at the same department at METU. I lived in Paris while I was doing my PhD in Signal and Images (2018) at Télécom ParisTech. During my PhD, I focused on visual perception and quality assessment for high dynamic range video.  For the last four years, I have been a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, working on quality assessment for immersive imaging technologies (e.g., omnidirectional video, light fields, volumetric video, augmented reality, virtual reality) and how human visual perception works for various immersive visual media applications.

In addition to research, I was a teaching assistant at METU between 2011 and 2015, and I was a lecturer at the National College of Ireland between 2021 and 2022, where I contributed to lectures, tutorials, and laboratory work for various computer engineering modules. I took part in organization of several special sessions on the advances in immersive imaging technologies at scientific conferences and preparation of a tutorial on immersive imaging technologies. I still act as reviewer for many IEEE and ACM conferences and academic journals.

Throughout the years, each step of my journey brought in new perspectives and introduced me to new cultures and mindsets. I know that I will gain new insights from and share my viewpoint with new colleagues here at MIUN.

Why did you choose to apply for a job at Mid Sweden University?

There are several reasons for why I chose to apply for a job at MIUN. The most important one was the fact that Sweden has a strong scientific research system and environment, which I think I will flourish in. The researchers in Sweden and at Mid Sweden University have strong ties to other researchers and institutes in Europe, which is something I value greatly. Swedish nature was a compelling factor, too.

What is your experience so far – of Sundsvall, of the university?

 I can say that I like Sundsvall and the University so far. People are extremely kind and helpful, and everyone here seems to be the expert on what they do. As a city, Sundsvall is smaller than the previous cities I lived in. Nevertheless, my first impression is that the city has many things to offer. As do the University. I am very excited to be here and to contribute to Mid Sweden University with my expertise.