A multidisciplinary team of academics, researchers and industry experts committed to advancing AI for the benefit of all.
NGAIRC Advisors provide strategic guidance to strengthen our research direction, partnerships and real-world impact. They support our teams through mentorship, expert feedback and collaborative opportunities across academia and industry.
Founding Advisor
Professor Joarder Kamruzzaman is the Founding Advisor of NGAIRC and a Professor of Information Technology at Federation University Australia, with research interests in sensor networks, IoT, machine learning and cybersecurity. He has authored 250+ peer-reviewed publications, served in major international conference leadership roles, and has been an Editor of Elsevier's Journal of Network and Computer Applications since 2012. He has also secured significant competitive research funding and received multiple research awards.
Our Directors provide overall research leadership, set strategic priorities, and oversee major programmes and partnerships. They ensure quality, ethics and timely delivery of key outcomes.
Director
Dr. Mohammad Manzurul Islam is an Australian academic and researcher specialising in machine learning, trustworthy artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and IoT systems. He is the Founding Director (Academic and Innovation) at NGAIRC. His research focuses on building AI systems that are robust, explainable and ethically aligned with real-world deployment needs.
Director
Dr. Abdullahi Chowdhury is the Founding Director (Collaboration and Partnership) at NGAIRC and an Online Course Facilitator with Adelaide University Online and Learning Futures. He holds a PhD and brings expertise in AI-enabled learning systems, human-centred design and cross-institutional research partnerships. He leads NGAIRC's engagement with industry, universities and government.
Director
Associate Professor Rhodora Abadia is Dean Academic of the College of Engineering and Information Technology at Adelaide University and joins NGAIRC as Director, Women in STEM and Engagement. She is a strategic leader in teaching and learning across Engineering and IT, and an expert in digital education transformation and online STEM innovation. Her work has led initiatives in digital-ink mathematics, immersive VR, virtual laboratories, microcredentials and 24-hour online examinations, with leadership experience across five universities and strong industry, professional and government partnerships. Her research expertise spans technology-enhanced learning, persuasive technologies and learning analytics, and she is a champion for equity, diversity, inclusion, academic mentoring and accessible contemporary learning.
Lead Researchers drive domain-specific research programmes, mentor junior researchers and represent NGAIRC in their specialist areas.
Fariha is a self-driven, passionate early career researcher with a vision to improve cybersecurity risk and security awareness in interdisciplinary research areas. Her research focuses on cybersecurity, privacy and human-centred AI design.
Dr. Sawkat Ali is an Associate Professor of CSE at East West University, Bangladesh. He earned his PhD and M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Australian universities (CQU and UNSW) and is a former Postdoctoral Researcher, specialising in open datasets and reproducible AI research.
Research assistants and interns working alongside our senior researchers to advance NGAIRC's mission.
We are always looking for talented and motivated researchers, PhD candidates, postdoctoral fellows and industry professionals who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of AI research.
