IEEE CIS Summer School on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

The IEEE Summer School 2024 was successfully held on the 2nd and 3rd of October at Jinnah Hall from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This two-day event brought together distinguished guests and speakers from both academia and industry to provide insights into cutting-edge technologies and essential soft skills in the field of Computational Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence.

Day 1: 2nd October 2024

The event commenced with a welcome note by Professor Dr. Muhammad Zubair, Chair of the IEEE Islamabad Section Computational Intelligence Society and Dean of the Faculty of Computing at Riphah International University Islamabad. His words set a positive tone for the gathering, emphasizing the importance of bridging academia and industry through events like these.

The Chief Guest, Professor Dr. Muhammad Arshad Islam, Treasurer of the IEEE Islamabad Section, highlighted the significance of continuous learning in the ever-evolving field of computational intelligence.

The Guest of Honor, Professor Dr. Anis Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Riphah International University, appreciated the initiative and discussed the university’s ongoing efforts to foster innovation and excellence in computing education.

The first non-technical talk of the day was delivered by Saleem Rafik, CEO of OpenWare Business Pvt. Ltd. and Chairman of the Open Source Foundation of Pakistan. His talk, titled “Time Management: For an Enriched Purposeful Life,” provided valuable insights into balancing professional responsibilities and personal goals to lead a meaningful life.

The first technical session of the day featured Professor Dr. Faisal Shafait, a renowned computer scientist and professor at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) Islamabad. With more than 12 years of international experience, Dr. Shafait’s talk on “Next-Gen Neural Networks: Innovation and Application” explored the future of neural networks and their practical applications in various industries, providing a glimpse into the latest innovations in AI.

Another notable technical talk was given by Professor Dr. Usman Habib, Associate Professor at FAST School of Computing and Head of the Software Engineering Department. His presentation on “AI in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities” outlined the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, while also addressing the challenges in deploying AI systems in clinical settings.

Day 2: 3rd October 2024

Day 2 began with a technical talk by Mr. Muhammad Hassaan Ashraf, Lecturer at Riphah International University. His talk, “Artificial Intelligence in Vision-Based Systems: Emerging Challenges and Directions,” discussed the latest challenges in AI-based vision systems and the future directions of this technology.

The day also featured two parallel workshops:

1. Workshop 1: Introduction to Large Language Models by Mr. Sibghatulla Marwat, a PhD scholar. This workshop provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of large language models and their applications in AI.
2. Workshop 2: AI-Enabled Cyber Attack Detection by Dr. Ahtasham Sajid, focused on the use of AI technologies in identifying and preventing cyber-attacks, a critical area in modern cybersecurity.

The event concluded with a shield presentation and certificate distribution ceremony, recognizing the contributions of the speakers, organizers, and participants. IEEE Summer School 2024 was a resounding success, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among academia, industry, and students, and reinforcing the role of AI and computational intelligence in shaping the future.