CASA Stories

Video #1: Yixin Zou

In the first episode of our video series "CASA Stories," Yixin Zou shows us her routines within her daily work. The video follows Yixin as she navigates through Bochum city centre, strolls through the peaceful Botanical Gardens of Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), chatting with her research group and reflecting her commitment to collaborative and diverse approaches in her research.

About Yixin
Yixin Zou is PI at our Cluster of Excellence CASA at Ruhr University Bochum and tenure track faculty member at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP). She heads the "Human-Centered Security and Privacy" group there. Her research covers the areas of human-computer interaction, data protection and security. Her focus is on improving the security behaviour of consumers and strengthening the digital security of vulnerable population groups. Within our cluster, her research is located in Research Hub D - "Usability", which examines the special role of users in the context of cyber security.

Video #2: Gregor Leander

In the second episode of the video series "CASA Stories," CASA PI and Professor of Symmetric Cryptography Gregor Leander provides an insight into his daily work life. He takes us on a scenic bike ride along the Ruhr to work, shares glimpses into meetings with his research group, and shows us his favorite spots on the Ruhr University campus.

In the video, Gregor Leander also discusses his personal journey and long-standing connection with Ruhr University: "I was here as a PhD. I was gone for some time and then came back to university and it was like coming home. It wasn’t the same building anymore, things changed but it changed in good ways." He also speaks positively about the work within the Cluster of Excellence: “The spirit, the team atmosphere within the CASA and at RUB in general are very open. It’s made to exchanging ideas, and that results in an atmosphere which is  friendly, open, and diverse and very good to make progress in research.”

Video #3: Karola Marky

In the third episode of our video series CASA Stories, CASA Principal Investigator and head of the Digital Sovereignty Lab (Faculty of Computer Science) at Ruhr University Bochum, Karola Marky, allows us to take part in her working day. Karola Marky and her team explore how people behave online, examining the effects on mental and physical health, as well as the implications for security and privacy. Drawing on her expertise in computer science and psychology, she investigates the complex intersection of these fields. 

In the video, Marky reflects on her unconventional journey back to academia. “In 2012, I quit university after my Bachelor's degree and I never ever wanted to see a university from the inside again. Now that obviously changed", she admits. After traveling extensively and spending time abroad, she found her way back to academic life: "For me, it’s actually really crazy because it’s all not that long ago and now I am sitting here as a professor with my own research group, where I can research the ideas that I generate and something that I am really passionate about." Currently, she is working to make the digital world more tangible by leveraging 3D printing technology to create personalized smart objects, which can be used for authentication or managing privacy in smart homes, for instance. 

Marky values the collaborative spirit at CASA: “We are conducting truly interdisciplinary research here. CASA is based at Ruhr University Bochum, a large university with many diverse research areas.” For her, collaboration is one of the most important aspects of scientific research: "Research is a team activity and when you look at the different teams around the world who are really successful, they are successful as a team."