Dr. Khaled Abdalgader Balawafi

Dr. Khaled Abdalgader Balawafi is an Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), UAE. He joined AURAK in August 2022, bringing extensive academic and research experience in computer science and intelligent systems.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Balawafi served as an Assistant Professor at Sohar University in Oman from September 2013 to August 2022, where he played a key role in teaching and curriculum development in computer science. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Lecturer at Sebha University in Libya from July 2004 to August 2007.

His teaching interests span a broad range of computer science and AI topics, including Object-Oriented Programming, Parallel Programming, Systems Analysis and Design, Operating Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

Dr. Balawafi is an active researcher in the field of natural language processing and understanding. His research focuses on word sense disambiguation, semantic text similarity, sentiment analysis, text mining, and knowledge discovery from unstructured text. He is also leading novel research in time-aware NLP models, deep learning architectures, text clustering, text classification and intelligent text summarization.

• PhD in Computer Science, La Trobe University, Australia, 2012.
• MSc in Intelligent Systems​, University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia, 2004.
• BSc in Computer Science, Sebha University, Libya, 2001.

Research Biography

My research focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning, and Deep Learning, with particular interests in transformer-based language models, semantic text analysis, text clustering and classification, text summarization, and time-aware AI models. My recent research also extends to spatio-temporal learning, predictive analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), smart agriculture, and intelligent educational systems. My work aims to develop practical and computationally efficient AI models for knowledge extraction, prediction, and intelligent decision-making across diverse real-world applications.

Research Interests

Artificial Intelligence (AI); Natural Language Processing (NLP); Machine Learning and Deep Learning; Large Language Models and Transformer Models; Semantic Text Analysis; Text Classification, Clustering and Summarization; Temporal and Spatio-Temporal Learning; Predictive Analytics; Internet of Things (IoT); Smart Agriculture and Intelligent Systems

Publications — 2020 to Present

Journal Papers

• Abdalgader, K., Ahmed, F. Y. H., Wassie, B., Kerala, K., Heramo, N., & Gudeta, R. (2026). Temporal and linguistic enrichment for abstractive text summarization using transformer models. Discover Artificial Intelligence. DOI: 10.1007/s44163-026-01710-5.
• Abdalgader, K., Altaouachi, K., Ahmed, A. A. Q., & Malik, A. (2026). Time-Aware Sequence Modeling of Student Activities: Calibrated Next-Event Prediction from Large-Scale Campus Logs. Technologies, 14(8), 463.
• Rinaldi, C. R., Shah, S. M. A., Abdalgader, K., Tout, K., & Matroud, A. A. (2026). Early detection of multiple myeloma and MGUS progression risk using artificial intelligence and routine laboratory data. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 44(16_suppl), 7519.
• Abdalgader, K., Mbarak, M., & Alam, M. (2025). Deep Neural Network with Attention and Station Embeddings for Robust Spatio-Temporal Multisensor Temperature Forecasting. AgriEngineering, 7(12), 399. DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering7120399.
• Abdalgader, K., Matroud, A. A., & Al-Doboni, G. (2025). Temporal Dynamics in Short Text Classification: Enhancing Semantic Understanding Through Time-Aware Model. Information, 16(3), 214. DOI: 10.3390/info16030214.
• Abdalgader, K., Matroud, A. A., & Hossin, K. (2024). Experimental study on short-text clustering using transformer-based semantic similarity measure. PeerJ Computer Science, 10, e2078.
• Ahmed, F., Abualkishik, A., Abdalgader, K., Al Risi, A., & Al Maawali, R. (2024). Simulating the Influence of Social Robotics Technology on the Student’s Academic Performance. International Journal of Advances in Soft Computing and Its Applications, 16(3), 68–98.
• Abdalgader, K., & Yousif, J. H. (2022). Agricultural Irrigation Control using Sensor-enabled Architecture. KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems, 16(10), 3275–3298. DOI: 10.3837/tiis.2022.10.004.
• Yousif, J. H., & Abdalgader, K. (2022). Experimental and Mathematical Models for Real-Time Monitoring and Auto Watering Using IoT Architecture. Computers, 11(1), 7.
• Abdalgader, K., & Al Shibli, A. (2021). Context Expansion Approach for Graph-based Word Sense Disambiguation. Expert Systems with Applications, 168, 114313.
• Abdalgader, K., & Al Shibli, A. (2020). Experimental Results on Customer Reviews Using Lexicon-Based Word Polarity Identification Method. IEEE Access, 8, 179955–179969.
• Abdalgader, K., Al Ajmi, R., & Saini, D. K. (2020). IoT-based system to measure thermal insulation efficiency. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. DOI: 10.1007/s12652-020-02459-0.
• Abdalgader, K., & Saini, D. K. (2020). Data Streams Scheduling Approach for WiMAX Networks. Journal of Communications, 15(6).

Conference Papers

• Abdalgader, K. (2026). Attention-Based Spatio-Temporal Network for IoT Temperature Forecasting. 2026 International Conference on Electrical/Electronics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Informatics (ICERAI), pp. 1–6. DOI: 10.1109/ICERAI69511.2026.11494551.
• Mbarak, M., Alam, M. H., & Abdalgader, K. (2026). Machine Learning Approaches for WiFi-Based Student Location Data Synthesis for Optimized Resource Allocation. 2026 International Conference on Electrical/Electronics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Informatics (ICERAI), pp. 1–6. DOI: 10.1109/ICERAI69511.2026.11494565.
• Hossin, K., Alnaqbi, R. N., Attia, H., Hazza, M. A., Abdalgader, K., & Al-Ataby, A. (2026). Techno-Environmental Assessment of Rooftop PV Parking for Electric Vehicle Charging in the UAE. 2026 International Conference on Electrical/Electronics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Informatics (ICERAI), pp. 1–6. DOI: 10.1109/ICERAI69511.2026.11494567.
• Devarajan, R., Mohammed, H. A., & Abdalgader, K. (2026). Explainable Shuttle Delay Prediction for Smart Campus Mobility. 2026 International Conference on Electrical/Electronics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Informatics (ICERAI), pp. 1–5. DOI: 10.1109/ICERAI69511.2026.11494561.
• Nassar, R.-U.-D., & Abdalgader, K. (2025). Machine learning approach for predicting the compressive and flexural strengths of fiber-reinforced concrete mixtures. Materials Research Proceedings, 48, 407–416.
• Abdalgader, K., & Matroud, A. A. (2024). Evaluating the Performance of Transformers-Based Semantic Similarity Measures in Short-Text Clustering. In Cyber Security and Intelligent Systems, Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, Vol. 1056. Springer.
• Al-Zaghir, Z., Alnaqbi, N. M., Matroud, A. A., & Abdalgader, K. (2023). Exploring Opportunities and Challenges of Using ChatGPT in Professional Writing Instruction. 2023 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), pp. 1–6.
• Abdalgader, K. (2022). Centroid-Based Clustering Using Sentential Embedding Similarity Measure. 2022 International Conference on Electrical and Computing Technologies and Applications (ICECTA), pp. 265–270.
• Abdalgader, K., & Al Shibli, A. (2020). Improving Semantic Graph Connectivity for Word Sense Identification. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Computer Modeling and Simulation (ICCMS '20), pp. 132–137, Brisbane, Australia.

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Data Science
• Natural Language Processing
• Object - Oriented Programming
• Introduction to Computer Programming
• Introduction to Parallel Programming
• Information System for Project Management
• Senior Design Project I & II