We are excited to feature Professor Gabriel Wainer in this exclusive interview for the EAI blog. Professor Wainer was a keynote speaker at SIMUTools 2023 and will be returning as a cofounder at this year’s SIMUTools 2024 in December, in Bratislava, Slovakia. As a pioneering researcher in Real-Time Operating Systems and RT scheduling, Professor Wainer has made significant contributions to the field, including the development of early RT-Linux kernels. In this interview, he shares his journey, experiences with EAI conferences, and valuable advice for the next generation of researchers.
Research background:
question – What motivated you to pursue a career in research?
I started my research career in the field of Real-Time (RT) Operating Systems (OS) and RT scheduling in 1993 at University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There were very limited resources, and I mostly finished my Master’s thesis self-supervised; there was no expertise in the field, and I learned how to conduct research by myself. My first results were published in various venues and a book. Shortly after, this idea was followed by other researchers in the field, leading to the development of the first versions of RT-Linux (many of these kernels followed and cited our original ideas, which were new in 1993 when Linux was still in its infancy and still used a monolithic kernel design). The independence and the ability to make your own decisions on how to proceed, together with an excitement when results were positive drove me to continue. I got a couple of research scholarships at the University of Buenos Aires, and one day I was told that my new scholarship was meant for me to do a PhD, so I did.
Experience with EAI conferences:
question – How would you describe your overall experience with EAI conferences?
I co-founded SIMUTools, pushed by my colleague Olivier Dalle, who was very active and a brilliant researcher. So, starting a conference with him was an honor, and a lot of fun! We worked together for years trying to make SIMUTools better, and Olivier’s leadership was crucial in this sense. In parallel, we always counted with the support of Imrich Chlamtac, and the EAI team; organizing a conference with their support is fun and seamless. It’s always an enjoyable experience.
question – What were the most important parts of the conference program for you?
We always strived to have exciting Keynote speakers, that would engage the audience. Then, establishing a collegial atmosphere for joint collaboration is one of the most important aspects of the conference.
Advice for junior researchers coming to the conferences:
question – As with every conference, new junior researchers are coming to present their work. What advice would you give to junior researchers, which we can also share through EAI as a professional society?
Mingle. People in science and engineering tend to be shy and self-absorbed; try to join a group with common interests and talk to people. You will leave the conference enriched and you will learn a lot, not only from the scientific aspects but from the life experiences of your colleagues. Hopefully they will become your friends too.
question – Have you faced any challenges while writing academic papers that you managed to overcome? If so, could you share your insights on how you successfully handled them?
One of the most complex challenges for researchers is rejection of their work; both papers and research grants. One insight: don’t give up and continue pushing hard. Rejection is hard on you, but time heals all wounds. I have had very aggressive reviewers with not meaningful or interesting insight to make our work better, and that’s always complex. But after a while you realize what are the most valuable aspects of your work, use any positive feedback to improve the quality, and in some cases, you realize there are some flaws and you need to go back from start: you shouln’t shy from doing that. Time takes care of everything. But also time is limited, so use it wisely.
