Prof. Dr. Mohammed Abdur Rahman moderated a Distinguished International Academic Forum at the University of Prince Mugrin, open to students, educators, professionals and the Madinah community. AI has moved from a technology story to a strategic one, shaping competitiveness, security, public services and education — and for a cybersecurity department, the questions it raises define what graduates will be asked to protect.
Dr. Zulkarin Jahangir — Research Affiliate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Member, UNESCO AI Ethics Experts Without Borders. Nearly two decades across governments, academia and international organisations including UNESCO and UNDP, bringing a policy-maker’s view of AI governance and public-sector innovation.
Dr. Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed — Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Toronto; Founding Director, Third Space Research Group. Works at the intersection of human-computer interaction and AI, and was named a 2024 Future Leader by the Computing Research Association. His question stayed with the room: can an AI system be technically successful yet socially unsuccessful?
Themes explored:
- What separates true AI readiness from mere deployment
- How human-centred design makes systems more secure and trustworthy
- What strategic autonomy means when frontier models are built elsewhere
- How to preserve public trust against bias, misinformation and surveillance
- Which AI risks deserve priority towards 2030
- How students can build careers in AI, cybersecurity, data science and technology policy
The audience Q&A, with priority for students and early-career researchers, was the highlight. Thanks to the UPM administration, the Vice Rectors, the Dean of the College of Computer and Cyber Sciences Dr. Jarallah Alghamdi, the Dean of Scientific Research, the ICT team, Dr. Cheema and the Industrial Collaboration Committee, and the CSFC Student Club.
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