1st  Workshop on the Future of Learning in Smart Cities: Unlocking Potential through Smart Education  (2023) 

Workshop Summary  

Advanced technologies and data-driven strategies are used in smart cities to improve various areas of urban life. By utilizing these technological advancements, smart education gives the educational sector new chances and challenges. By integrating smart education into smart cities, learners can acquire the abilities they need to prosper in a globally linked society. This workshop focuses on how the next generation of learners can be empowered by technological breakthroughs like artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and smart devices, virtual/augmented reality and data analytics by utilizing ICT infrastructure in smart cities. The rise in the use of smartphones and wearable technology, as well as the rapid uptake of AI and IoT, has fueled learners' hopes for better education. In order to discuss and exchange ideas on novel approaches, best practices, and workable strategies for implementing smart education projects in the context of smart cities, this workshop will bring together educators, policymakers, industry experts, and researchers. To strengthen educational systems and prepare a generation that is prepared for the future, participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another, discuss ideas, and create workable plans. The main industries that could be improved are educational institutes, governmental entities, healthcare education, and technological companies.

Workshop's Scope and Aim 

Smart cities play a vital role in learning development by creating an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and the integration of new technologies. Smart cities can improve education by creating a conducive environment for smart education systems, boosting learners' performance and readiness for future challenges. In smart cities, the infrastructure and digital framework are designed to support the seamless integration of technologies such as AI, IoT, cloud computing, smart devices, virtual/augmented reality, and data analytics, leading to enhanced academic performance. These technologies serve as the building blocks for smart education, enabling personalised and adaptive learning experiences that cater to the unique needs and preferences of individual learners of smart cities. Additionally, smart devices gather and analyse data to provide insights into student learning trends, performance, and instructional patterns. Integrating smart education systems within smart cities also facilitates continuous improvement in teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and educational policies. By leveraging data analytics and evidence-based practices, educators and policymakers can refine their approaches, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies that meet the evolving needs of students and the demands of the future workforce. Some of the challenges smart education faces in smart cities are stimulating learners' engagement, improving communication channels, ensuring reliable technology infrastructure and accommodating diverse learning needs. Adapting digital technologies can reduce the issues mentioned above, leading to enhanced learner satisfaction and a more effective learning experience for smart city citizens. The workshop aims to bring together educational institutes, technology providers and researchers working in the area of smart education. The workshop will focus on leveraging digital technologies in smart education. It will give participants practical insights and strategies to transform their education systems and empower the next generation of learners. Therefore, in this workshop, experts and researchers can exchange their recent findings and identify new challenges and opportunities in smart education practices in smart cities. Researchers are invited to contribute innovative and original research papers or insightful review papers. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas.

Topics of Interest 

• The role of ICT in transforming education in smart cities

• Designing smart classrooms and learning environments for enhanced learner engagement in smart cities

• Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning in smart education systems within smart cities

• Innovative solutions to address various educational challenges and provide personalised learning experiences in smart cities

• Internet of Things applications in smart education and smart city contexts

• Augmented reality and virtual reality in immersive learning experiences within smart cities

• Learners’ emotional states and their mapping to online teaching

• Intelligent tutoring systems to support lifelong learning and skill development for citizens in smart cities

• Personalised and adaptive learning approaches in smart education to meet the diverse needs and preferences of learners in smart cities

• Data analytics and insights for improving teaching and learning outcomes in smart cities

• AI-powered virtual assistants and content recommender systems to enhance personalised and context-aware learning experiences in smart cities

• Improving healthcare educational practices and professional development through smart education in smart cities

• Ethical and privacy considerations in collecting and utilising learner’s data in smart education systems

• Best practices and success stories in integrating smart education in smart city environments

Workshop Chairs

Dr. Moustafa Mazin Nasralla 

Secretary IEEE Smart Cities – Awards and Recognition

Affiliation: Department of Communications and Networks Engineering, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

Email: mnasralla@psu.edu.sa 

Biography: Dr Moustafa M. Nasralla (Senior Member IEEE) received a B.Sc. degree (Hons.) in electrical engineering from Hashemite University, Jordan, in 2010, the M.Sc. degree in networking and data communications from Kingston University, London, U.K., in 2011, and the PhD degree from the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing (SEC), Kingston University, London, UK. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communications and Networks Engineering, Prince Sultan University (PSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has published over 60 articles in high-impact factor journals and reputable conferences. His research interests include the latest generation of wireless communication systems (e.g., 6G, 5G, LTE A, and LTE wireless networks), wireless sensor networks, network security, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, radio resource allocation, telemedicine and video compression, and multimedia communications. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He is currently the leader of the Smart Systems Engineering Laboratory (SSEL)at PSU. He was a member of the Wireless Multimedia and Networking (WMN) Research Group at Kingston University. He served as an Active Reviewer and received several distinguished reviewer awards from several reputable journals, such as IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Wireless Communications (Elsevier), and Computer Network (Elsevier). He has solid research contributions in networks and data communications, proven with publications in reputable journals with ISI Thomson JCR. He has won several national and internationally funded projects, such as Intelli-Student for British Council, 5G-enabled Smart City Development in Saudi Arabia, U.K. Home Office, and EU FP7 CONCERTO. Currently, he is serving as a Guest Editor for Alexandria Engineering Journal (Elsevier), International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks (SAGE), Journal of Communications and Networks (Frontiers) and an Organizer of the International Conference on Sustainability: Developments and Innovations, and the 5G-Enabled Smart Cities workshop in the IEEE International Conference on Smart Cities. Moreover, he is a Senior Member of IEEE Young Professionals, IEEE ComSoc, and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).

Dr. Haleem Farman 

Affiliation: Smart Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Communications and Networks Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

Email: hfarman@psu.edu.sa 

Biography: Dr. Haleem Farman is a Researcher in the Smart Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Communications and Networks Engineering, College of Engineering at Prince Sultan University (PSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Before this, he has worked as a Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan for thirteen years. He was involved in teaching, supervision of graduated and undergraduate students and R&D activities. Dr. Haleem has been involved in multiple research projects where he has contributed as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator thus, giving him a complete insight into how a research outcome could be integrated into a real-world solution. With a strong presence as a reviewer in numerous esteemed journals, he has made valuable contributions to research in adhoc networks, smart systems and machine learning, as evidenced by his publications in renowned journals listed in ISI Thomson JCR. Dr. Haleem likes to explore new technologies day in and day out, and thus, his area of interest is a constantly growing list. His area of interest includes Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things, Smart systems, Smart cities and Machine learning. 

Dr. Ikram Ur Rehman

Vice Chair IEEE Smart Cities – Awards and Recognition

Affiliation: School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, United Kingdom 

Email: Ikram.Rehman@uwl.ac.uk 

Biography: Dr Ikram Ur Rehman (Member IEEE) received a PhD in Mobile Healthcare from the United Kingdom. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and the Course Director for an MSc in Health Informatics at the University of West London, UK. He has been involved in many national and international e-health and e-learning projects. These projects include chronic disease management (e.g., diabetes, COPD, and cancer), social robotics, decision support systems, behavioural change management, telehealth, and telecare in developing countries. Currently, he is leading a British Council-funded project on e-learning, which aims to augment online teaching and learning pedagogies through the use of AI. In addition, he is passionate about creating innovative and integrated diagnostic technologies, helping citizens make their own reliable health diagnoses anywhere and anytime. He is knowledgeable in body area networks, personal area networks, the Internet of Things, the Web of Things, and 4G/5G/6G communications. His expertise includes big data analytics and visualisations, medical mobile multimedia communication including image and video processing, analysis and streaming, service quality, and experience from the medical perspective. He is the author or co-author of more than 30 journals, peer-reviewed conferences, and book chapters. He has around 10 years of experience in telemedicine/mobile health. He is the Vice Chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee of IEEE Smart Cities, a member of the editorial boards, review panels for many transactions and journals and a committee member of many international conferences. In addition, he has been an invited speaker at many industrial, scientific, and governmental events. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS). 

Dr. Ikram Ur Rehman

Workshop Chair and the PI of the British Council Project 

Biography: Dr Ikram Ur Rehman (Member IEEE) received a PhD in Mobile Healthcare from the United Kingdom. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and the Course Director for an MSc in Health Informatics at the University of West London, UK. He has been involved in many national and international e-health and e-learning projects. These projects include chronic disease management (e.g., diabetes, COPD, and cancer), social robotics, decision support systems, behavioural change management, telehealth, and telecare in developing countries. Currently, he is leading a British Council-funded project on e-learning, which aims to augment online teaching and learning pedagogies through the use of AI. In addition, he is passionate about creating innovative and integrated diagnostic technologies, helping citizens make their own reliable health diagnoses anywhere and anytime. He is knowledgeable in body area networks, personal area networks, the Internet of Things, the Web of Things, and 4G/5G/6G communications. His expertise includes big data analytics and visualisations, medical mobile multimedia communication including image and video processing, analysis and streaming, service quality, and experience from the medical perspective. He is the author or co-author of more than 30 journals, peer-reviewed conferences, and book chapters. He has around 10 years of experience in telemedicine/mobile health. He is the Vice Chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee of IEEE Smart Cities, a member of the editorial boards, review panels for many transactions and journals and a committee member of many international conferences. In addition, he has been an invited speaker at many industrial, scientific, and governmental events. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS). 

Dr. Murad Khan 

Biography: Murad Khan received the master's and Ph.D. degrees in computer science and engineering from the School of Computer Science and Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea. He is currently an Assistant Professor with the Kuwait University of Science and Technology, Kuwait. From December 2019 to December 2021, he was Brain Pool Fellow with Kyungpook National University. He has authored or coauthored more than 100 International Conference and Journal papers and two book chapters and is the Editor of Springer and CRC Press books. His research interests include ad-hoc and wireless networks, architecture designing for the Internet of Things, communication protocols designing for smart cities and homes, Big Data analytics. He was an Editorial Member of various special sections in worldrenowned journals, such as Computer & Electrical Engineering, Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies. He was a TPC Member in world-reputed conferences and as a Reviewer in numerous journals, such as IEEE Communication Magazine, Future Generation Computer Systems, and IEEE Access. 

Awards 

The best paper and the best presentation will be awarded £100 each. 

Sponsorship 

The workshop will be supported by “The Intelli-Student project”, funded by the UK – Saudi Challenge Fund grant from the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme. The programme builds stronger, more inclusive, internationally connected higher education, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems. 

Technical Programme Committee (TPC) Members 

Sara Paiva, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal 

Bilyaminu Auwal Romo, University of East London, UK 

Ikechukwu Maduka, Coventry University, UK

Ijaz Ul Haq, University De Lleida, Spain 

Bilal Qureshi, University of Lakki Marwat, Pakistan 

Danish Mehmood, SZABIST, Pakistan 

Muhammad Imran Aslam, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan 

Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir, University of West Scotland, UK 

Muhammad Khurram, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan 

Naveed-ul-Hassan, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan 

Sunila Akbar, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan 

Abdullah Alsharif, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia 

Nasser Matoorianpour, University of West London, UK 

Aamir Anwar, University of West London, UK 

Parisa Saadati, University of West London, UK 

Maged Abdullah Esmail, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia 

Sagar Mahajan, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia 

Umashankar Subramaniam, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia  

Zeeshan Sattar, Ericsson, Canada 

Muhammad Kamran Naeem, Research Fellow, University of Wolverhampton, UK 

Shakeel Ahmad, Associate Professor, Solent University, UK 

Sérgio Lopes, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal 

Important Dates 

Paper Submission Deadline – August 1st, 2023

Acceptance Notification – August 14th, 2023

Camera-ready Deadline – August 25th, 2023

Workshop Date – TBC 

Submission Instructions 

Prospective authors are invited to submit high quality original Full or Short papers via the submission link. Full papers should describe novel research contributions with evaluation results and are limited to 7 pages. Short papers, limited in length to four (4) pages, should be more visionary in nature and are meant to discuss new challenges and visions, highlight early research results, and explore novel research directions. All submitted papers must be unpublished and not considered elsewhere for publication should be written in English and formatted according to IEEE Template. Each submitted paper will pass through the standard IEEE peer-review process and, if accepted and presented at the Workshop, will appear in the IEEE ISC2 2023 conference proceedings, and will be submitted for inclusion in the IEEE Xplore digital library.