Mukhtiar Ahmad

About

Mukhtiar Ahmad is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. His research interests encompass Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), terrestrial cellular networks, distributed systems, and edge computing, with a primary focus on enabling Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) applications.

Education and Early Career

Mukhtiar Ahmad received the M.Sc. and M.Phil. degrees in Electronics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan.

Prior to joining academia, he served as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Principal System Architect in the software industry. During this tenure, he led a technical team of over 20 resources, spearheaded the development of safety-critical embedded systems, and integrated Artificial Intelligence into diverse commercial products and services. Additionally, he has authored several patents related to these industrial innovations.

Scientific Interest 

His research work is driven by the goal of supporting Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) based applications, such as autonomous and remotely operated ground and air robots, near-real-time digital twins, AR/VR, and remote surgery. Specifically, he is working at the intersection of edge computing and cellular networks to achieve seamless interworking that supports these latency-sensitive systems in both terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). He envisions a global-scale cellular network architecture that delivers consistent low-latency performance and high reliability, seamlessly transcending traditional geographical boundaries.

Quote

"KAUST offers a boundless landscape for innovation. To truly honor this gift, we must navigate our time with purpose and foresight, ensuring that our departure is marked by the satisfaction of a potential fully realized."

Awards and Distinctions

• SBARA Research Award: Received for being among the top 5 impactful Ph.D. research works at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
• ACM SIGCOMM Travel Grant (2019)

Education Profile

• M.Sc. and M.Phil. degrees in Electronics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan,
• Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan.