Prof. Ashraf Khalil has over 20 years of academic experience in leadership, research, and teaching across institutions in the UAE and USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Indiana University, USA, and has taught more than 20 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, nearly half of which he designed to reflect emerging trends in MIS, Computer Science, and IT Entrepreneurship. He is a strong advocate of experiential learning and community engagement, having initiated and directed the GCC Undergraduate Student Research Competition for six years.

His research spans Management Information Systems, Machine Learning, Blockchain, BioImaging, and Quantum Computing. He has authored more than 100 Scopus-indexed publications in top-ranked journals and conferences, secured multiple competitive grants from ADEK, Emirates Foundation, and Google, and holds two patents.

Prof. Khalil previously served as Director of Research at Abu Dhabi University, where he advanced institutional research productivity and established major research initiatives. He implemented a research strategy that led to a six-fold increase in research productivity and established the Center of Excellence for Smart, Entrepreneurial and Sustainable Cities.

Alongside academia, he founded two start-ups in EdTech and E-commerce, deepening his engagement with the UAE’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem.