Our Speakers

Dr. Cesar Sanin uses knowledge engineering and augmented intelligence to solve real-world problems, helping to revolutionize decisions-making, processes and industries.Dr. Cesar Sanin has had very extensive experience in the area of intelligent systems development over the last 19 years. In this area, he has mainly contributed to the development of the knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence fields in several areas of application. One of his most novel developments has been the knowledge representation named Decisional DNA (DDNA) and the Set of Experience Knowledge Structure (SOEKS). Both technologies used in machine learning and augmented intelligence.He obtained his PhD degree in 2007 in the area of knowledge engineering, and since then, he has been researching and leading the Knowledge Engineering Research Team - KERT - at The University of Newcastle, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment. KERT has contributed significantly to the area of smart information use in modelling and development of complex and augmented intelligent systems.Research ExpertiseDr.

Sanin has co-authored more than 200 publications, book chapters, journals, conferences articles and two books:- Knowledge Management and Engineering with Decisional DNA, Szczerbicki, Edward, Sanin, Cesar (Eds.) https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030396008- Decisional DNA and the Smart Knowledge Management System: Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management applied to an Intelligent Platform, Sanin, Cesar https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3838337425/acmorg-20His publications have gained over 2700 citations (Google Scholar). He has also been awarded, as co-chief investigator, six research grants and direct industry research funding from the European Union Research Council, Australian Academy of Science, the Colombian Government, and from The University of Newcastle.

He is a reviewer of several international journals, including Future Generation Computer Systems (Elsevier), IEEE Internet of Things, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Standards and Interfaces, International Journal of Cybernetics and Systems, Computer, Materials and Continua, International Journal of Production Research, among others. He is also a reviewer of international conferences such as Knowledge-based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems (KES), Intelligent Information and Database Systems (ACIIDS), Compitational Collective Intelligence (ICCCI), among others.

His research is developed at the CRAAX Lab, with interests in resources management in smart scenarios, with emphasis on the data management and optimization of big data processing. He has also been involved in the massively parellel systems, the optimization techniques for supercomputers, and the optimization of run-time environments. He is also interested in the operating systems internal implementation, as well as the run-time interaction between the operating system (Linux) and the virtual environments (Java Virtual Machine).

Jordi Garcia lectures courses on distributed systems, operating systems, parallel computing, computer architecture, data driven design, the sustainability of the technology, and technology for development. He is also consultant at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, and has been lecturing for more than ten years in some master courses on operating systems and network programming at the University of Reading, UK.

He is highly committed with the sustainability of technology and universitary cooperation for development. He is member of the academic board in the Center of Cooperation for Development at the UPC, and is member of the academic committee of the Catalunya-Africa Institute. He is responsible of several cooperation projects in west Africa, where he is the co-funder on an NGO.

Currently, Dr. Mariam holds the position of Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at CUI. Her research interests are diverse and encompass several cutting-edge fields, including.

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks and Energy Management: Exploring the challenges and opportunities of communication and energy efficiency in underwater environments.

Blockchain: Investigating the potential of blockchain technology to enhance security and transparency in various applications.

Internet of Things (IoT): Exploring the integration of physical objects with the internet and the development of innovative IoT applications.

Machine Learning: Utilizing machine learning algorithms to analyze data, make predictions, and automate tasks.

Prof. Haroon has received the BEST UNIVERSITY TEACHER AWARD by HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, PAKISTAN in 2014. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and SPS. He is also serving as Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems on Video Technology (TCSVT). He is also appointed as Professor Extraordinarius at University of South Africa since February 2023. He has presented his research as Keynote/Invited Speakers at many conferences/workshops.

Dr. Syed has offered expert witness consultancy to the United States Trademark and IP Patent Office on digital twins and building monitoring systems. Served as expert in several European Government initiatives. He is recognized globally, with keynote speaking roles, editorial contributions to journals, and mentorship of Postdoc, PhD and Master’s students, and foreign proposal /thesis evaluator.

He has been awarded double Ph.D. degrees after completing both universities requirements: First Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering in August 2018 by Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea for his work on study of end-to-end knowledge engineering process to acquire and share the health and wellness knowledge, and second Doctor of Philosophy (Information Technology) in December, 2018 by School of Engineering and ICT, University of Tasmania, Australia for his work on study of an intelligent e-learning platform for case-based learning in medicine to enrich and enhance the learning experience of medical students. During his dual Ph.D. studies, he has contributed to 26 publications (1 patent, 10 journals, and 15 conferences) in various reputed journals/conferences. He has over 17 years of experience in the IT industry. His research interests include knowledge engineering, machine learning, and case-based learning.

His previous roles at QUEST include Director of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC), Chairman Computer Systems Engineering Department, Director Continuing Education, and Coordinator Attendance Cell at QUEST. Dr. Kumar is actively involved in various committees such as the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan’s National Curriculum and Review Committee (NCRC), Technology Development Fund (TDF), National Research Program for Universities (NRPU), and Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Additionally, he serves as an expert for the Sindh HEC’s Chartered Inspection and Evaluation Committee (CIEC) and as a Program Evaluator (PEV) of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for the accreditation of engineering programs under the OBE / ABET system. Dr. Kumar is a member of the Board of Studies, Academic Council, Senate, and Selection Board at multiple universities. He is also a senior member of IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Communication Society, and IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. Dr. Kumar earned his Ph.D. from Free University Berlin, Germany in 2012. Prior to that, he completed his Bachelor of Computer Systems Engineering and Master of Communication Systems and Networks Engineering from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro, Pakistan in 2001 and 2004 respectively. He joined QUEST in January 2004 and was awarded a Ph.D. Scholarship from HEC Pakistan and DAAD Germany in 2007. During his Ph.D. research, he developed a unique MAC protocol for wireless sensor networks and contributed to several European Union projects. His research interests include Wireless Sensor Networks, IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee, Internet of Things, Next-Generation Networks, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Cyber-Physical Systems. Dr. Kumar has published four books, contributed to sixteen book chapters, and has more than 60 research publications. He has supervised six Ph.D. students and 20 master's candidates in completing their postgraduate studies. Dr. Kumar has participated in various capacities such as keynote speaker, paper presenter, session chair, reviewer, and organizer of various conferences, journals, and workshops in countries like Germany, France, the USA, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Egypt, and Slovenia. Furthermore, he holds the position of Associate Editor at Springer’s Wireless Personal Area Communication Journal