Abstract: Operations Research (OR) is a practical discipline, which was borne out of a necessity to solve real world problems. After a brief history, looking at origins of OR, several small case studies will be presented. These will not only demonstrate how OR has helped address real world problems but also highlight some of the problems that have been addressed in the scientific literature which, in the speaker’s opinion, has not advanced the state of the art as much as it could/should have done. The talk will conclude with some suggestions as to how you can make sure that the OR research you are carrying out has the potential to address real world problems in the most impactful way.

Professor Dr. Graham Kendall is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise) at MILA University, Malaysia. He was previously the Provost/CEO of the University of Nottingham Malaysia (5,000 students, 650 staff on a 125-acre estate). He also served as a Pro-Vice Chancellor for the global University. He is still affiliated with Nottingham, as an Emeritus Professor. He has been an Associate Editor of ten scientific journals and a former Editor-in-chief of the “IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games”. He has published almost 300 peer reviewed scientific papers. His research has significant impact, as exhibited by the citations, and his h-index. His research interests include Operations Research, Evolutionary Computation, Artificial Intelligence, Heuristics, Meta-heuristics, Hyper-heuristics and addressing Real World Applications. He has recently started researching ethical publishing and has published a number of articles on this topic. Professor Kendall is a Distinguished Professorship at the Metropolitan University, Hong Kong and an Honorary Professorship at Amity University, India. Before entering academia, Graham spent almost 20 years (1979-1994) in the Information Technology (IT) sector, holding positions at the Co-operative Wholesale Society and Provincial Insurance. He managed IT support teams and large IT projects, having responsibility for upwards of 100 people. In 1994, he decided to leave the industrial sector and do his undergraduate studies (1994-1997) and then a PhD (1997-2000). In 1999, two years into his PhD, he was offered a lectureship at the University of Nottingham. He was promoted to full Professor in January 2007.

Abstarct : The basics of mathematics for the growth and development of artificial intelligence (AI) will be shown here. The research and community services activities are posted to give applications of AI. However, on the other hand, the development of AI (open AI) is so fast in this century, that without the theory behind it, we can use it.  The current generation seems to be able to ignore the underlying science but can use various technologies built with AI and produce products that have a scientific and financial impact. Therefore, responsible thinking is needed about how mathematics can remain attractive to students, so that AI advances do not create a barrier to interest in learning mathematics. Students strengthen the need for mathematics in accessing AI and exploring the work caused by AI.

Abstract: Mathematics plays a critical role in strengthening digital defenses against cyber threats. Through an exploration of mathematical principles and real-world examples, insights are gained for understanding, detecting, and mitigating various forms of malicious activities. This underscores the wide-ranging applicability of mathematical concepts in enhancing cybersecurity efforts while stressing their significance in protecting sensitive information and navigating evolving digital landscapes. Moreover, ethical considerations surrounding privacy rights and responsible data management are addressed, highlighting the necessity of ethical standards in cybersecurity practices. Embracing mathematical frameworks in cybersecurity strategies is crucial. By doing so, it empowers both organisations and individuals to confront emerging threats with confidence and resilience in an increasingly digital world. 

Chiew Kang Leng is currently an associate professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He received his PhD in Computer Science specialised in Information Hiding from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. His research interest is in information security. He is currently working in anti-phishing research. Past researches include steganalysis on digital images. Previously, he also worked in the area of image processing.