Dhiya Al-Jumeily
Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Title: Data Science and Applied Computing for Multidisciplinary Applications

Abstract

Data Science is a massive multidisciplinary field that involves using applied mathematics, pattern recognition techniques and computer programmed algorithms. These methods are used to gain knowledge by systematically studying datasets of various sizes. Large and complex datasets are constantly being collected from numerous sources such as mobile phones, remote sensors, software logs and social media platforms. These datasets are becoming increasingly heterogeneous as they are stored in differing formats and unstructured with not yet established, complex relationships between values. They also tend to be distributed across different locations and domains.

Applied Computing is the practice of embedding the realisation of Computer Science’s latest technological advancements into industrial, business, and scientific intelligent solutions. Applied Computing stretches to a variety of fields, requiring an extensive knowledge of the specialised subject area and in many cases large teams of trained individuals to put into production. Applied Artificial Intelligence is considered as one of the major fields of Applied Computing. Artificial Intelligence has been introduced as an important tool in the implementation of Health, Business, Education, Entitlement, Tourism and more centred solutions as real world applications.

The theme of Artificial Intelligence transcends computing. However, computing is perhaps a field at the forefront of exploring intelligence for the purpose of practical benefits to human society. It is arguable, though informative, to consider the dawn of computational intelligence as a consequence of the ideas of Alan Turing and the progression of computation from fixed immutable programs, manifested in hardware configurations, to entirely software based representations which provide the necessary potential and flexibility for self-modification and reflexivity as considered to be necessary conditions of intelligence. It is recognised that Turing was a key driving force in the paradigm shift from hardware driven designs in computing to the realisation that computation is in fact universal and can be represented by a machine capable of spanning the space of all possible computations, without the need for specialist hardware realisations for each and every class of task considered. The transcendence of computation from explicit hardware to universal machines parallels developments such as that of the wheel and the shift in thinking experienced during the industrial revolution. Such developments however point to another important consideration, that perhaps the uniquely human processes of thought and intelligence may not be exclusively locked into the biological substrate, and may instead be contained and cultivated independently using modern computational platforms as a suitable carrier.

Such a shift in thinking towards the independent representation and elaboration of intelligent processes offers not only a practical means by which to advance our economies and commercial enterprises, but forces us to re-examine the nature of ourselves and the human condition. It is now recognised that a key product of thought constitutes an advanced information process, the basis of which can be established to various degrees within a computational paradigm. The shift from individualisation of thought to recognition of information processes in their own right, has forced society at all levels to re-examine the definition of productivity and the relationship between human workers and industry. The externalisation of intelligent processes enables information processing to be combined at unprecedented scale and speed, opening up new opportunities in terms of novel applications and motivating the continued expansion of the scope of data capture. Such a shift in paradigm forces us to re-evaluate many methodological aspects to ask how we may convert both physical and cognitive labour processes towards utilising the vast computational resource we now have available. So far we have been offered a glimpse of what the future may hold for artificially intelligent systems, especially with information centric technologies such as the internet and world wide web continuing to generate demand through the connection of data resources with real world applications. It is expected that the continued advance of information oriented applications, as initiated by Turing and others, will be sure to produce many unprecedented and also many unanticipated changes in the near future.

Biodata

Dr. Dhiya Al-Jumeily is the Associate Dean of External Engagement for the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. He has extensive research interests covering a wide variety of interdisciplinary perspectives concerning the theory and practice of Applied Computing in medicine, human biology, and health care. He has published well over 150 peer reviewed scientific publications, 4 books and 3 book chapters, in multidisciplinary research areas including: Technology Enhanced Learning, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Signal Prediction, Telecommunication Fraud Detection, AI-based clinical decision-making, medical knowledge engineering, Human-Machine Interaction, intelligent medical information systems, wearable and intelligent devices and instruments. But his current research passion is decision support systems for self-management of health and disease.

Dhiya has successfully supervised 16 PhD students’ studies and has been an external examiner to various UK and overseas Universities for undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. He has been actively involved as a member of editorial board and review committee for a number peer reviewed international journals, and is on program committee or as a general chair for a number of international conferences.

Dhiya is also a successful entrepreneur. He is the head of enterprise for the faculty of Engineering and Technology.  He has been awarded various commercial and research grants, nationally and internationally, over £3M from Overseas Research and Educational Partners, UK through British Council and directly from industry with portfolio of various Knowledge Transfer Programmes between academia and Industry. 

Dhiya has extensive leadership experience including leading the Applied Computing Research Group, Developing and Managing the Professional Doctorate programme in Engineering and Technology for the University, a founder and Chair of the IEEE International Conference Series on Developments in eSystems Engineering DeSE (www.dese.org.uk) since 2007. He has a large number of international contacts and leads or participates in several international committees in his research fields. Dhiya has one patent and coordinated over 10 projects at national and international level.

Dr. Al-Jumeily is a member of the IEEE and the British Computer Society (BCS) and has achieved his Chartered IT Professional status in 2007. He is also a fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.