NU SEDS Annual Research Conference
Transforming the Future of Engineering and Digital Sciences Research in Central Asia

April 10-11, 2025
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Welcome to the NU SEDS Annual Research Conference!

As a part of Nazarbayev University's 15th-year celebrations, we are excited to welcome you to the NU SEDS Annual Research Conference"Transforming the Future of Engineering and Digital Sciences Research in Central Asia" – taking place on April 10-11, 2025. After two successful years of hosting the NU SEDS Annual Research Week, we are thrilled to announce that this year, the event has evolved into a conference format. As in previous years, the event will be dedicated to celebrating Kazakhstan Science Workers' Day on April 12, honoring the vital contributions of scientists and researchers in Kazakhstan.


The inaugural Annual School of Engineering and Digital Sciences Research Conference is a significant event that brings together prominent researchers, academicians, and students. The conference theme, “Transforming the Future of Engineering and Digital Sciences Research in Central Asia” emphasizes the collaborative spirit that fosters research, creativity, and advancement.


The Conference focuses on five strategic research and development directions of SEDS (Energy, Materials and Sustainability; Communications, Computation and Data Analytics; Sustainability and the Built Environment; Robotics and Artificial Intelligence; Advanced technologies for Manufacturing, Agriculture, Mining and Health) to cultivate an intellectually stimulating environment aimed at developing collaborative solutions to the present and future challenges facing Central Asia.


This multidisciplinary two days Conference offers insightful plenary sessions from distinguished speakers, enlightening debate by global and local experts, poster exhibition highlighting latest research by SEDS research community, SEDS 3MT competition, SEDS research excellence awards, workshops and talks by esteemed SEDS faculty.

Meet distinguished plenary speakers
SEDS Research Poster Exhibition
We are excited to welcome you to the SEDS Research Poster Exhibition where SEDS faculty will display their latest research projects. Five templates have been designed to align with the SEDS Research Directions. We are excited to welcome you to the SEDS Research Poster Exhibition where SEDS faculty will display their latest research projects. Five templates have been designed to align with the SEDS Research Directions. Please select and download the appropriate template available here. The poster submission deadline is March 10, 2025.
SEDS Student Research Excellence Awards

SEDS Research Awards are given to SEDS students (graduate and undergraduate) to honor and recognize students' achievements. The award would be given to students for publishing in the top 10% of journals# (https://www.scopus.com/sources). To qualify for the award, the student must be the lead author*. For students publishing multiple papers in the top 10% of journals, only one research award will be given. Please note that the paper must be published during the year 2024 and the student’s affiliation must be with NU. The deadline for submission is March 10, 2025.

Please complete the form available at the following link.


Notes:

# The latest SCOPUS journal ranking would be used to find the top 10% journals.

* The co-authors (e.g., second or third authors) are also eligible for the research award if, in the published manuscript, it is clearly stated that these authors have equally contributed as the lead author.

SEDS 3 Minute Thesis 3MT® Competition
The Three Minute Thesis is a research competition (3MT®) introduced by the University of Queensland in 2008 and is now held in over 600 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide. In this competition, the PhD researchers are asked to present their thesis and show its significance in three minutes. The idea behind the concept is to increase researchers’ communication skills, presentation and academic capacities to demonstrate the topic in 3 minutes to a non-specialist audience.
Summary and Timeline
February
February
SEDS Research office announces call for 3MT® competition
March 15
March 15
Students apply and submit their 3MT® slides as per Appendix 2, to the link shared by the SEDS Research office
April 10 - 11, 2025
April 10 - 11, 2025
SEDS 3MT® competition
About the Speaker:
Dr. Memon, has more than 17 years of experience and has published more than 130 SCI journal papers (80% published in the Q1 category journals) on various topics, including the development and application of PCMs in buildings. Dr. Memon’s name has been included among the top 2% of the world’s most impactful scientists, according to a bibliometric study conducted by researchers from Stanford University. He is ranked number 1 in Kazakhstan in terms of number of publications, h-index, and citations in several categories enlisted in All Science Journal Classification and Quacquarelli Symonds Classification. As of today, his Google Scholar indices are (Citation 9333 and h-index 52), and his Scopus citation indices are (Citation 7133 and h-index 48). Currently, he is serving as an Associate Editor of Advances in Civil Engineering, Frontiers in Materials, Process and Energy Systems Engineering, Frontiers in Built Environment, Frontiers in Energy Research, Academic Editor of Advances in Materials and Engineering and Journal of Energy, and Editorial Board Member of Scientific Reports, Buildings, and International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials.

Abstract of Research: In this presentation, Dr. Memon will cover the following topics:
  • What is Generative AI?
  • How it is different from the traditional AI?
  • What are the concerns regarding the use of Generative AI?
  • Are the content generated by AI reliable?
  • What are the Potential Benefits of Generative AI in the Scientific Writing?
  • Am I allowed to use Generative AI?
  • Should I list Generative AI as an author?
  • What is meant by the term “AI assisted copy editing”?
  • Comparative analysis of Generative AI Policies in Scientific Publishing
  • How do I disclose it?
  • What about the copyright issues?
Open to faculty, researchers, and students. No prior registration required.
For inquiries, contact Dr. Shazim Ali Memon at shazim.memon@nu.edu.kz.
SEDS Voices

Date: April 10, 2025

Time: 16:00 – 18:00 (Astana Time)

Tentative Conference Program
April 10, Thursday
9:00 - 11:00
9:00 - 11:00
Opening Ceremony of the SEDS Annual Research Conference and Plenary Session
(Red Hall)
Fahdel M. Ghannouchi
Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) Professor in Green Radio Systems, AITF Strategic Chair- in Intelligent RF Radio Technology
Intelligent Wireless Systems
Hong Chen
Professor, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
Founder of BIOSURF
Application of Surface Modification Technology in the Medical Industry
11:00 - 12:00
11:00 - 12:00
SEDS Research Poster Exhibition (Upper Atrium)
13:00 - 14:00

13:00 - 14:00

Workshop (C3, 1010)

Shazim Ali Memon
Associate Professor & Acting Vice-Dean for Research,
School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Exploring the role of Generative AI in scientific writing: Policies, opportunities, and risks
14:00 - 15:30
14:00 - 15:30
Plenary Session (C3, 2002)
Moulay-Tahar Sougrati
CNRS Research Engineer at the Charles Gerhardt Institute in Montpellier, France
Sustainable LFP Recycling: Novel Room-Temperature Regeneration Methods for a Circular EV Battery Economy
Rafat Siddique
Dean, Sustainability & Senior Professor of Civil Engineering
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, India
Development of Sustainable Concretes - Role of Industrial By-Products
16:00 - 18:00
16:00 - 18:00
SEDS Voices (C3, 2002 & C3, 1010)
16:00 – 16:20
16:00 – 16:20
Asma Perveen
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Recent advances in Electro-discharge Machining: Prospects & Challenges
16:20 – 16:40
16:20 – 16:40
Anara Sandygulova
Associate Professor
Robotics Department
Social robots for autism therapy
16:40 – 17:00
16:40 – 17:00
Marko Ristin
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
Social robots for autism therapy
17:00 – 17:20
17:00 – 17:20
Daniele Tosi
Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer engineering
Optical fiber biosensors: towards real-case applications
17:20 – 17:40
17:20 – 17:40
Abid Nadeem
Associate Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Modular Construction in Kazakhstan: Drivers, Challenges, and Strategies for Alignment with Circular Economy Principles
17:40 – 18:00
17:40 – 18:00
Almagul Mentbayeva
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Advancements in Hydrogen Energy: Cutting-Edge Materials Engineering for Storage and Sensing Technologies
April 11, Friday
9:00 - 12:00
9:00 - 12:00
Plenary Session (Blue Hall)
Shane Xie
Professor at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, UK
Advanced Robotics for Effective Stroke Rehabilitation Treatment in Home Environment
Seung-Taek Myung
Distinguished Professor in the Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering at Sejong University, South Korea
High-Capacity Sodium Transition Metal Oxides Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries
Salah Haridy
Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, University of Sharjah, UAE
Emerging Trends and Future Perspectives in Quality Engineering
13:00 - 14:00
13:00 - 14:00
SEDS Research Poster Exhibition (Upper Atrium)
14:00 - 17:00
14:00 - 17:00
SEDS 3MT Three-Minute Thesis Competition (Blue Hall)
14:00 - 17:00
14:00 - 17:00
SEDS Research Awards Ceremony (Blue Hall)
Gallery
Opening Ceremony of NU SEDS Research Week 2024
Register now – spots are limited!
Contact us:

Nazarbayev University School of Engineering and Digital Sciences


Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan, 10 000

53, Kabanbay Batyr avenue, block 3

seds@nu.edu.kz