If 'science' and 'engineering' are defined as being different, then the term 'computer science' is a misnomer and the entire discipline ought to have been characterized as the union of 'software theory' and 'software engineering', just like e.g. 'control theory' and 'control engineering'. However, in this case 'software engineering' must be taken in a much broader sense than the term has acquired until present.
The area of 'software engineering in a broad sense', or 'systems research in computer science' is concerned with the design of certain very complex systems, namely, the entire software systems in contemporary computers. These systems are complex not only in the sense of being large and having many parts, but more importantly because of the variety of structure and the richness of the interdependencies between the parts.
If a person or a group works on design issues in some part of that overall design then they can take the overall structure for granted and only address one segment of it. Furthermore, if we should consider that the contemporary overall structure is the best possible one, then it is natural to investigate it locally even in the longer term.
However, if one thinks (as I do) that the overall structure is far from optimal, that in the longer term it should be done very differently, and furthermore that contemporary software technology has grave deficiencies from the point of view of the end users, then one must adopt a broad and long-term perspective for the research. Specific research projects must have concrete goals and be relevant for immediate needs, of course, but it must also be possible to understand them in the context of an long-term destination.
The 'Hyperbook' section of the present website describes the specific research projects, including both those concerned with 'theory' and those concerned with 'engineering' in the sense understood here. The 'Vision' section, on the other hand, describes my long-term perspective and long-term goals as group leader for the research groups listed here and as editor of the present website. This vision has not always been shared by all the members of these groups over the years, but that is part of the game and it does not matter. (In fact it has probably been a good thing, for if a group of people all share the same vision without questioning it then they can lose contact with the world).
Welcome to my vision, therefore, and please be invited to write back with comments, agreements, and disagreements, and even with proposed contributions to this site.