MAHE Dubai's Latest Research Breakthrough in Prestigious IEEE Journal

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai has marked a significant milestone in the UAE's higher education landscape with its faculty members securing a publication in a top-tier Q1 IEEE journal boasting an impressive impact factor of 10.9. This achievement underscores the campus's growing prowess in cutting-edge research, particularly at the nexus of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare technologies. The paper, titled 'Neuro-Symbolic Cognition for Intelligent Autonomy in Wearable Healthcare Systems,' was developed through international collaboration involving researchers from South Korea and India, highlighting MAHE Dubai's commitment to global partnerships.

The research addresses critical challenges in wearable health devices, where traditional AI models often lack transparency and reliability. By integrating neural networks with symbolic reasoning—known as neuro-symbolic AI—the study proposes a framework that enhances interpretability and decision-making autonomy. This is particularly vital for real-time health monitoring in dynamic environments, such as for patients with chronic conditions or during emergency responses. In the context of the UAE's ambitious healthcare digitalization under the Dubai Health Strategy 2021-2026, such innovations position MAHE Dubai as a key contributor to smart health ecosystems.

Established over two decades ago in Dubai International Academic City, MAHE Dubai has evolved into a multicultural hub educating over 10,000 alumni from 45+ nationalities. Licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education and accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), the institution offers 50+ programs across engineering, IT, business, life sciences, and more. Its School of Engineering & IT, led by prolific researcher Prof. Balamurugan Balusamy (Prof. Bala), drives much of this research momentum.

Understanding Neuro-Symbolic AI and Its Role in Wearable Tech

Neuro-symbolic AI combines the pattern-recognition strengths of deep neural networks with the logical inference capabilities of symbolic systems. Neural components excel at processing vast datasets from sensors in wearables—like heart rate monitors or activity trackers—but struggle with 'why' explanations. Symbolic logic fills this gap by encoding rules and knowledge graphs, enabling verifiable decisions.

The step-by-step process in the MAHE Dubai paper involves: (1) Data ingestion from wearable sensors; (2) Neural encoding into latent representations; (3) Symbolic querying for rule-based validation; (4) Hybrid inference for autonomous actions, such as alerting physicians; and (5) Continuous learning to refine models. Real-world testing simulated scenarios like fall detection for elderly users, achieving 15-20% higher accuracy than pure neural baselines, per preliminary metrics shared in the publication.

In the UAE, where the wearable market is projected to grow at 18% CAGR through 2030 (driven by initiatives like the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing), this research offers actionable insights. For instance, integration into Dubai's smart city wearables could reduce hospital readmissions by enabling proactive interventions.

Spotlight on Prof. Bala and the Research Team

Prof. Balamurugan Balusamy, Chairperson of the School of Engineering & IT at MAHE Dubai, is a standout figure with over 300 SCI-indexed publications, 200 authored books, and recognition in Stanford's Top 2% Scientists list. His expertise spans AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and post-quantum cryptography. This IEEE publication builds on his prior works, including frameworks for IoT-cloud security that prevent cyberattack-induced failures—vital as UAE's digital economy expands.

Collaborators include Dr. Prabu Kaliyaperumal and international experts, fostering knowledge exchange. Prof. Bala emphasizes, 'This work bridges academia and industry, aligning with UAE's Vision 2031 for innovation-led growth.' Such leadership inspires students and faculty alike, with MAHE Dubai's Centre for Research & Doctoral Studies (launched 2025) supporting 50+ projects annually.

For academics eyeing similar paths, resources like crafting a winning academic CV can boost publication success.

What Makes a Q1 IEEE Journal Publication Exceptional?

Q1 journals, as classified by Scimago Journal Rank (SJR), represent the top 25% in their field by citation impact. IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, publishes over 200 titles, with flagships like IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems (IF ~14, but matching 10.9 likely IEEE Internet of Things Journal or similar) demanding rigorous peer review—acceptance rates under 20%.

• Rigorous Standards: Novelty, reproducibility, real-world applicability assessed by global experts.
• Global Visibility: IEEE Xplore reaches 5M+ users, amplifying UAE research.
• Career Boost: Counts toward UAE university promotions, grants from Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund.

Statistics show UAE research output surged 25% in 2025 (per Scopus), with engineering leading. MAHE Dubai's feat elevates it among peers like American University in Dubai or University of Dubai.

MAHE Dubai's Research Ecosystem and UAE Context

MAHE Dubai invests heavily in research infrastructure, hosting events like CODE-AI 2025 and RAiSE-2023. Faculty outputs include Q1 papers on AI-thermal optimization, composite materials with MIT Manipal, and sustainable tech—aligning with UAE's net-zero 2050 goals.

Cultural context: Dubai's Expo 2020 legacy inspires innovation; 80% of MAHE students are international, enriching perspectives. Compared to UAE averages, MAHE boasts 100+ faculty-student papers yearly, per institutional reports.

Stakeholders praise: Industry partners note faster tech transfer; students gain hands-on projects. Challenges like funding are met via grants—AED 20K student sustainability award in 2025.

Implications for Healthcare and Higher Education in the UAE

This publication advances UAE's healthcare transformation, where AI adoption could save AED 5B annually (McKinsey). Wearables with neuro-symbolic AI enable personalized medicine, reducing diabetes burdens (prevalent in 13% Gulf population).

For higher ed: Elevates UAE's QS rankings (top 20 Arab region 2026); attracts talent amid global competition. Multi-perspective: Governments fund more; unis like Khalifa University collaborate.

Explore research assistant jobs to join such teams.

International Collaborations Driving Innovation

MAHE Dubai's trilateral ties (UAE-India-South Korea) exemplify knowledge hubs. Similar to NYU Abu Dhabi's global networks, it yields cross-cultural insights—e.g., adapting models for diverse physiologies.

Timeline: Proposal 2024, experiments 2025, publication Jan 2026. Future: Prototypes for UAE hospitals.

Opportunities and Career Advice for Aspiring Researchers

Publication tips: Focus on interdisciplinary angles, use tools like Google Scholar (guide). UAE offers postdoc roles; check postdoc positions.

• Network at IEEE events.
• Leverage MAHE's mentorship.
• Target Q1 via preprints.

Rate professors like Prof. Bala on Rate My Professor for insights.

Photo by Saj Shafique on Unsplash

Future Outlook: MAHE Dubai's Research Trajectory

With 2026 conferences like ICCBI, MAHE eyes 200+ pubs. Aligns with UAE Centennial 2071—AI-health leadership. Actionable: Students, pursue PhDs; faculty, seek grants; industry, partner.

Optimistic: This IEEE pub signals UAE's rise as research powerhouse, fostering jobs via higher ed careers and advice.