Reda Ghanem

PhD Researcher

Career Summary

I am a computer science researcher with a strong interest in robotics, optimization, and artificial intelligence. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in computer science, focusing on improving swarm robot behavior. I also have experience supporting and mentoring students in both Australian and Egyptian institutions, and I enjoy learning and working on real-world research problems.

Work Experience

Casual Academic

University of New South Wales, Australia
Jul 2023 - Present

Responsible for conducting weekly lab sessions to assist students with practical programming exercises, evaluating their lab reports, and providing feedback to help them improve.

Courses include:

- Introduction to Cybersecurity

- Introduction to Programming (Python)

- Computational Problem Solving

- Introduction to Programming (Java)

PhD Student / Researcher

University of New South Wales, Australia
May 2022 - Present

Conducting research in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, focusing on optimizing swarming collective motion performance for real-world applications.

Assistant Lecturer

Faculty of Science, Benha University, Egypt
May 2021 - Present

Responsible for conducting lab sessions, tutoring students, and providing academic support. Actively involved in academic research, content development, and faculty administrative tasks.

Courses taught:

- Object-Oriented Programming (Python)

- Cryptography

- Scientific Computations (MATLAB)

- Image Processing

- Artificial Intelligence

- Computer Graphics

Teaching Assistant

Faculty of Science, Benha University, Egypt
Nov 2016 - May 2021

Responsible for conducting lab sessions, delivering technical support and academic assistance to undergraduate students. Actively involved in academic research, content development, and faculty administrative tasks.

Courses taught:

- Programming Labs (C++, C#, Java)

- Object-Oriented Programming

- Artificial Intelligence

- Data Structures

Education

Pre-Master in Computer Science

Faculty of Science, Benha University, Egypt
Sep 2017 - Jul 2018

Courses studied:

- Theory of Computing

- Advanced Topic in Databases

- Advanced Artificial Intelligence

- Distributed System (1)

- Advanced Topic in Cryptography

- Mathematical Logic for CS

- Discrete & Combinatorial Mathematics

- Programming Languages & Compilers

Skills & Tools

Programming Languages

  • C++
  • Java
  • Python

Operating Systems

  • Windows
  • Ubuntu

Sotfware & Tools

  • Photoshop
  • Webots

Other Skills

  • Decision Making
  • Teamwork
  • Creativity
  • Problem Solving
  • Web Design
  • LaTeX
  • Matlab
  • Raspberry Pi Programming

Projects

  • Face Inpainting using GAN

    Developed a face inpainting model using GANs to restore missing facial features (2021).

  • Military Leave Management App

    Developed a C# application for managing military leave requests and approvals (2018).

Language

  • Arabic (Native)
  • English (Professional)

Interests

  • Computer Games
  • Chess
  • Football
  • Watching Movies
  • Walking
  • Reading

Publications

  • Abpeikar, S., Garratt, M., Anavatti, S., Ghanem, R., & Kasmarik, K. "A Dual-Task Deep Reinforcement Learning and Domain Transfer Architecture for Bootstrapping Swarming Collective Motion Skills." IEEE Systems Journal, 2025. doi:10.1109/jsyst.2025.3536783.

  • Ghanem, R., Ali, I. M., Abpeikar, S., Kasmarik, K., & Garratt, M. "Optimizing and Predicting Swarming Collective Motion Performance for Coverage Problems Solving: A Simulation-Optimization Approach." Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.engappai.2024.109522.

  • Ghanem, R., Ali, I. M., Kasmarik, K., & Garratt, M. "Impact of Environmental Changes on Optimized Robotics Collective Motion for Multi-Objective Coverage Tasks." Evolutionary Multi-Criterion Optimization, Springer Nature Singapore, 2025. doi:10.1007/978-981-96-3506-1_21.

  • Ghanem, R., Ali, I. M., Kasmarik, K., & Garratt, M. "Comparative Analysis of Simulation Models for Evolving Robot Collective Motion in Industrial Coverage and Inspection Tasks." Proceedings of the 51st International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering (CIE51), 2024.

  • Ghanem, R., & Loey, M. "Face Completion Using Generative Adversarial Network with Pretrained Face Landmark Generator." International Journal of Intelligent Engineering and Systems, 2021. doi:10.22266/ijies2021.0430.26.

  • Ghanem, R. M., & Ramadan, M. L. "A Novel Landmarked Face Database for Arab Celebrities." Benha Journal of Applied Sciences, 2020. doi:10.21608/bjas.2020.226893.

Honors & Awards

  • Best Presentation Award – 2024 SET & SysCom HDR/ECR Conference
    Awarded by UNSW Canberra (Sep 2024) for the presentation titled "Optimizing and Predicting Swarming Collective Motion Performance for Coverage Problems Solving" in the Computer Science/Cyber Security discipline.
  • Best Presentation Award – 2023 SET & SysCom HDR/ECR Conference
    Awarded by UNSW Canberra (Sep 2023) for the presentation titled "Autonomous Tuning of Robot Swarming Behavior in Real-World Applications" in the Systems and Computing discipline.
  • UNSW Full PhD Scholarship
    Awarded by University of New South Wales, Australia (May 2022) for PhD studies in Computer Science at the School of Systems and Computing.
  • Certificate of Appreciation – Topology Conference
    Issued by Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Benha University (Jul 2021) for organizing the 33rd Conference on Topology and its Applications.
  • Certificate of Appreciation – Scientific Conference
    Issued by Faculty of Science, Benha University (Sep 2020) for organizing the 2nd Scientific Conference on Applied Sciences and Sustainable Development.
  • Next Technology Leaders (NTL) Scholarship
    Awarded by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt (Nov 2019) for completing the Deep Learning Nanodegree by Udacity as part of the NTL initiative.
  • 1st Place Award – Software Competition
    Awarded by Benha University (Jan 2015) for winning first place in the software competition.

Volunteering

  • Member of Robotics Team – YoWIE 2025
    Participated in UNSW Canberra’s Young Women In Engineering (YoWIE) 2025 Robotics workshop. Delivered robotics programming sessions using Sphero Bolt, Sphero RVR+, and Cue robots to nearly 100 high school students. Encouraged young women to explore and enjoy software engineering through hands-on coding challenges.
    Volunteering Dates: Mar 2025 – Apr 2025
    Workshop Date: 15–17 April 2025
  • Member of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR) Lab
    Participated in STEM displays at UNSW Canberra's ADFA Open Day 2024, representing AIR Lab and showcasing recent advancements in AI and robotics.
    Volunteering Date: Aug 2024
    Open Day: 17 August 2024
  • Member of SysCom Buddy System for HDRs
    Mentored new HDR students at UNSW Canberra to support their transition into research life and academic routines.
    Volunteering Period: Sep 2023 – Present
  • Member of Virtual Environments and Simulations Lab – ADFA Open Day 2023
    Showcased VESL and RAS lab innovations to visitors at UNSW Canberra's ADFA Open Day 2023, engaging with prospective students.
    Volunteering Date: Aug 2023
    Open Day: 19 August 2023
  • Junior Representative – The International Society of Data Scientists
    Supported Data Science & AI initiatives, including competition preparation, publication submissions, and student outreach.
    Volunteering Period: May 2023 – Present
  • Member of Virtual Environments and Simulations Lab – ADFA Open Day 2022
    Represented the lab at ADFA Open Day 2022, delivering demos and sharing insights on engineering innovations.
    Volunteering Date: Aug 2022
    Open Day: 20 August 2022
  • Organizing Committee Member – 33rd Conference of Topology and its Applications
    Supported the planning and execution of the 33rd Topology Conference at Benha University.
    Volunteering Period: Jan 2021 – Jun 2021
    Conference Date: 29 July 2021
  • Organizing Committee Member – 2nd Scientific Conference, Faculty of Science
    Contributed to the organization of the 2nd Scientific Conference on Applied Sciences and Sustainable Development.
    Volunteering Period: Mar 2020 – Sep 2020
    Conference Dates: 27–28 September 2020