Prof. May El Barachi is the Head of School of Computer Science at University of Wollongong in Dubai. An Egyptian Canadian Computer Scientist, and Smart Technology Expert with degrees in Telecom. Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science, Prof. El Barachi possesses width and breadth of knowledge in the areas of Computer Science, IT, and Engineering. Prof. El Barachi is also a public speaker who participates in large-scale public events and speaks about technology-related topics, such as: Digital transformation, smart cities, emerging technologies & their related opportunities, demystifying complex technologies, and professional training in alignment with the industry needs.

Using her knowledge and experience, she conducts large scale multi-disciplinary projects in the areas of BioTech, Smart Transportation, Smart cities, Inclusion & Innovation. With collaborators spanning the globe, and a large group of researchers under her supervision, she tackles challenging real-life problems using a combination of legacy and emerging technologies. She is involved in industry collaborations with the telecom and health industries and was able to raise more than 4 Million Dirhams in the last 5 years to support her research work.

In addition to being a professor and active researcher, Prof. El Barachi holds leadership roles in teaching/learning and research. In her current role, she defines the research strategy for the faculty and ensures that the right eco-system is established for conducting high-impact research. She is also a champion and certified trainer in emerging technologies and have spearheaded a successful executive learning program in collaboration with IBM, currently offering 10 professional training modules ranging from AI, data science, and big data, to cloud, IOT, security and Blockchain, and design thinking. The idea of the program is to equip students and working professionals with important skills that are needed in the industry and complement conventional academic programs with professional hands on training.