Dr Asker is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology. He is co-director of the Machine Learning Group at the same department.

1985 - 1995 Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology (Research assistant)

1995 - 1997 NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA (Visiting Research Scientist)

1997 - 1999 Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology (Post-doctoral Fellow)

1999 - Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology (Lecturer)

Asker has published several papers on the combination of different machine-learning techniques to handle the imperfect domain theory problem in explanation-based learning [Norrie & Asker 89], [Asker 90], [Asker 91], [Asker 94b], and on the application of machine learning techniques to natural language processing [Asker & Samuelsson 91], [Asker et al 92], [Asker et al 93], [Asker & Gambäck 95]. Within this area he has also organized a workshop on machine learning techniques and text analysis held in connection with the European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML-93) [Adriaans et.al 93]. He defended his thesis entitled "Partial Explanations as a Basis for Learning" in 1994, [Asker 94a].

More recently, Dr. Asker worked with Data Mining and the application of machine learning techniques to real world problems. He has worked with machine learning for processs control in a combined heating and power plant in Stockholm [Asker & Boström 95a], [Asker & Boström 95b]. He has worked with Data Mining at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where Asker spent two years (1995 - 1997) as Visiting Research Scientist. There he participated in the development of general image database analysis and exploration tools ( JARtool and Diamond Eye) [Asker & Maclin 97a], [Asker & Maclin 97b], [Burl et al 98]. The long-term goal of the JARtool project was to develop a general system that automatically locates patterns of interest in image data. The Diamond Eye Project targets development of a suite of algorithms that will enable both scientists and remote systems to find, analyze, and catalog spatial objects and dynamic events in large scientific datasets and real-time image streams. Asker has also worked with Machine Learning applied to the area of Intelligent Alarm Handling in co-operation with a large paper pulp factory in the northern part of Sweden [Asker et al 00b], [Asker et al 99a] and with the development of new algorithms in the area of Inductive Logic Programming [Bostrom & Asker 99].

Dr Asker has been employed the the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology since 1985 and during this time developed, administered and lectured on a number of courses at the Department, both at the undergraduate, as well as the graduate level. These courses include: Machine Learning, Programming Language Theory, Logic programming, Functional programming, Introduction to AI, Explanation-based learning, Knowledge Representation, Expert Systems Development, Pascal programming, and AI and Cognitive Science.

Asker has functioned as external examiner for one PhD at the University of Surrey, UK [Monekosso 99] and is currently supervising two PhD students [Hulth et al 99] and [Cöster & Asker 00].

Furthermore, he has been giving courses on Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Functional Programming, Logic Programming and Knowledge Discovery in Databases to several large companies such as IBM and Asea Brown-Bovery and also at the Center for Study of Language and Information (CSLI) at Stanford, as part of their industrial affiliates program.

Dr. Asker is a member of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs' working group on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Development Co-operation. In this capacity he functions as expert technical advisor on questions related to Information Technology and telecommunication [Asker et al 99c].

He has represented Sweden as a member of the European Commission member states expert group on Information Society and Development.

Asker is an expert advisor to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) [Adugna et al 98], [Asker et al 98], [Asker et al 00a]. He is also (together with Love Ekenberg), National Swedish co-ordinator for three ICT related development programs in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Mozambique funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The programs involve infrastructure development and PhD programs currently involving six foreign and four Swedish Universities.

Asker is elected board member of the Swedish Artificial Intelligence Society (SAIS) and the Swedish Society for Learning Systems (SSLS). He is currently on the program committees for the Seventeenth International Conference on Machine Learning and Intelligent Data Analysis in Medicine and Pharmacology (IDAMAP-2000) a workshop at the 14th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI-2000). He was on the program committees for 1999 IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR-99), 1999 Intelligent Data Analysis in Medicine and Pharmacology (IDAMAP-99), a Workshop held at the 1999 annual symposium of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). He also served on the program committes for the American National Conference on Artificial Intelligence ( AAAI-97 and AAAI-98).