Professor Dharmendra Sharma is currently a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Canberra (UC). He is Chair of Faculty Board, Faculty of Science and Technology and had been the Chair of University Academic Board (2014-2019) and the Dean of the Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering from 2007-2012 and as Head of School of the School of Information Sciences and Engineering from 2004-2007 at UC. He has assumed various senior leadership roles in universities for over twenty years and had been made a University Distinguished Professor by UC in 2012. Prof Sharma was bestowed Order of Australia (in AM division) in 2019 in recognition of his contribution to Higher Education and Computer Science.

Prof Sharma's research background is in the Artificial Intelligence areas of Planning, Data Analytics and Knowledge Discovery, Predictive Modeling, Constraint Processing, Fuzzy Reasoning, Brain-Computer Interaction, Hybrid Systems and their applications to health, education, security, digital forensics and sports. He has published over 320 research papers and has supervised to completion over 40 higher degrees research students. He has received several competitive research awards and grants, and recognition for his academic and research leadership initiatives. He has developed and led a strong industry and international university partnerships for courses, research and innovation.

Prof Sharma is a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society, a Fellow of the South Pacific Computer Society, and a Senior Member of IEEE. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute  of Company Directors (GAICD) and has been elected as a Companion of the Institution of Engineers Australia - CompIEAust. Prof Sharma has regularly served on several industry, academic, and research bodies including company boards, government advisory and policy committees. He had completed his PhD from the Australian National University and postgraduate qualifications in Computer Science from the University of New South Wales and postgraduate and undergraduate qualifications in Mathematics and Science from the University of the South Pacific. He has been an academic for over 40 years. He was the founding President of the South Pacific Computer Society and a Branch Executive Member of the ACS Canberra Chapter.

Key Research interests

• Distributed artificial intelligence & multi-agents modeling
• Machine learning (deep learning), pattern recognition
• Constraint satisfaction models and planning
• Applications of AI to human centered modelling and problem solving