Dr Daniel (Xu) Zhang
 

Profile

An accomplished Senior Lecturer and module leader with expertise in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Computational Engineering; Winner of Rolls-Royce Defence Pioneering Digital Award; Experienced senior researcher served Rolls-Royce UTC at the University of Southampton over a decade; The creator of 10+ successful software packages and platforms for Rolls-Royce; Innovative solutions and consultancy services provider collaborated with industrial clients such as Airbus, the Royal Air Force, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), etc.

Working & Research

• Course leader of MSc programme: Artificial Intelligence for Games
• Module leader of 2 MSc courses: Classical Artificial Intelligence (COMP712) and Machine Learning (COMP714)
• Module leader of undergraduate course: Computational Mathematics (COMP201)
• Deliver lectures, supervise, and evaluate individual and group projects at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels
• Organise and conduct workshops on AI and ML topics for both undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Actively participating in and enhancing the university's student recruitment process
• Keep on monitoring and participate in improving course curriculum
• Assist in the design and validation of the new undergraduate programme BSc Software Engineering
• Participant in departmental administrative tasks and other research activities
• Supervise research projects of PhD students

• Won Rolls-Royce Pioneering Digital Award in 2020 for the work on improving the aircraft engine afterburner optimisation platform
• Explored gas turbine engine geometry recognition and generation utilising AI/ML/DL techniques including convolutional neural network (CNN) and generative adversarial network (GAN)
• Collaborate with leading industry partner Rolls-Royce plc. and other technology centres including the University of Oxford, Cambridge Fluid Dynamic Group, Queen's University Belfast and Rolls-Royce UTC
• Publish scientific papers and disseminate research outcomes in peer-reviewed journals and international meetings
• Supervise and monitor PhD students' research projects

• Architect and implement PROMETHEUS - an automated 3D combustor design and optimisation platform for Rolls-Royce, which has been deployed globally at 5 R&D centres
• Participant in applications and keep on attracting funding for ~10 successor projects
• Architect and implement 3D geometry parameterisation and other computational techniques for combustor design and optimisation
• Collaborate with leading industrial companies and esteemed universities to embed best practices in the research and train Rolls-Royce engineers
• Publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and attend national & international meetings

Teaching & Supervision 》

• Course leader: Artificial Intelligence for Games, MSc
• Module leader: Classical Artificial Intelligence (COMP712)
• Module leader: Machine Learning (COMP714)
• Module leader: Computational Mathematics (COMP201)
• Group and individual projects supervision
• Undergraduate teaching: AI and ML Fundamentals (COMP213),Computational Mathematics (COMP201), Game Development (I & II) (COMP320, COMP330), Data Fundamentals (COMP170), Research Dissertation (COMP360), and more
• Student recruitment (both undergraduate and postgraduate) and other administrative tasks

• PhD students: Jamillah Knowles and Lucie Akerman

• Project: AI/ML applications on 3D geometry recognition

• Project: dynamic loading networks

• Module: Introduction to Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science (AMES) (SESM6039)

• Postgraduate module: Design Search and Optimisation (II): Case Study (FEEG6009)
• Undergraduate modules: Design & Computing (I) (FEEG1001) and Design & Computing (II) (FEEG1002)

Award & Achievement

• Rolls-Royce CFD Research Conference Best Poster Award, Rolls-Royce, UK | 2024
• Rolls-Royce Defence Pioneer Digital Award, Rolls-Royce, UK | 2020
• Full PhD Scholarship, University of Gloucestershire, UK | 2009
• MSc with Distinction, University of Warwick, UK | 2008
• First-class Outstanding Scholarship, Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, China | 2000

Engagement

• Invited Reviewer of CHI2025 Conference
• Panel Committee Member, ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education 2024
• Programme Committee Member, International Symposium on Creative Computing (ISCC 2024)
• Committee Member for New Course Validation, Falmouth University 2024
• Contributed to Game Quality Forum Global 2024 Report
• Invited Reviewer of the Journal of Games and Culture
• Invited Book Evaluator for Cambridge University Publish Ltd.

Education History

• PhD in Computing and IT, University of Gloucestershire, UK | 2009 - 2012
• MSc in Computer Science and Applications (with Distinction), University of Warwick, UK | 2007 - 2008
• BEng in Electrical Engineering and Automation Science, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Beihang University) | 2000 - 2004

Other Skill

• Experience of researching, teaching and supervising in the UK Higher Education environment
• Can work independently and willing to cooperate
• Good at time management
• Strong connection and collaboration with industry
• Proficiency in programming and algorithms
• Hands-on experiences on inter-disciplinary research problems and scientific computation tools (as shown on the left)
• Confident to work with operating systems of Windows and Linux