Computer Science Colloquium

The purpose of this presentation is to describe some of the main issues related to Information Technology in the space sector. It outlines the major interests of a Space Agency such as CNES, which is concerned with the best use of information systems in all aspects of the space program. An additional objective of this presentation is to draw the attention of computer scientists to space research and development programs.

Professor Bensoussan graduated from the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique with an engineering degree, and then received graduate degrees in Statistics from Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Economique (1965) and in Computer Science from Institut de Programmation (1966) at University Pierre and Marie Curie. He received his Doctor of Science degree in Mathematics from University Pierre and Marie Curie in 1969, where his thesis adviser was Prof. Jacques-Louis Lions.

Alain's professional career has included serving as Chairman of the European Space Agency (ESA) Council since July 1999, and he is the President of CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) since January 1996. Previously he served as President of INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, 1984-1996), the well-known computer science research institute with laboratories in Paris, in Rennes and Sophia-Antipolis and other locations.

Throughout his career, Alain has maintained his academic appointment as Professor at University of Paris-Dauphine (since 1969), and as a part-time Professor at the Ecole Polytechnique from 1970 to 1986 and at Ecole Normale Supérieure from 1980 to 1985. He has also served at the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management in Brussels, as Professor (1971-1973), then as Chairman (1975-1977).

A distinguished mathematician in his own right, Prof. Bensoussan is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Asymptotic Analysis, and he is on the editorial board of several other journals. He is a Corresponding Member of the French Academy of Sciences (since 1986) and a Member of the French Academy of Technology (since 2000). His research spans applied mathematics and automatic control. He is the author or co-author of 13 books and of more than 300 technical papers. His honors include the Ordre National du Mérite (Commandeur), the Légion d'Honneur, and the Von Humboldt Prize (1984). He is also a Fellow of the IEEE (1985).