Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT MUHAMMAD ZEESHAN SHAKIR

Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir is a Professor of Digital Technologies and AI at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Director of the Digital Connectivity & Innovation Centre (DCIC). With over two decades of international academic and industry experience, his work focuses on wireless communications, AI-enabled systems, digital health, and smart infrastructure. He has secured over £7 million in research funding from British Council, Qatar National Research Fund, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Scottish Government, and the European Commission (Erasmus+) and over £2 million in knowledge exchange partnerships from Innovate UK, leading major regional and international research and innovation projects. Previously, he has worked as PI/Co-PI on several commercial and research projects funded at Texas A&M University, Qatar, Carleton University, Canada and KAUST, Saudi Arabia.Professor Shakir has supervised over 50 PhD students and Post Doctoral Research Fellows across institutions in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and authored 10 books.His contributions to research and innovation have been recognised through numerous prestigious awards, including the Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award, Centre for Engineering, Education and Development, Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi Award for Education, Scottish Muslim Association, Fred W. Ellersick Award from the Communications Society, the Innovate UK Award of Excellence, the Herald Higher Education Project of the Year Award, and the STEM Inspiring Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE). A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Senior Member of and member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland, he is widely regarded as a leader in the field of digital connectivity.Professor Shakir holds several prominent external appointments. He is Executive Chair of the International Conference on Communications (ICC 2026), Chair of the Ayrshire Digital Economy Ecosystem (ADEE) Strategic Board, and a Board Member of the Ayrshire 5G Innovation Region. He also serves as Chair of the Public Safety Technology Smart Algorithm and Informatics Committee, and Chair of the Communications Society Backhaul Networking Emerging Technology Committee. A sought-after keynote speaker and policy advisor, Professor Shakir continues to shape the future of digital infrastructure, innovation, and AI across the UK and globally.