KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Christiancarmine Esposito

University of Salerno, Italy

Title: Self-sovereign identity systems for decentralised authentication and an application to the healthcare

Abstract:

In this speech, we will give a concrete answer to the critical question: 'Who truly owns and controls our identity?" Federated authentication mechanisms are reshaping traditional authentication mechanisms, but data silos persist. On the contrary, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) offers a radical rethinking of digital trust, placing control back into the hands of individuals. The keynote speech will provide an in-depth exploration of SSI and decentralised digital identities, highlighting their transformative impact on trust, privacy, and interoperability in the digital era. It will trace the evolution from traditional, centralised identity management systems to decentralised, user-centric approaches powered by blockchain and cryptography. By connecting regulatory frameworks such as eIDAS 2.0 with emerging SSI ecosystems, the keynote will showcase how these technologies are reshaping digital interactions while addressing the ethical, legal, and technical challenges ahead by presenting a concrete application within the context of the healthcare domain.

Biography:

Prof. Christiancarmine Esposito has been an Associate Professor at the University of Salerno since December 2022. He was a Tenured Assistant Professor at the University of Salerno, an Assistant Professor at the University of Napoli “Federico II”, and a two-year Research Fellow and short-term Researcher at the Institute of High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) from 2011 to 2015. He graduated in Computer Engineering in 2006 and received his PhD in 2009, both from the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy. He has published about 150 papers in international journals and conferences and has been a PC member or involved in the organization of about 60 international conferences/workshops. He regularly serves as a reviewer for journals and conferences in the field of distributed and dependable systems and is a member of the editorial boards of the International Journal of Computational Science and Engineering and the International Journal of High-Performance Computing and Networking, both published by Inderscience. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Access, and has served as a guest editor for various special issues at international journals. His interests include positioning systems, reliable and secure communications, game theory, and multi-objective optimization.

 

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Vlado Stankovski

University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Title: Evolving Identities: Natural, Digital, Collective?

Abstract:

Digital identities are becoming a cornerstone of trustworthy, decentralized ecosystems. The TRUSTCHAIN ecosystem is dedicated to advancing this vision by enabling privacy-preserving, secure, and interoperable identity frameworks that can support individuals, organizations, and autonomous agents. p>

In this keynote, we present a unified model of identity developed under ExtremeXP that goes beyond static cryptographically secured identifiers: it integrates both syntactic structure and semantic meaning, showing how identities may evolve coherently over time.

At the core of our mathematical model is the well-known recursive lambda identity function (λx.x) that maintains coherence until context triggers a transformation. Within this approach semantics is introduced starting from the very first bit. Then, the model allows for semantic transformation of the identity which is guided by epistemic and normative potentials. This mechanism not only preserves identity persistence but also enables knowledge discovery, allowing identities to adapt to new contexts and build trust dynamically.

We connect this formal approach to real-world applications across various European projects and initiatives, for example those that rely on Decentralized Identifiers. Together, these projects illustrate how evolving, privacy-preserving digital identities can anchor the future of secure, trustworthy, and knowledge-driven digital interaction.

Biography:

Prof. Vlado Stankovski is a full professor at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science. His research spans software engineering, cloud and edge computing, distributed systems, semantics, and AI technologies, with a focus on trust and identity in decentralized environments. He has served and serves as scientific and technical coordinator and contributor to several EU-funded projects, including DECENTER, ONTOCHAIN, TRUSTCHAIN, BUILDCHAIN, and ExtremeXP, which develop next-generation internet protocols, decentralized trust frameworks, foundational methods for Human-AI Interactions and blockchain-based infrastructures. He is also engaged in ACES, Swarmchestrate, and the NOO ULTRA project 8.05 Microcredentials for Microcompetences (EDUxCERT.com) initiative, which pioneers certification of micro-competences for lifelong learning. Prof. Stankovski collaborates with international partners to advance reproducible, privacy-preserving, and adaptive scientific and digital ecosystems.

 

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Attila Kertesz

University of Szeged, Hungary

Title: Simulation Approaches of the Cloud-to-Thing Continuum

Abstract:

The latest evolution in Information Technology has led to the appearance of the Cloud-to-Thing Continuum, which combine the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing and Fog Computing. IoT systems are composed of possibly up to billions of smart devices, sensors and actuators connected through the Internet, and these components continuously generate large amounts of data. Cloud and fog services assist the data processing and storage needs of IoT applications, while Blockchain services can support accountability and verification of certain actions. The investigation and detailed analysis of such applications and their underlying complex systems can be fostered by simulation solutions. The DISSECT-CF-Fog simulator can be used to model a complex IoT-Fog-Cloud infrastructure, also supporting the analysis of arbitrary actuator events and mobility capabilities of IoT devices. FoBSim is a Blockchain simulator that can be used for experimentation and validation of integrated Fog-Blockchain infrastructures. This talk presents a general overview of the simulation capabilities of the DISSECT-CF-Fog and FoBSim simulators, and discusses them through various application scenarios. Recent development directions will also be presented, which are triggered by the issues raised by the Swarmchestrate EU-funded research project.

Biography:

Attila Kertesz is an associate professor leading the IoT Cloud research group at the Department of Software Engineering, University of Szeged, Hungary. He is also the Vice Dean of Public Relations of the Faculty of Science and Informatics of the University of Szeged. He received his Ph.D. degree at the SZTE Doctoral School of Computer Science in 2011, and received the Doctor of the Academy (DSc) degree of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2024. His research interests include the federative management of Blockchain, IoT, Fog and Cloud systems, and interoperability issues of distributed systems in general. He is the European PI of the SO-SMART EIG-CONCERT EU-Japan project, and a group leader at the Swarmchestrate EU HORIZON project. He has coordinated the FogBlock4Trust sub-grant project of the TruBlo EU H2020 project, and participated in several successful national and European projects. He has more than 150 publications with more than 2500 citations. He is an Editorial board member of Elsevier Future Generation Computer Systems, Springer Cluster Computing, and Springer Journal of Grid Computing.

 

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Zoom link for the keynotes: https://zu-ac-ae.zoom.us/j/97702866406

Davor Svetinovic

Khalifa University , UAE

Title: Beyond Blockchain Censorship

Abstract:

This talk will present and expand beyond our recent published work on Blockchain Censorship. First, we’ll present how despite permissionless blockchains are designed to be resilient against censorship by any single entity. They are relying on deterministic rules rather than third-party actors to determine whether a transaction is added to the blockchain. However, in 2022, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a Bitcoin mixer and an Ethereum application, challenging this presumed neutrality. In this paper, we formalized, quantified, and analyzed the security implications of blockchain censorship. We began by defining censorship and then conducted a quantitative assessment of current censorship practices. Our analysis revealed that 46% of Ethereum blocks were produced by entities complying with OFAC sanctions, highlighting the substantial influence of these sanctions on the neutrality of public blockchains. Furthermore, we found out that censorship not only undermines neutrality but also compromises security. Following Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), censored transactions experienced an average delay of 85%, weakening their security and increasing the vulnerability to sandwich attacks. We will also present our most recent advances that build upon our Blockchain Censorship paper [https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3589334.3645431]

Biography:

Davor Svetinovic is a professor of computer science at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi He received his doctorate in computer science from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, in 2006. Previously, he worked at WU Wien, TU Wien, Austria, and Lero - the Irish Software Engineering Center, Ireland. He was a visiting professor and a research affiliate at MIT and MIT Media Lab, MIT, USA. Davor has extensive experience working on complex multidisciplinary research projects. He is a highly cited researcher in cybersecurity and blockchain technology. His research interests include cybersecurity, blockchain technology, cryptoeconomics, trust, and software engineering. His career has furthered his interest and expertise in developing advanced research capabilities and institutions in emerging economies. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and ACM (Lifetime) and a Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Scientists affiliate.

 

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Samson Lasaulce

Chief Research Scientist, Khalifa University, UAE

Title: LLMs, optimization, and game theory

Abstract:

In this talk, we will explore the interplay between large language models (LLMs) and optimization. After introducing a use case (consumption power scheduling) for which studying this interplay is fully relevant, we will survey the main approaches in this area, which include pure LLM-based approaches (e.g., to deal with mathword problems) and combined approaches. Both limitations and promising solutions will be discusssed. In the last part of the talk, connections between LLMs and game theory will be discussed.

Biography:

Samson Lasaulce is a Chief Research Scientist with Khalifa University. He is the holder of the TII 6G Chair on Native AI. He is also a CNRS Director of Research with CRAN at Nancy. He has been the holder of the RTE Chair on the "Digital Transformation of Electricity Networks". He has also been a part-time Professor with the Department of Physics at École Polytechnique (France). Before joining CNRS he has been working for five years in private R&D companies (Motorola Labs and Orange Labs). His current research interests lie in distributed networks with a focus on optimization, game theory, and machine learning. The main application areas of his research are wireless networks, energy networks, social networks, and now climate change. Dr Lasaulce has been serving as an editor for several international journals such as the IEEE Transactions. He has organized many scientific events and 10+ as a general chair. He is the co-author of more than 200 publications, including a dozen of patents and several books such as "Game Theory and Learning for Wireless Networks: Fundamentals and Applications". Dr Lasaulce is also the recipient of several awards such as the Blondel Medal award from the SEE French society.

 

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Albert Zomaya

University of Sydney, Australia

Title: Generative AI at the Edge: Enhancing Local Data Processing for Real-Time Applications

Abstract:

Edge computing is reshaping the landscape of data processing by moving computation closer to where data is generated, reducing the need for costly data transfers to cloud servers. As the demand for real-time, privacy-sensitive applications grows, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool to complement edge computing. This talk explores the potential of deploying generative AI models, such as Large Language Models, on edge devices to deliver advanced local data processing and content generation. The session addresses the unique challenges of deploying AI in resource-constrained environments, including optimizing models for limited computational power, managing network bandwidth efficiently, and preserving data privacy. Additionally, the presentation highlights real-world applications of generative AI at the edge, such as personalized healthcare monitoring, autonomous vehicles, smart manufacturing, and predictive maintenance. By examining emerging techniques for distributed learning and AI model optimization, this talk demonstrates how generative AI can unlock new capabilities for edge-based applications, enhancing both efficiency and functionality in a wide range of industries.

Biography:

Albert Zomaya is the Peter Nicol Russell Chair Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Centre for Distributed and High-Performance Computing at the University of Sydney. To date, he has published > 800 scientific papers and articles and is (co-)author/editor of >30 books. A sought-after speaker, he has delivered >300 keynote addresses, invited seminars, and media briefings. He is the past Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Computers (2010-2014), the IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Computing (2016-2020), and the ACM Computing Surveys (2019-2024).

Professor Zomaya is a decorated scholar with numerous accolades, including Fellowships of the IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Also, he is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Royal Society of New South Wales, a Foreign Member of Academia Europaea, and a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Some of Professor Zomaya's recent awards include the Research Innovation Award, the IEEE Computer Society’s Technical Committee on Cloud Computing (2021), the Technical Achievement and Recognition Award, IEEE Communications Society’s IoT, Ad Hoc, and Sensor Networks Technical Committee (2022), and the Distinguished Technical Achievement Award, IEEE Communications Society’s Technical Committee on Big Data (2024). Professor Zomaya is a Clarivate 2022&2023 Highly Cited Researcher, and his research interests lie in parallel and distributed computing, networking, and complex systems.

 

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Berick Cook

AI Developer, SingularityNET

Title: Autonomous Intelligent Reinforcement Interpreted Symbolism (AIRIS): Beyond Reinforcement Learning

Abstract:

In this Workshop we will be discussing how Autonomous Intelligent Reinforcement Interpreted Symbolism (AIRIS) differs from traditional Reinforcement Learning, and the significant advantages it affords. We will also explore the current state of research and future research directions that will be pursued. Lastly we will venture into the hypothetical with potential use cases that can be unlocked as development continues and AIRIS integrates into the Primus cognitive architecture powered by OpenCog Hyperon.

Biography:

Berick Cook is a independent videogame developer turned AI researcher and the creator of AIRIS (Autonomous Intelligent Reinforcement Inferred Symbolism). Originally from Alaska, he honed his skills through self-directed learning, enabling him to pursue his passions.

In 2016, he began working on AIRIS as a way to bring more life into game characters by giving them a way to learn their intended behavior rather than requiring handcrafted code. Seeing how effective the method was, he worked to expand the concept into other domains such as simple computer vision and rudimentary robotic control. In March of 2024 he joined SingularityNet to further develop the concept and take it beyond game worlds as a practical alternative to traditional Reinforcement Learning.

 

 

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