Strengthening Academic Collaboration with Portugal Delegation at IBA Karachi

July 21-25, 2025: The School of Mathematics and Computer Science was honored to host two distinguished professors from ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal, as part of the Erasmus Mobility Program. Professor Eugenio Ribeiro and Professor Ricardo Ribeiro spent five enriching days at IBA Karachi from July 21 to 25, 2025, engaging with faculty, researchers, and students through a range of academic, cultural, and collaborative activities.

The visit commenced with a meeting between the delegation and Dr. Shakeel Khoja, Dean of SMCS, setting a tone of mutual academic respect and collaboration. This was followed by a faculty networking session, where ideas around curriculum development, joint research, and global academic trends were actively discussed.

The professors were given a guided tour of the campus, including the AI & Robotics Lab, Telecommunications & Research (TR) Lab, Finance Lab, and other academic facilities, allowing for a closer look at the department's infrastructure and research ecosystem.

As the visit progressed, the delegation engaged directly with SMCS PhD scholars in a dedicated research presentation session. The scholars showcased their work, receiving thoughtful feedback and critical insights from the visiting professors.

To add a local touch to their visit, the delegation spent a day exploring the sights, sounds, and flavors of Karachi. The day began with a traditional Pakistani breakfast, followed by visits to some of the city’s historical landmarks, cultural spots and food.

A key academic highlight of the visit was the guest lecture by Professor Ricardo Ribeiro on “Applying Machine Learning to Text Mining.” The session attracted active participation from both students and faculty, delving into the practical applications of machine learning in processing and analyzing unstructured textual data.

The visit concluded with an interdisciplinary session led by Professor Eugenio Ribeiro on “NLP for Depression Symptom Identification in Social Media.” Drawing attendees from academia, healthcare, and industry, the talk examined how natural language processing and artificial intelligence can aid in identifying early signs of mental health issues through digital communication patterns.