South Korean researchers join Birmingham City University to support smart city development
Three early career researchers from South Korea have joined Birmingham City University (BCU) to help support next generation urban innovation, working on a project titled Making Cities Smarter and Healthier through AI, Data Science and Digital Transformation.
Dr Muhammad Afzal, Dr Yeunsoo Park, Dr Chulwoong Park, Professor Hanifa Shah, Dr Kyounghee Cho, Dr Mohammad Mayouf
The three South Korean fellowships will be supported by the British Council’s Early Career Fellowships in Research and Innovation Program, under the International Science Partnerships Fund.
“AI is accelerating, and so must we,” says Dr Muhammad Afzal, Project Director and Associate Professor in Computer Science at BCU. “This is our moment to build cities that are smarter, healthier, and more human-centred.”
The three South Korean Fellows are:
Dr Kyounghee Cho – who holds a PhD from the University of Warwick and is looking to develop responsible and inclusive digital governance frameworks as part of the UK-South Korea collaboration goals
Dr Chulwoong Park – who graduated from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and has an interest in using AI for urban planning and management
Dr Yeunsoo Park – who holds a PhD from University of Birmingham and wants to use data to create environmental and health justice indexes for the city
“Working on an international scale is a priority for BCU, and our ISPF partnership with South Korea reflects this commitment,” adds Co-director Dr Mohammad Mayouf, Associate Professor in Built Environment. “By collaborating with a global leader in AI, digital transformation and smart cities, we’re strengthening our research capability.
“We’re also driving meaningful impact for both South Korea and the UK by welcoming some outstanding post-doctoral talent to drive innovation.”
