Ras Al Khaimah, UAE: The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) hosted, for the first time in the UAE, the 16th Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems (ACIIDS) bringing together experts from the international scientific community to shed light on new advancements driven by AI and ML technologies.

The hybrid event, held on AURAK campus from April 15 to 17, was attended by 150 delegates from 43 countries. A total of 120 papers were presented at the three-day conference which served as a prestigious international forum for scientific research in the technologies and applications of intelligent information and database systems.

A number of crucial topics came under scrutiny in the keynotes and sessions, including AI in Computer Analysis, AI in Social Networks, Machine Learning Algorithms, Generative & Natural Language Processing Models, Cyber Science in Digital Transformation, AI-driven Medical Analysis and Data Modelling & Smart Information Systems.

Commenting on the importance of the conference, Professor Stephen Wilhite, Provost – AURAK, said: “As a university that attaches prime importance to research, we are pleased to host an event that is intellectually stimulating in part, because it triggers a positive emotional state that catalyzes powers of critical analysis and interpretation. As Intelligent Information and database systems lie at the core of modern development, we are confident this conference provided fresh insights into the potential impact of AI.”

Dr. Khouloud Salameh, Chair of Computer Science and Engineering Department – AURAK, said: “This conference was a stimulating platform for sharing groundbreaking research, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of intelligent information systems.  The participants were enriched by the insightful presentations and engaging discussions, and got an opportunity to connect with colleagues from all over the world.”

Professor Ngoc Thanh Nguyen, Chair of ACIIDS Conference - Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland, said:  “We are honored to team up with AURAK in hosting ACIIDS 2024 in Ras Al-Khaimah. We are confident the conference will bring new research results and networking opportunities for all participants.”

The conference was hosted collaboratively by Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the French Chapter of the Special Interest Group on Applied Computing (SIGAPP), and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah.

Among the topics addressed by the conference’s topnotch keynote speakers were the following: Distributed Intelligence in the Computing Continuum by Prof. Schahram Dustdar; Data Stream Methodology For Speeding Up Training Deep Neural Networks by Prof. Leszek Rutkowski; Utilizing Machine Learning and Social Network Analysis to Counter Disinformation on Online Social Networks by Prof. David Camacho; and Multimodal Graph Generative AI and Applications to Biomedical Domain by Prof. Michalis Vazirgiannis.

Awards were presented for outstanding papers. The Best Regular Paper Award was won by Ravil Mussabayev and Rustam Mussabayev of Kazakhstan for ‘Superior Parallel Big Data Clustering through Competitive Stochastic Sample Size Optimization in Big-means.’ The Best Student Paper Award went to Hoang-Loc La, Ngoc Nha Vi Tran, Hung Manh La and Phuong Hoai Ha (Norway and United States) for ‘Interpretable Fuzzy Embedded Neural Network for Multivariate Time-Series Forecasting’. The Best Special Session Award was bagged by Urszula Boryczka and Rafał Skinderowicz of Poland for ‘MLA - Machine Learning Algorithms in Theory and Practice.’

The proceedings of ACIIDS 2024 will be published by Springer, one of the leading international scientific publishing companies.

About AURAK

Established in 2009, the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is a public, non-profit, independent, coeducation institution of higher education which delivers an integrated American-style undergraduate and graduate education with a strong focus on the local indigenous culture. AURAK is officially licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education to award degrees/qualifications in higher education. AURAK is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. The University has also earned international accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the UK’s quality body for higher education. Offering 24 higher education programs across three distinctive Schools, the university is home to nearly 1,300 students from 45 nationalities and supports a network of more than 1,315 alumni. The 1.3 million-square-foot campus in Ras Al Khaimah features cutting-edge technologies, including 50 state-of-the-art labs, a mix of traditional and innovative learning spaces, an onsite sports complex, and a modern library.