Keynote Speakers
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
9:30, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Opening and Conference Chair Welcome Message:
Prof Bingwen Yan
Head of Department
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Cape Town, South Africa
Bingwen Yan is based at Faculty of Engineering and The Built Environment, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.
Bingwen Yan is a professor and the Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa.
His research spans a wide range of fields, including industrial engineering, engineering management, public administration and business management.
IEOM Society Welcome
Dr. Ahad Ali
Associate Professor
Director, Director of Doctor of Engineering in Advanced Manufacturing
Director of Industrial Engineering Programs (BSIE and MSIE)
A. Leon Linton Department of Mechanical, Robotics and Industrial Engineering
Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan, USA
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IEOM Society International
Dr. Ahad Ali is an associate professor and director of industrial engineering programs (BSIE & MSIE) and director of a graduate certificate in Lean Six Sigma at A. Leon Linton Department of Mechanical, Robotics, and Industrial Engineering of the Lawrence Technological University (LTU), Southfield, Michigan, USA. He established the Siemens Electro-Matic Industrial Engineering Lab at LTU. Dr. Ali was the primary author of the ABET self-study report of the BSIE Program at LTU in 2022. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Bangladesh, a Master’s in Systems and Engineering Management from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. Dr. Ali was an Assistant Professor in Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez, a Visiting Assistant Professor in Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Toledo, and a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Khulna. He received an Outstanding Professor Award from the Industrial Engineering Department, University of Puerto Rico -Mayaguez. Dr. Ali has been recognized with a Fulbright Award. He has published 75 journal papers and 150 conference papers. Dr Ali conducted research projects with Chrysler, Ford, DTE Energy, New Center Stamping, Whelan Co., Delphi Automotive System, GE Medical Systems, International Truck and Engine Corporation (ITEC), and Rockwell Automation. His research interests include manufacturing systems, quality, lean, six-sigma, simulation, artificial intelligence, supply chain, and optimization. He supervised 11 doctoral students in Doctor of Engineering in Manufacturing Systems (DEMS). He is a Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IEOM Society International. Dr. Ali is a Co-Chair of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. Dr. Ali organized IEOM conferences around the globe on six continents including Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, Bali, Dubai, Orlando, Detroit, Rabat, Bristol, Bogota, Paris, Washington, DC, Lima, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Pilsen, Toronto, Costa Rica, Monterrey, Sao Paulo, Riyadh, Manila, Melbourne, New Delhi, Sydney, Augsburg, Tokyo, and Muscat. He is an associate editor of the IJIEOM. Dr. Ali is a member of IEOM, INFORMS, SME, and IEEE.
Professor Charles Mbohwa, Ph.D. (IEOM President 2025 – 2026)
Distinguished Professor
University of South Africa (UNISA)
Pretoria, South Africa
Past Pro-VC, University of Zimbabwe
Former Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg
Professor Charles Mbohwa is a Visiting Professor at University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He was a Pro-Vice Chancellor Strategic Partnerships and Industrialisation at University of Zimbabwe and an affiliated Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. He is an established researcher and professor in the field of sustainability engineering and energy. He was the Chairman and Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe from 1994 to 1997 and was Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Studies Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg from 2014 to 2017. He has published more than 350 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, 10 book chapters and three books. He has a Scopus h-index of 11 and Google Scholar h-index of 14. Upon graduating with his BSc Honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe in 1986, he was employed as a mechanical engineer by the National Railways of Zimbabwe. He holds a Masters in Operations Management and Manufacturing Systems from University of Nottingham and completed his doctoral studies at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology in Japan. He was a Fulbright Scholar visiting the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, a Japan Foundation Fellow, is a Fellow of the Zimbabwean Institution of Engineers and is a registered mechanical engineer with the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe. He has been a collaborator in projects of the United Nations Environment Programme. He has also visited many countries on research and training engagements including the United Kingdom, Japan, German, France, the USA, Brazil, Sweden, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mauritius, Austria, the Netherlands, Uganda, Namibia and Australia. He has had several awards including British Council Scholarship, Japanese Foundation Fellowship, Kubota Foundation Fellowship; Fulbright Fellowship.
10:00 – 10:30 am, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
10:30 – 11:00 am, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Guiping Hu, PhD
Professor and Department Chair
Systems Engineering & Operations Research
College of Engineering and Computing
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Short biography:
Dr. Guiping Hu is a Professor and Department Chair of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University. During 2023 – 2025, she served as the School Head of Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University. During 2022-2023, she served as the Associate Chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University where she was a faculty from 2009-2023. Dr. Hu’s research has been supported by NSF, USDA, DOE, and DOD with over $12M funding. She has published over 100 journal articles and 50 conference proceedings. She is an Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Fellow, ELATES fellow, and an NSF IAspire Leadership Academy Fellow.
Keynote Title: System thinking to address trans-disciplinary societal challenges
Abstract: The landscape in research for industry and service sectors continues to evolve rapidly, driven by emerging opportunities and challenges with significant societal implications. As a pivotal approach to embracing these challenges and opportunities, trans-disciplinary research plays an increasingly important role, especially as systems become borderless and dynamic. During this process, it is critical to embrace and adopt system thinking to address trans-disciplinary service challenges. Dr. Hu will share an overview of industrial and service systems along with the digitalization in the era of artificial intelligence and digital twin adoption. Application domains will include supply chain design, manufacturing production, renewable energy production, sustainable agriculture, and healthcare.
11:00 – 11:30 – Break
11:30 – 12:00, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Dr Rechard Noor
Managing Director, W-Tech Manufacturing and Fibretek Manufacturing
Group Managing Director, H&M Group
Research Associate, Nelson Mandela University
Chairperson, Community Chest of the Western Cape
Chairperson, Advisory Board Meeting, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Dr Rechard Noor is a distinguished South African industrialist, academic, and community leader whose career spans over four decades of transformative leadership in the manufacturing and operations management sectors. He currently serves as Managing Director of W-Tech Manufacturing and Fibretek Manufacturing, and as Group Managing Director of the H&M Group—an integrated portfolio of advanced manufacturing companies operating across composite materials, industrial coatings, and polymer technologies. Under his strategic stewardship, the Group has evolved from a struggling enterprise into a highly competitive and profitable industrial organisation.
Dr Noor holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Nelson Mandela University, where his research examined decentralised organisational systems, human capital development, radical transformation, and sustainability within advanced manufacturing environments. His scholarly contributions are anchored in bridging theory and practice—linking strategic management and organisational innovation with the operational realities of industrial enterprises. His book, Radical Transformation and Sustainability for an Advanced Manufacturing Industry (2020), co-authored with Dr Oswald Franks, Prof Brink Botha, and Prof Bingwen Yan, has become a key reference in understanding transformative approaches to manufacturing resilience, human-centred leadership, and sustainable growth in emerging economies.
Over the years, Dr Noor has been instrumental in redefining leadership and operational excellence within South Africa’s manufacturing landscape. His pioneering implementation of decentralised management systems and advanced human capital development models has consistently resulted in improved productivity, workforce empowerment, and long-term organisational sustainability. His work exemplifies how engineering management principles can be strategically aligned with social innovation to foster inclusive industrial growth.
Within academia, Dr Noor serves as a Research Associate at Nelson Mandela University, contributing to studies in industrial transformation and sustainable operations management. He also holds prominent governance and advisory positions at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, where he chairs the Advisory Board in Operations Management and Industrial Engineering. In these capacities, he plays a crucial role in strengthening the interface between industry and higher education, ensuring that academic programmes remain responsive to the evolving needs of the manufacturing and operations sectors.
Beyond academia and industry, Dr Noor has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community development and ethical leadership. As Chairperson of the Community Chest of the Western Cape and Chairperson of the Electronic Recycling Association of South Africa, he advocates for corporate citizenship, sustainability, and environmental responsibility. His leadership extends to various non-profit and sports organisations, reflecting his holistic view of leadership as a vehicle for social transformation.
Dr Noor’s thought leadership has been featured on major media platforms including ENCA, Heart FM, Good Hope FM, and KFM, where he has shared insights on sustainability, governance, and energy efficiency. His professional journey—from an apprentice fitter and turner at Murray & Roberts Engineering to the helm of a major industrial group—embodies resilience, continuous learning, and visionary leadership.
Guided by his enduring philosophy that “true transformation is not about politics or power—it is about unlocking human potential and building organisations and societies that are ethical, sustainable, and people-centred,” Dr Rechard Noor continues to inspire the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and community builders across Africa and beyond.
12:00 – 12:30, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
12:30 – 1:00, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
10:00 – 10:30 am, Thursday, May 14, 2026
Lizhi Wang, PhD
Professor of Bioengineering
Department of Systems Engineering & Operations Research
College of Engineering and Computing
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Short biography:
Bio: Lizhi Wang is a professor in the Department of Bioengineering and the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University. Between 2007 and 2023, he worked at Iowa State University in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering as an assistant, associate, and then full professor. Between 2023 and summer of 2025, he worked at Oklahoma State University as the inaugural holder of the Ken and Lynn Case Endowed Chair position in the School of Industrial Engineering and Management. Dr. Wang is a co-founder of Crop Convergence, a startup company that offers digital twin as a decision support tool in the controlled environment agriculture industry.
Keynote Title: A systems engineering approach to digital twin models for biological systems
Keynote abstract:
Abstract: Most commonly used models for biological systems are either process-based or data-driven. Process-based models simulate major physiological processes throughout the life cycle, which are explainable and insightful but require experimental measurements for parameterization. On the other hand, data-driven models use machine learning techniques to approximate the complex input-output relationship, which can often produce accurate predictions given adequate training data, but it is hard to explain how the predictions are reached. As an attempt to overcome the challenges of these two types of models and combine their strengths, we have developed a variety of digital twin models using systems engineering principles. Such a model can be considered as a special neural network with a delicately designed architecture, where every neuron represents part of a physiological process and every parameter has a biological meaning. Examples of digital twin models for plants, animals, and/or human body will be introduced to demonstrate the potential of these models.
10:30 – 11:00 am, Thursday, May 14, 2026
11:00 – 11:30, Thursday, May 14, 2026
11:30 – 12:00, Thursday, May 14, 2026
12:00 – 12:30, Thursday, May 14, 2026
12:30 – 1:00, Thursday, May 14, 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
10:00 – 10:30 am, Friday, May 15, 2026
Prof Nita Inderlal Sukdeo
Associate Professor
Department of Quality and Operations Management
School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Johannesburg
South Africa
Prof Nita Inderlal Sukdeo is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Quality and Operations Management within the School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She obtained a Masters in Quality, from the Durban University of Technology and a PhD in Engineering Management from the University of Johannesburg. She is currently registered for a second PhD in Quality Engineering. She is an active researcher in the field of total quality management and operations management. Her field of expertise also include advanced manufacturing technologies, Artificial Intelligence in the manufacturing sector, smart factory, Quality 4.0 framework, quantitative analysis, quality management systems, quality auditing and risk assessment. She is a qualified Lead Auditor, proficient in ISO standards and certification. She is co-chairperson and director of the Society for Operations Management in Africa (SOMA). She is a professional member of the Southern African Society for Quality (SASQ). Empowering and advocating women in Engineering and STEM as the chairperson for Faculty’s Women in Engineering and the Built Environment (WiEBE).
10:30 – 11:00, Friday, May 15, 2026
11:00 – 11:30, Friday, May 15, 2026
11:30 – 12:00, Friday, May 15, 2026
12:00 – 12:30, Friday, May 15, 2026
12:30 – 1:00, Friday, May 15, 2026