Keynote Speakers

Dr. Varuna De Silva

Lecturer in Digital Engineering and joined Loughborough University London in 2016, after working in the industry as a research engineer

Biography:

After obtaining the Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from University of Surrey in 2011, Varuna worked as a work package leader of a Large Scale Integrated Project "ROMEO" funded by the European Commission. During the time he was with University of Surrey, both as a Ph.D. student and as a research fellow, he developed a highly significant publication record in the area of image and video processing, which includes 12 highly cited IEEE Transactions, and an IEEE consumer electronic society award.

To pursue a career in the industry, in November 2013, he joined Apical Ltd, where he worked as a new algorithms developer for imaging and display systems to be run on efficient hardware platforms. The algorithms he developed were realized in nearly 500 million devices around the globe, and a patented technology for CMOS cameras, for which he is the lead inventor which appeared in a significant proportion of CCTV cameras in the world.

Since May 2016, he assumed duties as a lecturer in digital engineering at Loughborough University, where he was promoted to a Senior Lecturer in Jan 2020. He is the module leader for Principles of Data Science, Bayesian Methods in Deep Learning, Statistical methods in Finance, and Gaming Technologies and Simulation. He is the recipient of two EPSRC grants in the area of next generation machine intelligence, and complementary industrial funding. He currently has active industrial collaborations with several organizations. His team works on Engineering application of Artificial Intelligence, specifically Multi-Agent Reinforcement learning, multimodal computer vision, and simulation models, with a Vision to scale state-of-the-art AI algorithms to real world Engineering systems.

 Dr. Reyhan Baktur 

Associate professor with Utah State University

Biography:

is an associate professor at the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Utah State University (USU) USA. Her research interests include antennas and microwave engineering with a focus on antenna design for CubeSats; optically transparent antennas; multifunctional integrated antennas, sensors, and microwave circuits. She is affiliated with the Center for Space Engineering at USU, the Space Dynamics Laboratory (the university-affiliated research center), and collaborates with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Baktur is an IEEE Antennas and Propagation (APS) Distinguished Lecturer of 2022-2024, AdCom member of IEEE APS, and is active in the US National Committee of the International Union of Radio Science, serving as the vice chair for commission B, and the inaugural chair of the Women in Radio Science. 

Dr. HOUCINE CHAFOUK

Professor, IRSEEM/ ESIGELEC Normandy University of Rouen France

Biography:

Houcine Chafouk, IEEE senior member, is professor at ESIGELEC and Researcher at IRSEEM / University of Rouen Normandy, France, obtained a doctorate in automation at the University of Nancy, Lorraine, France in 1990, then he joined the same year the engineering school ESIGELEC, Rouen. From 2000 to 2008, he held the position of director of research and head of the research team in automation and systems. Since 2000, he has supervised around thirty doctoral, post-doctoral and HDR students who have carried out their research within IRSEEM or with international partners. He also participated in thesis juries as rapporteur (20 theses) and examiner (15 theses). Author and co-author of more than 200 research articles (publications and communications) in the fields of advanced control systems, diagnostics and fault tolerant control applied to the fields of renewable energy, automotive and aerospace.

Dr. Mohammed Benhammou

International Expert on Security and Strategic questions 

Biography:

is a Moroccan academic and political scientist. Professor at Mohammed V Souissi University, , Rabat. President of the Moroccan Center for Strategic Studies (CMES) and the African Federation for Strategic Studies (FAES), he is an international expert on strategic issues, security and terrorism.

This former student of the National School of Administration (ENA) in Paris, is also a graduate of the University of Montpellier (France): he holds a doctorate in law, with a thesis prepared under the direction of Georges Pequigniot, with a degree in political science, and prepared a 3^rd cycle doctorate in international relations. He also graduated from the National School of Public Administration in Rabat.

Mohammed Benhammou held the position of financial control inspector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then that of finance inspector at the General Control of State Expenditure Commitments. He was in charge of studies, and adviser to the Minister of Administrative Affairs. As a professor, he taught political science, evaluation of public policies, international relations, introduction to strategic studies and geopolitical mutations in the French universities of Tours and Blois, at the Mohammed V- Souissi University as well as at the National School of Public Administration in Rabat.

Former vice-dean of the Faculty of Law of Salé, he is the current head of the Department of Public Law. Research director of dozens of dissertations and theses in Morocco and France, and member of scientific committees of several institutions, he has animated as a supervisor several training seminars, and carried out work and research, analyzes and conferences.Former vice-president of the international organization Trainers Without Borders, in charge of the international network of experts and consultants, he was a consultant in public management.He was the founding president of the Moroccan Association of Former ENA Students in Paris. He was a founding member of the Mediterranean Network for Democracy based in Cairo and of the Network of Arab Democrats.

Mohammed Benhammou served as president of the Lyousi Center for Political Studies and Research. Current President of the Moroccan Observatory for Citizenship and Democracy (OMCD). He is Coordinator of the International Strategic Issues Network, based in Washington. 

Dr. Tajjeddine Rachidi

Dean of the School of Engineering at Al Akhawayn University (AUI)

Biography:

is now one of the key players in the digital ecosystem in Morocco. He was and continues to be a stakeholder in several major digital projects in Morocco and abroad in cutting-edge fields. A career devoted to Research and Experimental Development (R&D) and training in the field of digital and information technology.

Tajjeddine Rachidi is among the actors who have contributed to the training of several generations of digital professionals in Morocco, given his commitment as a professor at Al Akhawayn University since its opening in 1995 before becoming, since 2009, the dean of his engineering school.

A native of Khouribga, Professor Rachidi obtained his baccalaureate at Ibn Abdoune high school, and then succeeded in accessing preparatory classes at Lyautey High School in Casablanca in 1983. Two years later, he joined the National School of Computer Science and Mathematics of Grenoble (ENSIMAG) in France. Once he had his engineering degree in embedded systems and computer networks, he headed to England to prepare and obtain a Ph.D in 1994 at Essex University, specializing in Artificial Intelligence and particularly in computer vision

The launch of the AUI University project has accelerated his return, since he will join the start-up team that will set up the first foundations of the first engineering school that trained Moroccan graduates in accordance with the Anglo-American educational model.

Despite his academic and managerial commitment within the AUI, Professor Rachidi has piloted, at the same time, several applied research projects for the private sector in Morocco and abroad in cutting-edge areas such as quality of service in UMTS (3G) networks, the development and integration of cryptographic algorithms and embedded computing for satellites. He has also worked for major IT engineering service companies (SSII or SS2I), namely Cap'Info and Omnidata.On the entrepreneurial and consulting side of his career, Pr. Rachidi while at AUI founded several companies including CoreSoft and SyndeosWith his new responsibility mission as Dean, his ambition is to help achieve the objectives of the AUI 2025 strategic plan by positioning the University's School of Engineering as a leader in the MENA region " Middle East and North Africa” through the sustained growth of enrollees, the diversification of the courses offered and their adequacy with the market and the quality of training. A leadership that must be accompanied by the consolidation of the role of its school, as a major R&D player in the fields of digital transformation, digital industry, renewable energies and CubeSats.