IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi will host the Academy for Innovation and Management Studies (AIMS) International Conference in January 2025. The conference aims to foster global dialogue and collaboration on AI, sustainability, and related technologies. It seeks to gather researchers, academics, and industry experts to share insights and advancements in these fields. Why it matters: The event strengthens the UAE's position as a hub for AI research and sustainable technology innovation.
KAUST alumnus Aftab Hussain, now a faculty member at the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad, is working on flexible electronics for wearable devices. His research focuses on overcoming the rigidity of microprocessors and memory circuits by using materials like copper and polyimide. Hussain developed processes for creating stretchable metal spring structures applicable in thermotherapy, with published patents. Why it matters: This work demonstrates KAUST's role in fostering research that addresses key challenges in wearable technology, contributing to advancements in healthcare and micro-robotics.
Mausam, head of Yardi School of AI at IIT Delhi and affiliate professor at University of Washington, will discuss Neuro-Symbolic AI. The talk will cover recent research threads with applications in NLP, probabilistic decision-making, and constraint satisfaction. Mausam's research explores neuro-symbolic machine learning, computer vision for radiology, NLP for robotics, multilingual NLP, and intelligent information systems. Why it matters: Neuro-Symbolic AI is gaining importance as it combines the strengths of neural and symbolic approaches, potentially leading to more robust and explainable AI systems.
NYU Abu Dhabi hosted a talk by Prof. Debdeep Mukhopadhyay on the intersection of machine learning and hardware security. The talk covered using ML/DL for side-channel attacks, leakage assessment in crypto-devices, and threats to hardware security primitives. Prof. Mukhopadhyay is a visiting professor at NYU Abu Dhabi and Institute Chair Professor at IIT Kharagpur. Why it matters: The talk highlights the growing importance of hardware security in modern systems and the role of machine learning in both attacking and defending hardware vulnerabilities.
MBZUAI launched a report titled "AI for the Global South: 12 Critical Research Questions for the Next Decade" at the India AI Impact Summit. The report identifies 12 urgent research priorities related to AI's accessibility and benefits for developing countries. It grew out of MBZUAI’s AI for the Global South (AI4GS) workshop in December 2023, co-organized with IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi and sponsored by Microsoft. Why it matters: The report addresses the underrepresentation of local data, languages, and institutions from the Global South in modern AI systems, aiming to guide AI development towards inclusive and locally grounded systems.
The Quantum Research Centre (QRC) at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi has expanded its team. The center recently added two Senior Researchers, four Young Researchers, and one Visiting Research Professor. TII aims to advance knowledge through scientific research and technological innovation. Why it matters: This expansion indicates continued investment in quantum computing research and development within the UAE, potentially fostering advancements in the field.
Mani Sarathy, an associate professor of chemical engineering, has been appointed Associate Director of the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) at KAUST. Sarathy is part of the University’s Physical Science and Engineering Division. The announcement did not detail specific research directions. Why it matters: This signals KAUST's continued investment in and focus on clean combustion research.