Issam Wajih Damaj is an internationally experienced academic leader, researcher, and educator with over twenty years of practice across the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and the United States. His work encompasses computer science and engineering, intelligent hardware, smart systems, and engineering education, with a particular emphasis on research impact, accreditation, and academic leadership.

Since 2004, he has worked internationally across higher education as a professor, academic leader, and educator, with sustained contributions to research, teaching, leadership, and service. He is currently Head of Department – Computer Science at Cardiff School of Technologies, Cardiff Metropolitan University (Cardiff Met), United Kingdom. He also serves as Co-Director of the Centre for Engineering Research in Intelligent Sensors and Systems (CeRISS) and Founding Head of the Intelligent Hardware (iHW) Research Group.

Selected externally funded research directions

• Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: resource-aware embedded intelligence, sensing, and system performance evaluation
• Smart technologies for societal impact: intelligent sensing, food safety, and AI-driven behavioural analysis
• International research and capacity-building initiatives: technology-enabled collaboration supporting innovation, skills development, and institutional strengthening

Applied research and professional engagement

Alongside his academic roles, Issam Wajih Damaj works with industry and public sector organisations on technology-driven initiatives in computer science and engineering. His professional practice spans embedded and intelligent systems, smart technologies, and connected systems, with emphasis on system evaluation, performance analysis, and real-world deployment.

In parallel, he supports higher education institutions through work on accreditation, quality assurance, and programme development, helping align provision with internationally recognised standards. He also contributes to international consultancy and capacity-building initiatives, including projects focused on technology-enabled innovation, skills development, and institutional strengthening.

International academic profile

Between 2019 and 2022, he was an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Beirut Arab University (BAU), Lebanon. During this period, he founded and led the Intelligent Hardware (iHW) Research Group and served as the Founding Director of the Centre for Quality Assurance, in addition to acting as ABET Accreditation Lead for the Computer Engineering programme. He also contributed to European–Middle Eastern collaboration as a member of the scientific committees of two Erasmus+ projects funded by the European Union: Developing Curricula for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (DeCAIR) and Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Graduate Employability through University-Enterprise Cooperation (ELEGANT).

Alongside his substantive appointments, he has held visiting professorships at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), Canada (2018–2019), and Rafik Hariri University (RHU), Lebanon (2019). Earlier, between 2009 and 2019, he served as Associate Professor of Computer Engineering at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), Kuwait, where he was Founding Chairperson and Programme Lead of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and led multiple successful ABET accreditation cycles. Prior to this, he was Chairperson and Assistant Professor at Dhofar University (DU), Oman, following earlier lecturing roles in the United Kingdom and Lebanon.

In August 2004, he completed his PhD in Computer Science at London South Bank University (LSBU), London, United Kingdom. At LSBU, he was a member of the Institute for Computing Research.

He is currently an ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) Program Evaluator (PEV), United States. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (SMIEEE), and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the American Society of Engineering Education (MASEE), and the Order of Engineers and Architects of Beirut. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), United Kingdom. Between 2014 and 2018, he was the Founding Counsellor of the AUK IEEE Student Branch. In July 2023, he won the “Making it Better” Award for Innovation from CST at Cardiff Met (United Kingdom). In May 2014, he won the Faculty Mentorship Award at AUK (Kuwait).

At a glance

• 20+ years of international academic leadership across the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and the United States
• USD 800k+ secured in competitive research and innovation funding
• 100+ scholarly contributions, including journals, conferences, book chapters, and technical reports
• 19+ engineering and computing programmes developed, led, or supported to successful accreditation
• Founding leadership roles in academic departments, research centres, and quality assurance units
• Founding leadership roles in industry-facing research and innovation, supporting applied technology development and commercial translation

This site provides an overview of his academic background, teaching, research, professional service, and contact information, alongside links to selected publications, media, and professional profiles. Don’t forget to visit his photo gallery, YouTube channel, and pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and ResearchGate.

Teaching

His main undergraduate and postgraduate teaching tracks include reconfigurable computing, hardware/software co-design, embedded systems design, microprocessors and interfacing, computer organisation and architecture, and digital logic design.

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Services

He views service as an opportunity to share disciplinary expertise and professional experience with the wider community.

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Research

His main research interests include Embedded Systems, Smart Technologies, and Computing & Engineering Education.

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