Meet some of our employees

Roman-Valentyn Tkachuk (Associate Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science)

Can you tell us about your role at BTH and your main academic focus?

I am an Associate Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, with a primary focus on platform security, cloud-native security, and secure distributed systems. My work spans both research and teaching. On the research side, I investigate secure architectures for cloud platforms, containerized environments, and critical digital infrastructures. In teaching, I contribute to courses in cloud computing, malware analysis, and software and system security.

My ambition is to bridge academic rigor with real-world security challenges, ensuring that our students gain both theoretical depth and practical competence.

What does a typical working day look like for you as an Associate Senior Lecturer?

A typical day is divided between research, supervision, teaching preparation, and collaboration with colleagues or industry partners.

Research activities may involve designing experimental setups, writing scientific papers, reviewing literature, or developing secure architectural models. Teaching activities include preparing lectures, supervising student projects, and evaluating assignments.

An important part of the role is also mentoring students and junior researchers, helping them develop analytical and critical thinking skills within cybersecurity and distributed systems.

What does your team look like, and how do you collaborate in your everyday work?

I work within a multidisciplinary computer science environment that includes researchers and lecturers in cybersecurity, distributed systems, software engineering, and AI.

Collaboration happens through joint research proposals, co-authored publications, course coordination, and supervision of student projects. We regularly exchange feedback on research ideas and teaching materials, thereby strengthening the quality and coherence across our programs.

How does teamwork contribute to the quality of your research and teaching?

Cybersecurity and distributed systems are inherently interdisciplinary. Effective teamwork allows us to combine expertise in architecture, cryptography, AI, systems engineering, and regulatory frameworks.

In research, this leads to more robust models and stronger publications. In teaching, it ensures that students are exposed to complementary perspectives and up-to-date industry practices. Collegial dialogue is essential for maintaining academic excellence and relevance.

What attracted you to BTH as an employer, and what made you choose to work here?

BTH has a strong profile in applied IT and engineering, particularly in software engineering and distributed systems. I was attracted by the combination of academic freedom, close collaboration with industry, and the opportunity to build long-term research directions in platform security.

The relatively compact and focused academic environment also enables meaningful collaboration across disciplines without excessive bureaucracy.

What do you enjoy most about working at BTH?

I value the balance between research independence and collegial support. The environment encourages initiative, innovation, and cross-disciplinary dialogue.

I also appreciate the strong connection between research and education. Seeing students develop from foundational understanding to advanced analytical capability in cybersecurity is particularly rewarding.

What advice would you give to someone considering an academic career at BTH?

Be curious, structured, and resilient. Academia requires long-term thinking, intellectual discipline, and the ability to collaborate across domains.

At BTH, opportunities exist for those who are willing to take initiative, build research networks, and actively contribute to both teaching and research development. If you are motivated by impact — both scientific and societal — this is a strong environment to grow in.