Dr. D. M. Akbar Hussain of Aalborg University Denmark

POPBL is a diversion from traditional scope of teaching. The essential elements of Problem Based Learning “PBL” are working with real world problems, peer collaboration, focusing on critical questions that frame the problem. Problems drive learning and development of analytical skills. PBL is an instructional methodology probing students to have deeper understanding of the subjects. Based on similar thoughts Project Organized Problem Based Learning “POPBL” is a concept conceived nearly 40 years ago at Roskilde University Centre and Aalborg University, Denmark.

The POPBL curriculum includes project supporting as well as non-project supporting courses in each semester, both of which are designed and included in the study curriculum alongside with the project to enhance learning on knowledge and comprehension level, Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom, B.S., 1956). This learning has to be developed further to reach higher learning levels (application, analysis, synthesis, and judgement (Bloom’s taxonomy) through work with the project.

Biography:

Dr. Dil Muhammad Akbar Hussain is a professor of Electronics Engineering & Computer Science at the Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University Denmark. Professor Akbar has a Master degree in Digital Electronics from Govt. College University, Lahore Pakistan and a P-hD degree in Control Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Sussex United Kingdom. Aalborg University has Two Satellite Campuses, one in Copenhagen (Aalborg University Copenhagen) and the other in Esbjerg (Aalborg University Esbjerg).

Professor Akbar is working in Academia since 1990, he started his career as a Lab demonstrator/TA at the University of Sussex. After finishing his P. hD degree in 1992, he served in the Industry as a Scientific Officer and continued his academic career as a visiting scholar for a number of educational institutions. In 1996 he joined National University of Science & Technology Pakistan (NUST) as an Associate Professor; NUST is one of the top few universities in Pakistan. In 1999 he joined an International Company Lineo Inc, Canada as Manager Compiler Group, where he headed the group for developing Compiler Tool Chain and Porting of Operating Systems for the BLACKfin processor. The processor development was a joint venture by Intel and Analog Devices. In 2002 Lineo Inc., was taken over by another company, so he joined Aalborg University Denmark as an Assistant Professor.

Professor Akbar has truly a multi-disciplined career and he continued his legacy and making progress in many areas of his interests in both teaching and research. He has contributed in the stochastic estimation of control area especially, in the Multiple Target Tracking and Interactive Multiple Model (IMM) research, Ball & Beam Control Problem, Robotics, Levitation Control. He has contributed in developing Algorithms for Fingerprint Matching, Computer Vision and Face Recognition. He has been supervising Pattern Recognition, Formal Languages and Distributed Processing projects for several years. He has reviewed many books on Management, Computer Science. Currently, he is an active and permanent reviewer for many international conferences and symposia and the program committee member for many international conferences.

Dr. Kok-Lim Alvin Yau of Sunway University, Malaysia

Reinforcement learning (RL), which is an artificial intelligence approach, enables autonomous decision makers to observe its surroundings, learn new knowledge, and select optimal actions to provide performance enhancement in a dynamic operating environment. RL has been adopted as the key enabling technology in a wide range of applications, from wireless networking, robotic to traffic signal control. In the next-generation wireless networks, particularly 5G, RL has been investigated to explore and use underutilized licensed channels in order to address spectrum scarcity problem, promote interoperation among heterogeneous entities, and provide intelligence and autonomous capabilities to support 5G core operations. In traffic signal control, RL has been investigated to manage traffic with the right traffic phase and its timing in order to ameliorate traffic congestion. Reinforcement learning, enhanced with deep learning, has shown to outperform human players. This talk presents various aspects of RL and their applications to establish a foundation, and to spark new interest, for further investigation in this exciting research field.

Biography:

Kok-Lim Alvin Yau received the B.Eng. degree (honors) in electrical and electronics engineering from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia, in 2005, the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the National University of Singapore in 2007, and the Ph.D. degree in network engineering from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, in 2010.

He is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Computing and Information Systems, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University. He is a Researcher, a Lecturer, and a Consultant in cognitive radio, 5G, wireless networks, applied artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, and deep learning. He serves as a TPC member and a reviewer for major international conferences, including ICC, VTC, LCN, PIMRC, Globecom, and AINA. He was a recipient of the 2007 Professional Engineer Board of Singapore Gold Medal for being the best graduate of the M.Sc. degree in 2006/2007.

Dr. Yau serves as an associate editor of the IEEE Access, an editor of the KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems, and a Guest Editor of Special Issues of IEEE ACCESS, IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine, IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computational Intelligence, IET Networks, and the Springer Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. He is a regular reviewer for over 20 journals, including the IEEE journals and magazines, the Ad Hoc Networks, the IET Communications, and others. He also served as the General Co-Chair of the IET ICFCNA’14 and the Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee of the IET ICWCA’12. He is also the Vice-Chair of IEEE SIG on Big Data with Computational Intelligence.