Non-terrestrial Networks: Paving the Way Towards Global Connectivity

Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir is Full Professor of Wireless Communications and Director of UWS Digital Connectivity for Sustainable Futures research group within Artificial Intelligence, Visual Communications and Network (AVCN) institute, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), UK. With over 15 years of research expertise in design and development of wireless communication systems, he has published over 150 research articles including 50+ peer-reviewed top-tier journal articles; 70+ conference articles, and 10 books.

Dr. Aryan Kaushik is Associate Professor at the Manchester Met, UK, associated with the Department of Computing and Mathematics, since 2024. Prior to that, he has been an Assistant Professor (on a senior grade) at the University of Sussex, UK, associated with the School of Engineering and Informatics, from 2021-24, where he also served as the Recruitment and Admissions Tutor, and Academic Advisor. He has been Research Fellow at the University College London, UK, with the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, from 2020-21. He completed his PhD degree in Communications Engineering at the School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK, in 2019. He received his MSc degree in Telecommunications from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, in 2015. He has held visiting professor/researcher appointments at the Imperial College London, UK, from 2019-20, University of Bologna, Italy, in 2024, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg in 2018, Athena Research and Innovation Center, Greece, in 2021, and Beihang University, China, from 2017-19, 2022. He has been also involved in PhD Thesis Evaluation Committee internationally such as at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Spain, in 2023.