Dr. Khouloud Salameh- Shaping Tomorrow's Innovators

Imagine an educational environment where technology transforms learning. At AURAK, we are advancing education with AI, robotics, and quantum computing, preparing the leaders of tomorrow. Join us in this educational revolution!

As Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), my constant goal has been to equip students with the skills necessary to not only adapt to the rapidly evolving technological landscape, but also to be the innovators who drive that change. Leveraging my background in computer science, especially in digital ecosystems and data representation, my professional focus has been on integrating advanced technology into research and teaching.

I believe that technology should not only enhance traditional educational methods, but revolutionize the entire learning experience. I see technology as a driving force to create a more interactive and effective educational environment. This is achieved by integrating new technologies into the operation of our department, in classrooms, and in individual research projects.

At AURAK, one of the key ways we integrate technology is through the effective use of innovative lab facilities. For example, our state-of-the-art AI lab features high-performance computing clusters, AI workstations, robotics kits, and IoT devices. These resources enable students and faculty to engage in hands-on learning and conduct innovative research.

Many technologies have revolutionized our course delivery at AURAK, leading to more personalized and adaptive learning experiences. For example, adaptive learning is facilitated by AI tools, which offer students personalized resources and feedback based on their individual progress. Additionally, our interest in establishing industrial links has allowed us to offer our students the opportunity to work on real-world projects. One notable project with RAK ​​City Hall involved students using artificial intelligence to predict energy consumption patterns in buildings. Furthermore, our ability to train sophisticated machine learning models and process large data sets has been substantially improved by AURAK’s investment in the DGX A100 high-performance computing system. Not only has this system improved the quality of our research projects, but it has also provided students with valuable hands-on experience working with industry-standard tools, such as training deep learning models on large data sets in our advanced courses.

At AURAK, I am very excited about what the future holds for quantum computing, blockchain technology, and AI-based personalized learning tools. Quantum computing could help us solve problems we previously thought impossible, leading to important new studies. Furthermore, blockchain technology can help us keep track of our academic records in a secure and open manner. This will make administration easier and our degrees more trustworthy. It is really great that AI-powered personalized learning systems can be tailored to each student’s specific needs. This makes learning more fun and effective. These improvements are poised to change the way we teach, keeping AURAK at the forefront of higher education innovation.