NTU RISE-AI 2026
Research Investment in Skills and Expertise in AI
The First NTU Interdisciplinary Conference on Data, Quantitative and Computational Intelligence. NTU RISE-AI 2026 invites researchers from all disciplines to participate.
Type of event: Conferences
From: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 8.45 am
To: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 5 pm
Location: Nottingham Trent University, Pavilion Room 121, Clifton Campus, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
Event details
This one-day interdisciplinary conference brings together researchers from across NTU who work with data, quantitative methods, computational modelling, or artificial intelligence, regardless of disciplinary background.
The aim of the conference is to build a university-wide community of practice around data-driven research, transparency, reproducibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Researchers from all schools, disciplines, and career stages are warmly invited to participate.
Conference Theme
The conference explores how data, quantitative methods, and computational intelligence are transforming research and decision-making across fields including but not limited to:
- Health and life sciences
- Social sciences and humanities
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Policy and governance
- Risk, resilience, and emergency science
- Environmental and cultural data
Keynote Speakers
The conference features keynote contributions from leading scholars and practitioners working across disciplines:
- Professor Mazeda Hossain - Professor and Director of the Eastern Africa Centre, Nottingham Trent University
- Professor Mark Altaweel - Professor of Near East Archaeology and Archaeological Data Science, UCL
- Dr Lucía Pereira Pardo - Ramón y Cajal Researcher, INCIPIT, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
- Professor Daniel King - Professor of Organisation Studies, Nottingham Trent University
Conference Highlights
The programme will include:
- Interdisciplinary keynote talks
- Parallel research presentation sessions
- Lightning talks
- Poster session
- A “Data Failures and Lessons Learned” session promoting research transparency and reproducibility
- Structured networking and collaboration discussions
The conference will also mark the launch of the: NTU Data, Quantitative & Computational Intelligence Network
Interdisciplinary Organising Committee
- Dr Damilola Omodara – Public Health
- Dr Sotiria Kogou – Heritage Science
- Professor Alex Sumich – Biopsychology
- Dr Hind Elhinnawy – Criminology
- Associate Professor Marcello Di Bonito – Environmental Sciences
- Dr Ben Dickins – Molecular Biology
- Dr Ayse Ulgen – Data Science
- Dr Gadelhag Mohmed – Computational Intelligence
- Dr Pedro Machado – Neuromorphic Computing
- Associate Professor Isibor Ihianle – Computational Intelligence
- Dr Archontis Giannakidis – Artificial Intelligence
- Associate Professor John Morris – Paediatric Sport Science
- Associate Professor Golnaz Shahtahmassebi – Applied Statistics
Conference Support
NTU RISE‑AI 2026 is supported by the NTU Research Investment in Culture and Environment (RICE) Fund. The Fund recognises RISE‑AI’s strong potential to work across organisational boundaries and to help foster a culture of interdisciplinarity - key priorities that align with NTU’s ambitions to strengthen its research culture and environment.
Who Should Participate?
We welcome:
- Researchers working with data of any type
- Quantitative researchers
- AI and machine learning researchers
- Social scientists using data
- Humanities scholars using digital or computational methods
- PhD researchers and early-career academics
- Staff interested in data-driven research collaboration
Call for Contributions
We invite contributions from researchers using data, quantitative analysis, computational modelling, or AI methods.
Presentation opportunities include:
- Research Presentations: 15-minute presentation plus discussion (Parallel thematic sessions)
- Lightning Talks: 3-minute rapid presentations (Ideal for early-stage ideas or collaboration opportunities)
- Data Failures and Lessons Learned: 5-minute reflections (Sharing methodological challenges and reproducibility lessons)
- Poster Session: Open to all disciplines (Particularly suitable for PhD researchers and early-career academics)
Registration
To register for this event please please complete the Conference Registration form. Due to venue capacity, places will be limited, and early registration is encouraged.
Key Dates
- 20 March 2026 – Abstract submission and conference registration open
- 20 April 2026 – Abstract submission deadline
- 5 May 2026 – Notification of acceptance
- 20 May 2026 – Conference
Conference Schedule
| Time | Session | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 08:45 - 9:15 | Registration and Coffee | Informal networking |
| 09:15 - 09:50 | Welcome and Vision |
|
| 09:50 – 10:30 | Keynote 1 – Professor Mazeda Hossain | The Global Wellbeing and Resilience Index: A Mixed-Methods Framework for Mapping Structural Vulnerabilities Across 120 Countries |
| 10:30 – 11:30 | Parallel Session Block 1 |
|
| 11:30 – 11:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:45 – 12:30 | Keynote 2 – Professor Mark Altaweel | Heritage, Archaeology, and History in the Age of AI |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch and Poster Discussion |
|
| 13:30 – 13:50 | Lightning Talks |
|
| 13:50 – 14:45 | Parallel Session Block 2 |
|
| 14:45 – 15:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:00 – 15:40 | Keynote 3 – Dr Lucía Pereira Pardo | Scaling up Heritage Science: AI-assisted processing of spectral images from large-scale collections in archives and libraries |
| 15:40 – 16:20 | Keynote 4 – Professor Daniel King | Providing a data solution to public, community and voluntary sectors |
| 16:20 – 16:50 | Collaboration Tables | 'Meet a Researcher / Meet a Data Expert' Themed Networking |
| 16:50 | Close | Launch of NTU Data, Quantitative and Computational Intelligence Network |
Location details
Address:
Pavilion Room 121
Clifton Campus
Nottingham
NG11 8NS