The 1st Future International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity (FICAC25)
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Zahran
Professor, Computer Science Department, NYU
Title of the Presentation: Computer Hardware in the Era of AI
Biography of the Speaker:
Mohamed Zahran is a professor with the Computer Science Department at New York University. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Maryland at College Park. His research interests span several aspects of computer architecture, such as architecture of heterogeneous systems and hardware/software interaction. Zahran is a senior member of IEEE, senior member of ACM, and a member of Sigma Xi scientific honor society. He has published many papers in premiere peer-reviewed venues and served in program committees and as reviewer with prestigious conferences and journals, as well as with the National Science Foundation and The Department of Energy.
Zahran published a book about new technologies in computer hardware in 2019 and co-authored another book about AI-Powered Sustainable Businesses in 2025. He served as the general chair of the prestigious premier conference in the field of computer architecture: the 49th IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Computer Architecture in 2022.
Finally, Zahran has had a weekly column, since 2016 till present time, about technology, science, history of science and academic life, in one of the biggest newspapers in Egypt.
Prof. Dr. Samir Gaber
Head of the Cybersecurity Industry Development Sector at the National Telecom Regulatory Authority
Title of the Presentation: Cybersecurity in Egypt: A National Approach to Achieving Digital Sovereignty
Biography of the Speaker:
Prof. Samir Gaber is Professor of Cybersecurity and Networks at Helwan University and Head of the Cybersecurity Industry Development Sector at the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA). Since 2011, he has led the Cyber-attacks Monitoring and Early Warning Systems Division at the Egyptian Computer Emergency Readiness Team (EG CERT). In 2024, he was appointed to lead NTRA’s cybersecurity-industry development sector, and in 2025, became Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Egyptian Supreme Cybersecurity Council.
Internationally, Dr. Gaber serves as Vice Chair of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Study Group 17 on Security (SG17), Vice Chair of the Arab and African Regional Groups (2022–2025) and re-elected as Vice Chair of ITU-T SG17 for the 2025–2028 study period.
In academia, his career at Helwan University includes appointments as Assistant Professor (2010), Associate Professor (2018), and Professor (2024). He earned his Ph.D. in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from University College London (UCL) in 2010 and served as an Honorary Lecturer there from 2014 to 2019.
Dr. Sameh Fayed
OT Security Expert and Technical Innovator (MCS)
Title of the Presentation: Cybersecurity in Practice: Bridging Research, Architecture, and Real-World Resilience
Biography of the Speaker:
Sameh Fayed is a cybersecurity and OT security expert with more than 30 years of experience leading large-scale security initiatives across banking, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors. At MCS, he plays a strategic role in developing security frameworks, ensuring implementation quality, and aligning multi-vendor solutions with defense-in-depth and zero trust principles. His work focuses on helping organizations transform compliance-driven programs into resilient, adaptive cybersecurity architectures.
As a product manager and industry mentor, Sameh enables partners and sales teams to position technology solutions that address real customer needs. He has built enablement programs that cover market strategy, partner development, and technical capability building, supporting the growth of cybersecurity ecosystems in Egypt and the region.
Passionate about education, Sameh teaches practical cybersecurity courses at the School of Computer Science, Future University in Egypt. His mission is to prepare graduates to be market-ready from day one through exposure to real-world defensive practices and architectural thinking.
Throughout his career, Sameh has worked to bridge theory and practice — connecting academia, industry, and government toward a unified goal: building national cyber resilience. His current work and speaking engagements focus on cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, security architecture design, and the evolution of OT and IT convergence.
Panel Discussion
Dr. Hesham Farouk
Technology Development Advisor at (MCIT) Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Egypt).
Leads national initiatives for digital transformation in education, e-services, and IoT innovation.
Brings extensive expertise in ICT strategy, policy, and academia–industry collaboration.
Dr. Safia El-Bedwihy
Founder and CEO of Qorrect, a leading educational assessment technology company.
Advocates for bridging education, technology, and industry to enhance learning outcomes.
Dr. Rasha El-Banna
Academic Expert and Director of Digital Arts and Marketing, Digital Egypt Generations MCIT, Egypt.
Leads national Digital Arts tracks, aligning curricula with industry and global partners over 20 years of experience in higher education, capacity building, and digital transformation.
Dr. Wael Wahby
Lecturer of Internal Medicine & Nephrology, Cairo University.
Master of Public Administration, Harvard University.
Software Director for the ERDS (Egyptian Renal Data System).
Tech entrepreneur and Cofounder.
Future University in Egypt – Celebrating Knowledge, Leadership, and Innovation