Dr Jawad Fayaz

Dr. Fayaz is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Exeter, UK. He completed his PhD at the University of California, Irvine, USA, in 2021 and then joined University College London (UCL), UK, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

His research lies at the intersection of machine learning, probabilistic modelling, and decision science, with a focus on spatiotemporal representation learning and inference in complex systems. He develops computational frameworks for risk quantification, early warning, and sequential decision-making with particular emphasis on extreme events (high-impact low-probability and high-probability long-horizon risks) in natural hazards, environmental systems, and critical infrastructure.

His methodological expertise includes deep learning for structured data (graphs and time series), physics-informed machine learning, reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference, and explainable AI, with an emphasis on scalable and interpretable models for safety-critical systems.

Currently, he is an Academic Lead for the Centre of Environmental Intelligence (EI) at the University of Exeter, UK. He is also on the editorial boards of three journals: i) International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR), ii) Frontiers in Earth Science, and iii) Smart and Sustainable Built Environment

He is open to considering applications from strong, self-funded PhD students who have their own source of funding (e.g., from government, industry, or private sponsors). For PhD applicants seeking funding, several competitive scholarship schemes are available. Please note that many of these have specific eligibility criteria based on nationality and country of residence. Some of the key opportunities include:

• CSC Scholarship (for Chinese nationals and residents): https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-research/csc-scholarships/
• Commonwealth Scholarship (for nationals and residents of Commonwealth countries): https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/commonwealth-phd-scholarships-for-least-developed-countries-and-vulnerable-states/
• Chevening Scholarships (for applicants from over 160 countries): https://www.chevening.org/apply/
• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships (for Indian nationals and residents): https://inlaksfoundation.org/opportunities/scholarship/
• Higher Education Commission (HEC) - Pakistan (for Pakistani nationals and residents): https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/Pages/default.aspx
• UK government website for postgraduate doctoral loans: https://www.gov.uk/doctoral-loan

The above list is not exhaustive. Applicants are recommended to check the University of Exeter's full funding database: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-research/funding/phdfunding/, and their own national government's education ministry or department for overseas scholarship programmes.

For more information, you can visit: https://jfayaz.github.io/ or get in touch at j.fayaz@exeter.ac.uk