Elhadj Benkhelifa

Elhadj Benkhelifa is a full Professor of Computer Science and Digital Innovations at Staffordshire University, leading the Head of Professoriate role to advance university strategies. He founded the Smart Systems, AI and Cybersecurity Research Centre (SSAICS), directing 15 staff and 23 PhD students. Previously, he held roles at Cranfield University and the University of the West of England. His interdisciplinary research focuses on cybersecurity, cloud/edge computing, bio-inspired systems, and AI applications in healthcare and digital transformation. He is a Visiting Professor at Universities of Suffolk, Lyon3, and Paris 8, and chairs the IEEE UK&I Section's Education & STEM office.

Education includes a PhD in Artificial-Life (Bio Inspired Evolvable and Self-Healing Systems) from UWE Bristol Robotics Lab, alongside postgraduate certifications in research supervision and higher education. His work bridges academia and industry, addressing challenges in cybersecurity, IoT, and healthcare through applied research.

Research interests span cloud computing paradigms, semantic technologies, and AI ethics, with over 150 publications. His recent articles emphasize AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, quantum computing applications, and medical diagnostics using deep learning. He actively contributes to open-access publishing and advises on national cybersecurity strategies.

Awarded Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, he leads impactful projects including malware detection systems, semantic knowledge graphs for public health, and blockchain-based authentication frameworks. His teaching spans undergraduate to PhD levels, with over 100 supervised projects. He also serves on advisory boards for cybersecurity initiatives and Staffordshire Police's evidence-based practices.