Dr Joe Tekli is an AI researcher, Professor and Assistant Provost at LAU, and Director of inmind academy, where he helps train the next generation of AI talent. Holding a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Bourgogne, he has completed research missions at top institutions worldwide, including the University of Michigan, São Paulo, Shizuoka, and Milan. His expertise spans AI, data mining, and information retrieval, with over 80 peer-reviewed publications and leadership in international research projects, earning a spot in the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List in 2024. As Vice Chair of ACM SIGAPP France, as an expert consultant for UN-ESCWA and UNICEF (2019-), and as a member of the US Atlantic Councils’ AI Connect initiative (2022-), he contributes to AI innovation in academia and industry.