Profile

I am a senior researcher and AI consultant with over 18 years of experience spanning academia and industry across Austria, Germany, Finland, and Pakistan. With a Ph.D. in Information Technology from Austria and leadership experience in Pakistan, I currently serve as a Senior Researcher and AI Advisor at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. My expertise encompasses applied artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI, with a proven track record of securing international funding, managing R&D projects, and publishing high-impact research.

As an AI consultant for the Finnish AI Region (FAIR) project, I bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical business applications. I specialize in designing AI roadmaps, developing proof-of-concepts, and providing technical consultancy to startups and SMEs across various sectors. I also specialize in establishing research networks and collaborating effectively with diverse research teams, industry stakeholders, and government agencies across Europe and beyond.

My current research focuses on AI agents, RAG, MCP, and knowledge extraction & processing using LLMs. I am passionate about democratizing AI knowledge and ensuring responsible AI adoption in business and education sectors.

Experience

Senior Researcher
08/2022 – Present | Helsinki, Finland
  • Securing funding, managing R&D projects, and publishing research
  • Providing AI consultancy to AI startups and SMEs
  • Focused on AI applications, machine learning, NLP, and generative AI
  • Collaborating with research teams, industry stakeholders, and government agencies
Professor
01/2022 – Present | Pakistan
Lecturer | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor
01/2005 – 01/2022 | Pakistan
Research Scientist
11/2016 – 09/2017 | Germany & Hungary

Education

Ph.D. in Information Technology (2013)
Focus: Machine learning, embedded systems, dynamic energy management
Master in Information Technology (2010)
Focus: Machine learning, optimization
Bachelor in Computer Systems Engineering (2004)
Focus: Programming, database design, embedded systems

Leadership Experience

Chairman, Artificial Intelligence Department
Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science & Technology (QUEST), Pakistan (Aug 2021 - Jul 2022)
Chairman, Computer Systems Engineering Department
Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science & Technology (QUEST) (Oct 2018 - Oct 2021)

Contact & Personal Details

Office address: Ratapihantie 13, 00520 Helsinki, Finland

Phone/WhatsApp: +358503422685

Email: umairali.khan@haagahelia.fi

Date of Birth: 09.04.1981

Nationality: Pakistan

Languages: English (C2/Proficient), Urdu (native), Finnish (A2/Elementary), German (A1/Beginner)

Core Skills

Programming Languages

Python C/C++ MATLAB CUDA C Arduino PHP HTML/CSS

AI/ML Frameworks

TensorFlow Keras PyTorch CatBoost SHAP

Research & Development

Grant Writing Project Management Team Building Academic Writing Peer Review

AI Specializations

Machine/Deep Learning AI Agents RAG, MCP Knowledge extraction and processing with LLMs

Hobbies

Programming Professional Article Writing Book Reading Behavioral Analysis

Ongoing Projects

Role: AI consultant, researcher, AI developer
Funding: European Commission, Business Finland, The City of Helsinki Innovation Fund
Providing technical AI consultancy to companies, Designing AI roadmaps, developing proof of concepts, helping in securing funding.
Role: Senior researcher
Funding: ERDF, Finland
Developing a GenAI based knowledge management toolkit for businesses.
Role: Senior researcher
Funding: European Union (Erasmus+)
AI literacy programme for managing disinformation in European societies
Role: Senior researcher
Funding: European Union (Erasmus+)
Advancing digital education and AI integration in higher education.
Role: Senior researcher & member steering committee
Funding: European Commission
Applied research on the adoption of AI in business and education.

Selected Publications (Last 2 Years)

AI Adoption in Finnish SMEs: Key Findings from AI Consultancy at a European Digital Innovation Hub
Khan, U.A. Kudravtsev, D.; Kauttonen, J. - IEEE 23rd World Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics, Slovakia, 2025
Towards actionable AI implementation capability maturity assessment for SMEs
Kudravtsev, D.; Molainen, T.; Laatikainen, E.; Khan, U.A. - Herman Hollerith Conference pp. 7-17, 2025
An Experiment of AI-Based Assessment: Perspectives of Learning Preferences, Benefits, Intention, Technology Affinity, and Trust
Alamäki, A.; Khan, U.A.; Kauttonen, J.; Schlögl, S. - Education Sciences 14, 1386, 2024
Exploring Contactless Techniques in Multimodal Emotion Recognition: Insights into Diverse Applications, Challenges, Solutions, and Prospects
Khan, U.A.; Qianru, Q.; Yang, L.; Legstadt, A.; Alamäki, A. - Multimedia Systems 30, 2024
Understanding the Impact of Sisu on Workforce and Well-being: A Machine Learning-Based Analysis
Khan, U.A.; Kauttonen, J.; Henttonen, P.; Määttänen, I. - Heliyon 10(2), e24148, 2024
A System to Ensure Information Trustworthiness in Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Higher Education
Khan, U.A.; Kauttonen, J.; Aunimo, L.; Alamäki, A. - Journal of Information Technology Education: Research 23, 2024
Topic mining for theses and job ads in ICT sector: can higher education institutes respond to job market demands?
Kauttonen, J.; Khan, U.A.; Aunimo, L.; Antti, N.; Klemetti A. - Frontiers Education 9, 2024

Other Scientific Activities

  • Supervising Master and Ph.D. theses
  • Professional article writing on AI applications and adoption
  • Regular reviewer of various peer-reviewed academic journals and conferences
  • Providing AI consultancy to other teams in Haaga-Helia and other organizations and analyzing AI adoption trends in various domains