We are delighted to announce that Prof Ajay Kumar, Associate Head (Research) and Professor in the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) at the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences (FCMS), has received the prestigious 2026 IEEE Biometrics Council Leadership Award. The award was presented during the IEEE/IAPR International Joint Conference on Biometrics (IJCB), held in Rome, Italy, from 1–4 September 2026.
Recognised as one of the Council's highest distinctions, the award honours exceptional long-term leadership, pioneering research contributions, and sustained service to the biometrics community.
Over the past two decades, Prof Kumar has made groundbreaking contributions to contactless biometric recognition, including palmprint, fingerprint, finger-knuckle, and palm-vein technologies. His sustained impact extends beyond research into community leadership, notably through his service as President of the IEEE Biometrics Council from 2021 to 2022.
In conjunction with the award ceremony, Prof Kumar delivered an inspiring vision talk titled “Biometrics at a Crossroads: From Impact to Responsibilities”. His presentation addressed critical future directions, including trustworthy and privacy-preserving biometrics, responsible AI development, multimodal identity systems, and countermeasures against deepfake technologies.
Alongside a commemorative plaque and a US$2,000 honorarium, this award brings great honour to our Faculty. We offer our sincerest congratulations to Prof Kumar on this remarkable international recognition.
