YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Reza Malekian as the new dean of the Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering (CSE). Dr. Malekian joins AUA from Malmö University in Sweden, where he was a Full Professor, vice chair of the Department of Computer Science and Media Technology, responsible for research and doctoral education, and a member of the management group at the Sustainable Digitalization Research Centre.
Effective July 1, Dr. Malekian will assume his new role, providing academic, strategic, and administrative leadership to the College. He is committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment among faculty, staff, and students, while strengthening CSE’s research capacity and expanding national and international collaborations.
His vision for CSE is for the College to become a leading hub for research and educational programs in various fields of engineering and environmental sciences, making societal impacts by generating new knowledge, innovative methods, and entrepreneurial services that contribute to a sustainable future.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the selection committee and the University executive, and I am honored to serve CSE and AUA,” said Dr. Malekian. “The University’s vision is clear and compelling. CSE can contribute significantly to this vision by aligning its work with technological, social, and economic sustainability in areas such as transport, digital health, energy, safety, and smart cities, while also supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I presented my vision to the AUA community and look forward to meeting and collaborating with colleagues, students, and both existing and new partners to reach the goals that we will follow over the coming years, as well as our longer-term strategic objectives. I also invite interested stakeholders to join us in forming new partnerships and engaging in cross-boundary collaborations.”
With extensive experience in both academia and industry, Dr. Malekian has led active research programs and supervised numerous doctoral graduates and postdoctoral researchers under competitive national and international funding models. His research focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT), sensor systems, and networks, addressing challenges on both logical levels (e.g. localization and tracking) and physical layers (e.g. networking, communications). His applied research has spanned sectors such as eHealth, transportation, agriculture, and water management.
In 2023, he was awarded a place on the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences’ “Top 100 List” for his project, “Intelligent ECG Sensing for Cardiac Arrhythmia Detection.” He was also nominated for the Tage Erlander Prize, an award by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for outstanding research in the natural sciences and technology.
Dr. Malekian is a Chartered Engineer with the Engineering Council of UK, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery. He also serves as area editor for the IEEE Internet of Things Journal and associate editor for IEEE Transaction on Intelligent Transportation Systems, IEEE Sensors Journal, and IEEE Academy on Internet of Things.
Dr. Malekian has also served as an expert evaluator for various international funding bodies and agencies, such as the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research in Applied and Engineering Sciences, VLIR-UOS in Belgium, and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
Dr. Malekian frequently participates in Ph.D. assessment committees at several leading universities, including Aarhus University, Western Sydney University, Mid Sweden University, Mälardalen University, the University of Pretoria, and the University of Cape Town.
Dr. Malekian succeeds Dr. Aram Hajian, who led CSE through a near tenfold growth in its number of enrolled students, and concomitant growth in faculty and course offerings, during his 17-year tenure.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.