PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Qiang Shen

Qiang Shen is a computer scientist at Aberystwyth University whose computational intelligence research covers feature selection with rough and fuzzy sets and knowledge-based decision support systems. After a PhD in knowledge-based systems at Heriot-Watt University and a post as Director of Teaching in Edinburgh's School of Informatics, he took the Chair in Computer Science at Aberystwyth in 2004. With Richard Jensen he coauthored a 2004 paper on semantics-preserving dimensionality reduction and the 2008 book Computational Intelligence and Feature Selection, and he received an IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Outstanding Paper Award in 2009. The Royal Academy of Engineering elected him a Fellow in 2022, and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society gave him its 2024 Fuzzy Systems Pioneer Award. He is a professor of computer science at Aberystwyth, where he served two terms as Pro Vice-Chancellor, and he chairs the UK's REF 2029 sub-panel for Computer Science and Informatics.

Badges

Timeline

  1. 2004

    Chair in Computer Science

    He earns a PhD in Knowledge-Based Systems at Heriot-Watt University and serves as Director of Teaching in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. In 2004, he moves to Aberystwyth University to take up the Chair in Computer Science.

  2. 2004

    Semantics-preserving dimensionality reduction

    In 2004, he and Richard Jensen publish Semantics-preserving dimensionality reduction: rough and fuzzy-rough-based approaches in IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering. The paper studies rough and fuzzy-rough methods for reducing the dimensionality of data.

  3. 2008

    A book on feature selection

    In September 2008, he and Richard Jensen publish Computational Intelligence and Feature Selection: Rough and Fuzzy Approaches with Wiley-IEEE Press. The 356-page book introduces fuzzy and fuzzy-rough set theory and reviews feature selection methods built on rough and fuzzy sets.

  4. 2009

    An IEEE outstanding paper award

    In 2009, he receives the Outstanding Paper Award of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society for his work on fuzzy systems.

  5. 2012

    Turing torch and Welsh fellowship

    In May 2012, as Head of the Department of Computer Science at Aberystwyth, he carries the Olympic Torch through the outskirts of the town and dedicates his leg to Alan Turing, whom he calls the founder of computer science and artificial intelligence. The Learned Society of Wales elects him a Fellow in 2012.

  6. 2022

    Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow

    In 2022, the Royal Academy of Engineering elects him a Fellow for research on computational intelligence methodologies for data modelling and analysis. He is Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business and Physical Sciences at Aberystwyth at the time.

  7. 2024

    Fuzzy Systems Pioneer Award

    In 2024, he receives the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society's Fuzzy Systems Pioneer Award for developing data-driven approximate knowledge-based decision support systems and their applications. He is the award's 25th recipient, and the work is applied in counterterrorism, space exploration and transportation management.

  8. As of October 2026

    Chair of the REF 2029 sub-panel

    In 2025, he is appointed to chair the Computer Science and Informatics sub-panel of the UK's Research Excellence Framework 2029, after serving on the REF 2014 and REF 2021 panels. He is a professor of computer science at Aberystwyth University, where he has served two terms as Pro Vice-Chancellor.

Career

  1. Since 2004Aberystwyth UniversityChair in Computer Science; Professor of Computer Science
  2. Until 2004University of EdinburghDirector of Teaching

Education

  1. Heriot-Watt UniversityPhD in Knowledge-Based Systems

From the biography.

  1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Qiang Shen. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Aberystwyth University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. Universities had a net outflow of 2,068 moves in AI careersIncludes University of Edinburgh. Our estimates of career flows and median h-index across universities and companies in AI, including the role of joint appointments and earlier academic jobs.
  4. People shaping AI work at a median of 3 organizations over a career: 3 for university starters and institute and lab starters, versus 2 for company startersIncludes University of Edinburgh. Across 6,853 people shaping AI with a dated work role, we estimate a median of 3 parent organizations over a career (mean 3.6), comparing role groups, starting sectors and starting decades from the 1950s to 2020–2026.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Qiang Shen yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. New Institute Directors - Aberystwyth University aber.ac.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. Shen Qiang (engineer) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. Computational Intelligence and Feature Selection: Rough and Fuzzy Approaches | Wiley wiley.com. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. Olympic Turing tribute - Aberystwyth University aber.ac.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. Qiang Shen - The Learned Society of Wales learnedsociety.wales. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. Professor Qiang Shen FLSW FREng raeng.org.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  7. “Visionary” Aberystwyth academic elected Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow aber.ac.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  8. IEEE CIS Newsletter, Issue 133, February 2024 engage.ieee.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  9. Fuzzy award for Aberystwyth Professor aber.ac.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  10. Prof Qiang Shen BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc, CEng, FBCS, FLSW, FREng aber.ac.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.
  11. Aberystwyth academic to chair prestigious sub-panel examining UK academic excellence cambrian-news.co.uk. Checked 22 October 2026.