Kate Han

Dr. Kate Han serves as a Lecturer at Salford Business School, University of Salford, specializing in computational optimization and AI-driven solutions for real-world business and transportation challenges. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Software Engineering from Queen's University Belfast (2018), where she pioneered hyper-heuristic approaches for timetabling problems using reinforcement learning. Affiliated with the Salford Business School Research Centre, she actively contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals for quality education, sustainable industry, and resilient cities.

Dr. Han's research expertise spans:

• Scheduling and timetabling optimization using metaheuristics
• Transportation simulation with evolutionary algorithms
• Ensemble learning and deep neural network architectures
• Data-driven business process automation
• AI-assisted educational innovation in higher education

Her work bridges theoretical AI advancements with practical applications in public transport, sustainable infrastructure, and business education transformation.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a strategic shift toward sustainable transportation systems and educational technology. Key trends include optimizing connected autonomous vehicle integration in multi-modal networks using evolutionary algorithms, developing novel ensemble selection techniques (VISTA/VEGAS), and pioneering generative AI applications for business education. These efforts consistently align with net-zero emission goals and digital transformation imperatives across sectors.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Hornory Lecturer award (2022) for honorary research contributions

Dr. Han teaches advanced business technology courses including AI in Practice, Business Data Information Analytics, and Prompt Engineering for Business. She actively collaborates with government bodies and industry partners on real-world projects, though specific grant details remain undisclosed. Her research methodology emphasizes stakeholder engagement across diverse project scales, from micro-level business process automation to macro-level urban transport simulations.

As a core contributor to Salford Business School's research ecosystem, she participates in international initiatives like the 2024 International Conference on Software Engineering and Cybersecurity. Her work demonstrates how computational intelligence can drive sustainable industrial innovation while advancing educational practices in the post-pandemic era.