AI SUMMIT 2027

“Paul Darwen did a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics and theoretical physics at the Australian National University in Canberra, and a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of NSW, followed by a 2-year postdoctoral research fellowship at Brandeis University in Boston and a 3-year Australian Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Queensland. Then he worked for 2 years in a startup company spun out of UQ's Institute of Molecular Biology, simulating drug molecules on a supercomputer, followed by 1-year startup about financial risk. Since 2006 he has been at James Cook University Brisbane, and now manages the degrees in IT and Science. His research interests include data mining from limited or error-filled data sets, with applications including the diagnosis of rare diseases, predicting customer churn, and flood prediction in desert rivers. His experience has made him familiar with the problems of taking new solutions from lab to market, with a perspective from both the academic side of scientific enquiry, and the entrepreneurial side of startup companies.”

Ritesh Chugh is an Associate Professor in Information and Communications Technology at Central Queensland University, Australia. As a socio-technological expert, his research focuses on the influence and impact of information technologies on humans and organisations. His work has been published in various high-quality journals. Ritesh is listed among the Stanford/Elsevier 2024 World's Top 2% Scientists, recognising his impactful research.
Ritesh has received several teaching and research awards, including the national Best Practice in International Education Award from the International Education Association of Australia, and the Dean’s Award for Mid-Career Research Excellence. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Actively engaged in public scholarship, he shares his expertise on socio-technological issues with national and international audiences through various media outlets. For more, please visit his university profile page.

Ramanatha Karuppia is a research fellow in centre of excellence in financial crime prevention, Griffith University. He is providing the strategic guidance on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing regulatory compliance. He shares his experience and knowledge in risk and compliance matters in the board meetings. He served as a Chief Executive Officer in Fly wallet private limited. He has developed all the risk management and regulatory policies and procedures. He has MBA in Organizational Strategies and Leadership, Master of Commerce. He holds a Certified International Compliance Association, United Kingdom, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialty.

Sangeetha Kutty holds the position of Lecturer in Information and Communications Technology at Central Queensland University, Australia. A transdisciplinary academic with expertise in data science, she is dedicated to bridging industry, academia, and research to create data-driven solutions that have a meaningful impact on both regional and metropolitan Australian communities. Her research spans cutting-edge areas, including generative AI, machine learning, text and social media mining, deep learning, recommendation systems, and information retrieval. Passionate about innovation, Sangeetha’s work harnesses the power of data to address real-world challenges and deliver impactful solutions.
Sangeetha is also the co-founder and vice-president of CQUni’s WinTech (Women in Technology) STEM+C Club, where she organises industry seminars, panel discussions, and meet-and-greet sessions for students. Recognised for her teaching, she received CQUniversity's Student Voice Award for 2021 and has earned several commendations. She has also been nominated for excellence awards in teaching, research, and service contributions. More details are available on her university profile page.

I am currently serving as the Manager Strategic Intelligence at Kina Bank. My role involves exploring emerging trends playing out in domestic & international settings, from both an internal & external perspective, to aid delivery of the bank’s strategy. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption within the finance industry, a core part of my responsibility is driving the exploration of AI usage within Kina Bank.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management (majoring in Banking & Finance) from the University of Papua New Guinea in 2021 and have attained and am continuously attaining industry certifications in the fields of corporate intelligence, finance, fintech and digital business management from institutions such as: Intelligence Rising, CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), CFI (Corporate Finance Institute) and AIMA (All India Management Association).
I am building my career in bank strategic management, capital markets and financial technology, leveraging from prior experience in treasury and financial markets.

Professor K. Pirapaharan has been serving as professor in Communication Engineering at the School of Electrical and Communications Engineering, PNG University of Technology since July 2024. Prior to this, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka (June 2021-June 2024). He has also served as an academic in University of Jaffna (October 2019-June 2024), The College of Engineering, Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (August 2017-September 2019), Papua New Guinea University of Technology (February 2014-July 2017), Taylor’s University, Malaysia (January 2012-January 2014), University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka (April 2004-January 2012) and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (May 1993-March 1995). From June 2001 to September 2003, he was a postdoctoral research associate at the Centre for Computational Electromagnetics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. He has obtained his bachelor’s degree with first class honours from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and his masters as well as doctoral degrees from Kindai University Japan in 1993, 1998 and 2001, respectively. In addition, he has served in several national level committees in Sri Lanka. He is a Chartered Engineer from Engineering Council UK and a Corporate Engineer from Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka. Also, He is a member of the IEEE, the IET and IESL. Professor Pirapaharan’s research interests include Computational Electromagnetics, Wave Propagation in Inhomogeneous Media, AI based Smart & Reconfigurable Antennas and AI based solutions for Climate Changes.

Michael has a strong background in Banking and Finance, Strategic Leadership, Risk Management and Credit Union Management experience over more than 40 years, across the Oceania and Asia Regions. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Mutuals Institute, and a Senior Associate of the Financial Service Institute of Australia. Michael holds qualifications in Banking and Finance from the University of Hawaii, and Business Administration from Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia, and Banking Governance from the Oxford University, UK.

Ms.Valli Ramamurthy is an experienced educator with over 27 years of teaching experience in India and Papua New Guinea. She has been teaching IT units at IBSUniversity in Papua New Guinea since 2018 and is also an adjunct lecturer at Southern Cross University, Australia. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor and Head of Computer Science in colleges affiliated with Bharathidasan University, India.
She has actively contributed to the digital transformation of learning materials as part of an Australian Academic Award Program. Her areas of specialization include Data Mining, Cybersecurity, Databases, and Artificial Intelligence. She has guided 25 M.Phil research projects and has published papers in conference proceedings and journals. She has also attended workshops on emerging technologies such as Big Data, Data Analytics, and Remote Sensing.
She has also served as a resource person for AI and technology training programs, including AI training for NSOE teachers in Papua New Guinea, AI and cybersecurity training for CPA PNG, and Data Analytics using Excel for NCGM PNG.
With a growing interest in climate and environmental sustainability, she explores how AI and technology can contribute to sustainable solutions, particularly in areas such as carbon footprint reduction and resource optimization.

K. S. Senthilkumar received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. Degrees in Computer Science from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Then, he received his M.Tech. Degree in 2006 and Ph.D. Degree in 2011, from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He did research on Multiple Robot Terrain exploration and coverage for his Ph.D. Degree in Computer Science. He is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Computers and Technology, St. George’s University, Grenada , W.I. His research area covers Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing. Dr. Senthilkumar has been serving as an academic faculty in different multi-cultural environments in different countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Saudi Arabia, Papua New Guinea and Grenada. He has published many research papers in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He is also contributed in making books chapters.

Dr. Nitheesh Murugan Kaliyamurthy resides in United Kingdom. He is working as a senior lecturer and a programme manager in University of Wales Trinity St David, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. He is one of the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 expert in IT Network Systems Administration, UK.
Dr.Nitheesh is a dedicated technology professional specializing in Computer Networks, Network Security, Cybersecurity, and Digital Forensics and he is an accomplished educator, rigorous researcher, and passionate lifelong learner. Dr.Nitheesh is committed to advancing the knowledge and skills of the younger generation. He has experience spans in various higher education institutions worldwide and the IT industry.