Guest of Honor Academic Series Prof.Ulugbek Kamilov,Director Computational Imaging Group,UW–Madison

Guest of Honor Academic Series, a monthly event that brings together established Eurasian scholars from around the world to share their academic journeys, challenges, and career-defining moments to mentor/guide the next generation of scientific leaders from the CA region. In this session, we are honored to welcome Ulugbek Kamilov, originally from Uzbekistan, who has built a distinguished academic career in the United States. He is the Leon and Elizabeth Janssen Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Wisconsin–Madison and Director of the Computational Imaging Group. Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, his path to U.S. academia is truly remarkable. He earned his PhD at EPFL and conducted research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. He also gained industry experience at Microsoft, Google, and Mitsubishi Electric before joining Washington University. Prof. Kamilov’s research lies at the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, and computational imaging. His work focuses on teaching machines to “see” and interpret the world more accurately by combining artificial intelligence with physics-based modeling enabling advances in image reconstruction, sensing, and perception, particularly in data-limited and complex environments. About the Talk Prof. Kamilov discussed the underrepresentation of Central Asian countries in global AI research and outlined three key pillars for building successful research ecosystems: visibility, accessibility, and feedback loops. The session also featured an engaging Q&A, where participants explored topics such as: Rethinking and redesigning MRI systems, navigating transitions between academia and industry, choosing impactful research problems, and mentors. This event marked an important milestone for the Uzbek scientific diaspora, bringing together 100+ participants from 17 countries. #QIST #UzbekScientists #UlugbekKamilov #ComputationalImaging #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ComputerVision #InverseProblems #ScientificCommunity #AcademicTalk #ResearchCareer #STEM #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan #ScienceDiaspora #GlobalScience #AcademicJourney #PhDLife #FutureScientists #NeuroscienceCommunity #Innovation #TechTalk