Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir | Director Digital Connectivity & Innovation Centre
University of the West of Scotland

Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir is a distinguished Professor of Wireless Communication at the University of the West of Scotland. He is also the Director of the UWS Digital Connectivity and Innovation for Sustainable Futures. With over twenty years of experience, Prof. Shakir has successfully secured nearly £9 million in research funding from prestigious organizations, including Innovate UK, the ERASMUS program, the UK Government, Qatar National Research Fund, the British Council, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Scottish Government. Prof. Shakir’s research focuses on advanced digital technologies, particularly 5G/6G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). Prof. Shakir has published more than 200 research articles and made significant contributions to ten highly regarded books. He has received numerous awards for his research, including SMA award 2024 for contribution in education in Scotland, the Award of Excellence for Outstanding Knowledge Transfer Partnerships from Innovate UK in 2023 and 2018, the Herald Higher Education Award in 2023, and the SAMEE STEM Inspiring Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2022. His achievements have also been recognized with the IEEE Communications Society Fred W. Ellersick Award in 2021 and the IEEE Communications Society and China Institute of Communications Best Journal Article Award in 2019. Prof. Shakir is actively involved in the academic community, serving as a chair and organizing committee member for several conferences and technical symposiums, including IEEE flagship events such as Globecom, ICC, and WCNC. He is currently the executive chair for IEEE ICC 2026 in Glasgow and chairs the IEEE Communications Society's emerging technologies committee on backhaul/fronthaul and the Public Safety Technology Committee Informatics. In addition to his academic and professional roles, Prof. Shakir is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and a Senior Member of IEEE. He remains engaged with the IEEE Communications Society and is a proud member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland, reflecting his dedication to advancing both academia and technology.