Ahmed N. Tantawy | 34 Inventions Later: Lessons on Data, Cities, Impact

The Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP) welcomes you to attend a conversation between Prof. Dr. Ahmed N. Tantawy and Dr. Jurij Paraszczak.How does a research career grow into shaping national innovation? Prof. Dr. Ahmed N. Tantawy started as a research scientist at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, rose through technical and executive roles to become CTO, and led mega-projects across five continents. He now serves as Founding Director of Egypt’s Applied Innovation Center, which uses emerging technologies to tackle national challenges. With 18 patents and advisory roles at the World Bank and the UN, he’ll share what it takes to build innovation ecosystems centered on people and purpose.This event will be held in Room 1325, located on the 13th Floor of 370 Jay Street.

​​About the Speaker

Prof. Dr. Ahmed N. Tantawy is a strategy advisor, former senior business executive, inventor, and lifelong educator dedicated to building innovation ecosystems centered around people and purpose. Since 2013, he has served as an expert advisor to multinational corporations, the World Bank, the UN, and various government agencies, currently advising the Egyptian Minister of Communications and IT as Founding Director of the Applied Innovation Center, which addresses national challenges through emerging technologies. His extensive corporate career includes holding several technical and executive positions at IBM Corporation—from 1988 to 1996 as a Research Scientist and Manager at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, then leading IBM's Telecom and Media Industry Solutions Unit and Internet Division as CTO from 1996 to 2008, overseeing Product Development Labs across six countries. From 2008 to 2013, he served as Chief Technical Officer and Senior Executive Advisor in IBM's Growth Markets Region, managing mega-projects across Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia.

Dr. Tantawy's scientific contributions span 34 inventions with 18 issued patents, four published books, two book chapters, and over 100 refereed papers. He edited a book series on High Performance Computers and Communications and served as editor for four scientific journals, participating in organizing over 50 IEEE, ACM, and IFIP conferences while serving as General Chair for 14 of them. Beyond his technical achievements, he holds multiple board positions including Telecom Egypt's Data Services company and two not-for-profit organizations focused on education and sustainable social development. His earlier academic career (1980-1988) included university professorships in the USA, France, and Saudi Arabia, followed by advisory roles with various cabinet ministers, the Egyptian National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and special oversight assignments with the US National Academy of Sciences and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Universities.

​Visitor Information

This event will be held in Room 1325, located on the 13th floor of 370 Jay St. Please visit the NYU Tandon website for directions and a campus map. Advance registration through Luma is required for campus access at NYU for external guests.

​​​​​About the Urban Science Research Seminar Series

The Center for Urban Science + Progress’s annual Research Seminar series features leading voices in the growing field of urban informatics examining real-world challenges facing cities and urban environments around the world.