Cao Jiannong is currently a Chair Professor and Director of the University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University . He has held academic roles including Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong and University Lecturer at the University of Adelaide and James Cook University. His research spans Cloud and Edge Computing , Parallel and Distributed Systems , Big Data Analytics , and Wireless Sensing . Ph.D. in Computer Science, Washington State University (1990) MSc in Computer Science, Washington State University (1986) BSc in Computer Science, Nanjing University, China (1982) His work focuses on solving theoretical and practical challenges in distributed computing , mobile cloud systems , and wireless sensor networks . Recent projects include coupled network embedding models for heterogeneous networks and SDN architectures for vehicular communication. His research also pioneers WiFi-based non-invasive health monitoring and fault-tolerant sensor deployment for structural health applications. Dr. Cao's publications highlight advancements in network embedding , edge computing , and WSN optimization . Key papers address multi-user computation partitioning , energy-efficient SHM systems , and consensus protocols for mobile networks. These works have been cited over 15,000 times, with an h-index of 60. Ministry of Education (China) Natural Science Award (2018) Distinguished Member, ACM (2017) Fellow, IEEE (2014) Best Paper Awards at IEEE DSAA, SMARTCOMP, and WCNC Dr. Cao has advised multiple PhD students, including Linchuan Xu and Weigang Wu , whose research on WSN-based SHM and coupled network embedding has practical impact. His leadership includes directing Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Big Data Research Facility and serving on technical committees for IEEE INFOCOM and ACM/IEEE conferences.
Peter Druschel is a Professor and founding Director of the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS) in Saarbrücken, Germany. He holds adjunct professorships at Saarland University and the University of Maryland. His research focuses on distributed systems, operating systems, and privacy-preserving technologies. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1994 and has held roles at Rice University since 1994, including Professor of Computer Science (2002–2005). Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Arizona (1994) Research Interests: Distributed systems, operating systems, network security, accountable computing, and privacy technologies. Current projects include privacy compliance in data systems (Thoth), secure communication (EbN), and privacy-aware image capture (I-Pic). Awards: SIGOPS Mark Weiser Award (2008) NSF CAREER Award (1995) Member of Academia Europaea and German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Grants & Leadership: Leads the ERC Synergy Project imPACT, chairs the Max Planck Society’s Chemistry, Physics, and Technology Section, and collaborates with institutions like Cornell and Google. Advises on policy issues related to technology and privacy. Labs/Teams: Distributed Systems Group at MPI-SWS, collaborations with Microsoft Research and MIT. Current team includes students and postdocs working on privacy, security, and distributed systems.
Matteo Maffei is a Full Professor at TU Wien, leading the Security and Privacy group. He joined in 2017 after 11 years at Saarland University's CISPA. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2006). He coordinates the TU Wien Cybersecurity Center, the SecInt Doctoral School, and the FWF Special Research Program SPyCoDe. His research focuses on formal methods for security and privacy, blockchain technologies, and web security. Roles: Full Professor, Coordinator of TU Wien Cybersecurity Center, Module Head of Christian Doppler Lab for Blockchain Technologies (CDL-BOT), Board Member of Vienna Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Cluster (ViSP). His work emphasizes formal verification of cryptographic protocols, smart contracts, and decentralized systems. Key achievements include ERC Advanced (2024) and Consolidator (2018) Grants, and leadership roles in conferences like IEEE Computer Security Foundations Symposium (CSF). Research Interests: Formal methods, smart contracts, blockchain scalability, web security, privacy-preserving protocols, and decentralized systems. His recent projects include optimizing Lightning Network channels, secure multi-hop payments, and AI-driven robustness verification. Publications: Over 200 publications in top venues like CCS, IEEE S&P, and CRYPTO. Recent work includes advancements in blockchain interoperability (e.g., Alba bridges), light client protocols (Blink), and neural network verification techniques. Grants & Awards: ERC Advanced Grant (2024), ERC Consolidator Grant (2018), DFG Emmy Noether Fellowship (2009). Led projects funded by EU Horizon, FWF, and industry partners like ABC Research GmbH. Advising & Labs: Supervised over 20 PhD/Master theses. Active in the Christian Doppler Lab for Blockchain Technologies and the SPyCoDe SFB. Collaborates with institutions like SBA Research and Stanford University.
Jiannong Cao is a Chair Professor and Director of the University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics at the Department of Computing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has held various academic roles since 1990, including Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong and Lecturer at Australian universities. PhD in Computer Science, Washington State University (1990) MSc in Computer Science, Washington State University (1986) BSc in Computer Science, Nanjing University (1982) His research focuses on cloud and edge computing , parallel and distributed computing , and mobile computing , with significant contributions to wireless sensor networks (WSN) for structural health monitoring (SHM) and software-defined networking (SDN) for vehicular communications. Recent work includes WiFi-based non-invasive health monitoring systems and multi-user computation partitioning in mobile cloud environments. Dr. Cao’s publications demonstrate trends in WSN optimization , SDN architectures , and cognitive modeling for network embedding , with applications in smart healthcare , transportation systems , and industrial IoT . Ministry of Education Natural Science Award (2018) ACM Distinguished Member (2017) IEEE Fellow (2014) Best Paper Awards at IEEE DSAA, SMARTCOMP, WCNC He has mentored numerous researchers, including Linchuan Xu , Xuefeng Liu , and Weigang Wu , who have authored key publications in top venues like ACM WSDM and IEEE INFOCOM . His professional roles include chairing IEEE committees and serving on grant panels for the Hong Kong Research Grant Council.
Atakan Aral serves as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, where he leads research in edge computing, distributed systems, and environmental monitoring applications. His work focuses on developing efficient and resilient computing systems for environmental applications, with particular emphasis on neuromorphic edge AI and the cloud-edge continuum. He maintains an active teaching schedule offering courses in Distributed Systems Engineering, Cloud Computing, and Practical Software Courses with Bachelor's Thesis work across multiple semesters through 2025. Dr. Aral's research interests span several critical areas in modern computing including edge computing architectures, federated learning approaches, neuromorphic computing for environmental monitoring, and resilient systems design. His work addresses fundamental challenges in resource-constrained environments, particularly focusing on latency-sensitive applications and energy-efficient computation. The interdisciplinary nature of his research bridges theoretical computer science with practical environmental applications, developing systems that can operate effectively in remote or resource-limited settings. Analysis of his recent publication trajectory reveals a clear evolution from foundational cloud computing research toward increasingly specialized edge intelligence systems. Early work focused on resource allocation and scheduling in cloud environments, while his current research emphasizes neuromorphic approaches for sustainable environmental monitoring. His publications demonstrate growing interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with environmental scientists, and increasing focus on practical implementations of theoretical concepts in real-world monitoring systems. Dr. Aral leads significant research projects including TROCI (Towards Resilient Operation of Critical Infrastructure), an ongoing initiative, and SWAIN (Sustainable Watershed Management Through IoT-Driven AI), which ran from February 2021 to February 2024. His work spans multiple dimensions of computing systems, from hardware-aware algorithms to application-level implementations, with consistent contributions to major conferences and journals in distributed systems and edge computing. He is an active member of the Scientific Computing research group at the University of Vienna, working from Room 6.49 at Währinger Straße 29. His research environment includes collaboration with the Environment and Climate Research Hub, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work that bridges computer science with environmental applications. His publications indicate strong international collaboration across European institutions and research groups.
Hui Pan is a distinguished academic holding dual positions as Nokia Chair in Data Science and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, and Chair Professor of Computational Media and Arts at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research spans networking, mobile computing, augmented reality, and computational social science. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge in 2007. His work bridges social networks with mobile systems, pioneering fields like mobile social networks and opportunistic forwarding algorithms. Research interests include data science, complex networks, and innovative applications of augmented reality. His recent publications focus on low-latency AR frameworks, blockchain for computation offloading, and mobile web visualization. He has received prestigious awards, including IEEE Fellow (2018), ACM Distinguished Scientist (2016), and the Nokia Chair Endowment (2017). He has supervised over 15 PhD and 12 MPhil graduates, with 13 current Ph.D. students and 2 MPhil students. His editorial roles include Associate Editorships at IEEE Transactions journals and guest editorships at top venues like IEEE JSAC and ACM Transactions. He has organized conferences such as WWW Track Chair and ExtremeCom General Chair.
Hongbo Jiang is a Distinguished Professor and Vice Dean of the College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Hunan University, China. He holds concurrent roles as Director of the Trusted Systems and Networking Key Laboratory of Hunan Province and Director of the Hunan International Technical Cooperation Base for High-Performance Computing and Distributed Systems. His academic journey includes tenures as a Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a Hong Kong Scholar Research Fellow at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Case Western Reserve University, 2008), B.S./M.S. in Mathematics (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2002). Research Interests: Distributed systems, mobile computing, smart sensing, wireless networks, IoT, and edge computing. Ongoing projects include mobile/wireless applications, data science in IoT, and edge computing platforms. His work emphasizes practical implementations such as DriverSonar for driving safety and SmileAuth for biometric authentication. Key Achievements: Elected Member of Academia Europaea (2022), Fellow of AAIA, IET, and BCS. Notable awards include the Wu Wenjun Science and Technology Award (2020) and multiple best paper recognitions. Over 100+ publications in top venues like ACM MobiCom, IEEE/ACM Transactions. Professional Contributions: Editorial roles across 8+ journals including IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks. Conference leadership includes co-founding ACM TURC and EAI ICECI. Active in technical committees for INFOCOM, MOBIHOC, and ICDCS. Labs/Teams: Leads research groups focused on networking, IoT, and edge computing. Current openings for PhD/MSc students and PostDoc researchers with strong mathematical and systems backgrounds.
Bruce Brown is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Brighton , overseeing research across life, physical, social sciences, and arts and humanities. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Architecture (1989–2006) and Head of the Department of Design (1984–1989). Administrative Leadership : REF2014/RAE2008 Chair, International Governor at Shenkar College, and advisor to academic bodies in Hong Kong, Portugal, and Italy. Research Interests : Visual memory, arts education, and research leadership, with publications spanning design history, spatial design, and cultural policy. Scientific Awards : 2007 WHO’s WHO (A&C Black) 2005 Honorary Fellow (University for the Creative Arts) 2004 Honorary Fellow (Royal College of Art) 1985 Elected Member (Designers and Art Directors Association) 1978 Sanderson and Herbert Read Awards (Royal College of Art) 1970 Elected Fellow (Royal Society of Arts) Articles focus on visual communication, design policy, and cultural memory, reflecting his expertise in design research and higher education leadership . He is currently an Editor of Design Issues: Research Journal (MIT Press).
Mohamed-Slim Alouini is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Associate Dean of the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. He also serves as the Associate Vice President for Research and holds the UNESCO Chair in Education to Connect the Unconnected. With over 500 journal publications and more than 46,000 citations, he is a world-renowned expert in wireless communications who was elected IEEE Fellow in 2009 at the age of 39. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), 1998 MS in Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), 1995 Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in Electronics, Université Pierre & Marie Curie (Sorbonne University), 1993 Diplôme d'Ingénieur, École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (Télécom Paris Tech), 1993 Habilitation, Université Pierre & Marie Curie (Sorbonne University), 2003 Dr. Alouini is a world-renowned expert in wireless communication and networking with research interests spanning diversity combining techniques, MIMO systems, multi-hop/cooperative communications, optical wireless systems, cognitive radio, UAV communications, and advanced modulation schemes. His current focus addresses the technical challenges of uneven information and communication technology distribution, particularly targeting rural, low-income, disaster-prone, and hard-to-reach areas through integrated ground-airborne-space networks. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations to solve real-world connectivity problems. His recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate a clear research trajectory toward integrated communication networks combining terrestrial, aerial, and space components. There's growing emphasis on UAV communications, satellite systems, optical wireless technologies, and rural connectivity solutions, with increasing integration of machine learning techniques for network optimization. His work shows consistent focus on addressing the digital divide, with several publications specifically targeting 6G challenges for connecting underserved populations and recycling existing infrastructure for enhanced rural connectivity. Scientific Awards: Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2019) Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (2018) IEEE Fellow (2009) Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers (2016) OIC Science & Technology Achievement Award (2017) Multiple recognitions as Highly Cited Researcher NSF CAREER Award (1999) Dr. Alouini has mentored numerous successful students and post-doctoral fellows who have secured positions at top institutions worldwide including Harvard, Caltech, Imperial College, and faculty positions at Korea University, Hanyang University, and universities across the Middle East. His December 2018 PhD graduate Qurrat-Ul-Ain Nadeem received the prestigious Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholars award, while post-doctoral fellows have won IEEE ComSoc Young Professionals Best Innovation Award and attended the Lindau Nobel Meeting. His Communication Theory Lab at KAUST drives significant research in wireless communications with funding supporting extensive publication output and innovative projects. Dr. Alouini leads the Communication Theory Lab at KAUST and holds the UNESCO Chair in Education to Connect the Unconnected, focusing specifically on technical solutions for connecting underserved communities. His lab works on integrated ground-airborne-space networks to bridge the digital divide, with particular emphasis on rural, low-income, and hard-to-reach areas. The team develops practical solutions using UAVs, satellite communications, and recycled infrastructure to provide cost-effective connectivity where traditional approaches fail.
Mostafa Ammar is a Regents' Professor and Interim Chair of the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has held leadership roles including Associate Chair (2006–2012) and has been a faculty member since 1985. His research focuses on network architectures, protocols, and services, with contributions to mobile cloud computing, network virtualization, and disruption-tolerant networks. He has advised 39 Ph.D. students and secured funding from agencies like NSF, DARPA, and industry partners such as Cisco and IBM. Education : S.B. and S.M. from MIT, Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo. Research Interests : Network architectures, mobile cloud computing, overlay networks, video streaming, and network simulation. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations, emphasizing scalable and efficient network solutions. Publications : Over 214 publications with a focus on network virtualization, mobile edge computing, and distributed systems. Recent work explores encrypted traffic analysis and femto-cloud resource sharing. Awards : ACM/IEEE Fellowships (2002–2003), Best Paper Awards (2012, 2018), and multiple teaching excellence recognitions. Service : Editor-in-Chief of IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking (1999–2003), conference co-chair roles, and steering committee memberships. Advising & Grants : Mentored 39 Ph.D. students and secured multi-million-dollar grants. His research has influenced industry standards and academic curricula. Labs/Teams : Active in Georgia Tech’s networking research groups, contributing to open-source network simulators and collaborative projects with global institutions.
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaAustria
Tobias Ofner-Graff is a researcher at the Institute of Forest Growth within the Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Based at Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Wien, his work focuses on advanced forest monitoring technologies. His research interests include: LiDAR and remote sensing applications in forestry Automated forest inventory systems Forest regeneration quantification Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data analysis Sustainable forest harvesting planning Recent project contributions include: Leading lidar-based forest monitoring systems development Developing spatial forest growth models Implementing digital inventory workflows His publications demonstrate expertise in: Quantifying forest resources through 3D point clouds Advanced timber stack measurement techniques ALS data integration for forest modeling Mobile laser scanning applications Forest climate adaptation strategies
Prof. Hermann Hellwagner is a Full Professor at the Department of Information Technology, University of Klagenfurt. He has held roles such as Vice President (Natural and Technical Sciences) at the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences. His research focuses on multimedia communication, network engineering, and future internet architectures. Notable projects include work on adaptive streaming, edge computing, and drone networks. He holds a Ph.D. in Systolic Architectures from the University of Linz (1988). Research interests span distributed multimedia systems, information-centric networking (ICN), and optimizing video streaming quality-of-experience (QoE). Recent work emphasizes edge computing solutions for low-latency streaming and dynamic codec adaptation. His contributions include frameworks like ALPHAS and MEDUSA for bitrate optimization, and studies on point cloud streaming in augmented reality. Publications (2021–2025) highlight advancements in edge-assisted streaming, hybrid P2P-CDN architectures, and transcoding techniques. His work often bridges theoretical models with real-world implementations, addressing challenges in latency, cost, and device adaptability. Current projects involve 6DoF video streaming and multi-robot system optimization. Labs/Teams: Part of the Institute of Information Technology (ITEC), Klagenfurt. Collaborates on EU-funded projects and industry partnerships in 5G edge computing and drone networks. Active in standards groups for HTTP adaptive streaming protocols.
Borivoje Furht is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, a position he has held since 1992. He maintains dual affiliations with FAU and the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. At FAU, he serves as Director of the NSF-sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Knowledge Enablement since 2009. His academic leadership includes serving as Chair of the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2009-2013) and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (2002-2009). He earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Belgrade, following early career positions at the Institute Boris Kidric-Vinca in Yugoslavia and Modcomp (a computer division of Daimler Benz). Dr. Furht's research spans multiple areas in computer science with a strong focus on multimedia technologies. His current research interests include multimedia systems, video coding and compression, cloud computing, big data, mobile multimedia, and wireless multimedia applications. Over his career, he has secured approximately $15 million in research funding from government agencies including NSF, NIH, Department of Navy, DoD, and NASA, as well as private industries such as IBM, Google, Apple, LexisNexis, Motorola, and Emerson. His scholarly contributions include founding and serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Multimedia Tools and Applications (Springer) and co-founding the Journal of Big Data (Springer). His work has been recognized with numerous awards including multiple FAU Researcher of the Year Awards (2019, 2013), a Distinguished Engineering Education Award from The Engineer's Council (2019), and various technical achievement awards throughout his career spanning from 1982 to 2019. Dr. Furht has also served as a consultant to various companies, colleges, and universities, leveraging his expertise in multimedia systems and computer engineering across both academic and industrial settings.
Dr. Jie Wu is the Laura H. Carnell Professor and serves as Director of the Center for Networked Computing at Temple University's Department of Computer and Information Sciences. He has held leadership roles including Chair of the department (2009-2016), Associate Vice Provost for International Affairs (2015-2017), and Director of International Affairs in the College of Science and Technology. Previously, he was a distinguished professor at Florida Atlantic University (1989-2009) and held NSF program director roles (2007-2009). Education: PhD in Computer Engineering, Florida Atlantic University (1989) MSc in Computer Science, Shanghai University of Science and Technology (1985) BSc in Computer Science, Shanghai University of Science and Technology (1982) Research focuses on mobile/wireless networks, cloud computing, distributed systems, and cybersecurity. He has led NSF-funded projects and pioneered protocols for ad hoc networks. His work integrates machine learning with network trust mechanisms. Awards highlight his contributions: AAAS/IEEE Fellowships, ACM Distinguished Membership, and multiple best paper recognitions. He chairs major conferences like IEEE MASS and ICDCS, and serves on editorial boards for IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and others. Professional service includes leadership roles in IEEE Technical Committees, CCF (Chinese Computer Federation), and organizing over 20 international conferences. His lab at Temple University drives innovations in networked systems and distributed computing.
Alex X. Liu is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Michigan State University (2016-2022), currently serving as Chief Information Security Officer and President of Midea Software Engineering Institute. His academic career includes roles as Associate Professor (2012-2016) and Assistant Professor (2006-2012) at the same institution. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Jilin University, China. Education Ph.D. in Computer Science (UT Austin, 2006) M.S. in Computer Science (UT Austin, 2002) B.S. in Computer Science (Jilin University, 1996) Liu's research focuses on Dependable computing , Networking algorithms , Cloud computing , Mobile computing , Privacy computing , and Computer/network security . His work spans secure systems, network protocols, and resource optimization in distributed environments. Recent publications address quantum neural networks , microservices autoscaling , RFID tag recognition , network traffic classification , and hybrid physical-layer authentication , demonstrating expertise at the intersection of AI and network security. Key trends include deep learning applications for cloud systems and robust security protocols. Scientific Awards IET Fellow (2021) IEEE Fellow (2019) ACM Distinguished Scientist (2019) Withrow Distinguished Scholar Awards (Senior 2019, Junior 2011) NSF CAREER Award (2009) IEEE & IFIP William C. Carter Award (2004)
