We are on the verge of a new industrial era characterized by the sheer amount and speed of data. Intelligence is as much a part of this revolution as technology. Nowadays, the world is searching for visionaries who can decipher the intricate language of algorithms and turn it into real economic and social benefits. These leaders are today’s digital cartographers, charting the uncharted territories of data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). They strive to create a future in which technological advancement is ethical, safe, and accessible to all.
This crucial role demands a rare and potent combination of deep technical mastery, strategic business insight, and a relentless commitment to institutional change. Professor Victor Chang embodies this ideal, consistently driving the essential work of transforming raw data into sophisticated foresight. He moves with purpose, actively engineering the future of business and technology across the globe. His career is a powerful narrative of interdisciplinary excellence. He does not simply study the future; he is actively building it.
The Visionary at Aston University
Professor Chang currently holds a pivotal position at the heart of technological and business synergy. He serves as a Professor of Business Analytics at the esteemed Aston Business School, part of Aston University, UK. He assumed this distinguished role in mid-May, 2022. His work resides within the Operations and Information Management section, a crucial hub for developing modern business strategy. He brings profound, specialized knowledge in AI-oriented data science, continually making significant contributions across multiple disciplines.
Professor Chang’s vision for his current role is both strategic and action oriented. He focuses intensely on translating academic brilliance into real-world impact. He dedicates himself to the vital process of securing funding and forging powerful collaborative projects. These initiatives successfully bridge the gap between academic theory and industry applications. He possesses a proven ability to lead large-scale research, having successfully steered more than four major projects. He has led major projects worth over £3 million and has been involved in international collaborative projects totaling more than £14 million across Europe and Asia. This success demonstrates his exceptional skill in attracting investment and managing complex, high-stakes research agendas. Professor Chang is also actively preparing to take research leadership for Aston University. This future role will further cement his position as a primary force in institutional research leadership.
The Architectural Blueprint of Expertise
Professor Chang’s academic career reveals a deliberate, strategic pursuit of interdisciplinary knowledge. This foundation supports his comprehensive expertise in business analytics. His educational journey began with a dual focus at the University of Sydney, Australia. He achieved both a Bachelor of Engineering (Telecom) and a Bachelor of Science (Physics and Computing) between February 1996 and June 2000. He then refined his focus on technology and learning. Professor Chang completed an MPhil in Engineering, specializing in e-learning, at the Cambridge University Engineering Department. He earned this degree from October 2001 to September 2002.
Recognizing that innovation requires strategic leadership, he pivoted to integrating business acumen with his technical depth. He successfully completed an MBA in Technology Management, studying from September 2002 to January 2004. This combined knowledge forms the unique blend he uses today in Business Analytics. He concluded his formal education with the highest academic honor. He completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Southampton. He undertook his doctoral work from October 2009 to September 2013. Demonstrating a truly remarkable drive, he concurrently pursued and completed a PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Greenwich, achieving Fellow status. He accomplished both his PhD and the PGCert in just four years, all while managing several major projects simultaneously.
Before committing himself to academia, Professor Chang established a robust professional track record. He showed exceptional dedication to practical IT standards. He achieved an extraordinary average score of 97% across 27 different IT certifications. This feat proves his hands-on expertise with complex systems. His real-world experience includes a highly impactful role at the NHS (National Health Services). He served as the I&T Service Manager and IT Solutions Director from July 2008 to February 2011.
Engineering Institutional Change and Global Collaboration
Professor Chang’s career is not only about personal achievement; it is also about institutional transformation. Before joining Aston University, he was a Professor of Data Science and Information Systems at Teesside University, UK. In that role, he actively led the key research group focusing on Cybersecurity, Information Systems, and AI. He previously held senior leadership roles internationally. He served as a Senior Associate Professor at the International Business School Suzhou, part of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China. During his tenure, he was the Director of both the PhD and MRes programs. He also acted as a very active, contributing member of the Research Institute of Big Data Analytics at XJTLU. Earlier in his academic journey, he made significant contributions as a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. He maintains powerful ties to his academic roots. He served as a Visiting Scientist (non-stipendiary) at the University of Southampton from December 2013 to November 2021. He continues to serve as a Visiting Professor (non-stipendiary) at the university, a role he has held since December 2021.
He consistently works to cultivate and strengthen active global research communities. He is the founding conference chair for several major, sponsored international conferences. These impactful platforms include the International Conference on Internet of Things, Big Data and Security (IoTBDS), COMPLEXIS, and the International Conference on Finance, Economics, Manahement and IT Business (FEMIB), which he founded in 2019. He also established Industrial Internet of Things, Big Data and Smart Cities (IIoTBDSC) in 2019 and a new conference, EMCAS in 2025. Stepping down chair roles for IoTBDS and COMPLEXIS in 2024, this allows him to channel his considerable energy into new strategic priorities. Since June 2015, he has actively guided others as an Advisory Board member for various research communities. His expertise is trusted globally, as evidenced by his role as a PhD examiner for more than 10 universities across the world since December 2013. Furthermore, he contributes to the professional landscape as the non-stipendiary Secretary for the Analytics Network/Section of the Operational Research Society (ORS), a role he took up in May 2025. He has been a Taskforce member for Data Science Connect, a new ORS division, since July 2025.
The Metrics of Global Influence
Professor Chang’s global impact is quantifiable and widely acknowledged. His scholarly productivity is immense, and his work consistently commands attention in the global scientific community. He is a highly accomplished author and editor. He has single-handedly authored three books. He has also edited two books, all concentrating on Cloud Computing and related technologies. His other works include one book on web development, one on Neo4j, and two influential books focused on the analysis of COVID-19. He is a sought-after speaker, having delivered an impressive 60 keynotes at international conferences.
The high quality and influence of his research place him among the scientific elite. Clarivate Analytics recognized him as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2021. This honor highlights the profound and lasting influence his publications hold over his peers. He consistently ranks among the Top 2% of Scientists in the world. He earned this distinction in 2019-2025 assessment periods. Based on citation data up to 2025, he achieved 2400th rank out of over 210,000 academics, which is a remarkable achievement. Nationally, his expertise shines brightly. In May 2025, Research.com ranked him as number 82 in Computer Science in the UK. He also received a prestigious Ten-Year Special Service Award from INSTICC for his invaluable contributions to fostering research communities. His career successes culminated in a major public honor in 2024. He was awarded the “Inspirational Individual of the Year 2024” at the UK IT Industry Awards. He won “Data Leader of the Year 2025 (In-House)” at the British Data Awards, for his contributions and recognition to several domains, particularly healthcare nationally and internationally. He won “Cybersecurity Initiative of the Year 2025”, Information Technology Award 2025 from Business Awards UK, recognizing his innovative approaches in developing modern and integrated security solutions. He was awarded an Honorary PhD in Technological Innovation by American Management University for his global contribution and impact. These four major awards celebrate his significant, positive influence on technology, education, and the broader IT community, making a significant impact on the UK and international communities. He had been nominated by other national awards such as DataiQ and UK IT Awards 2025. He holds Fellow or certified status from numerous reputable professional institutions and societies, having earned these recognitions since January 2024. These include British Computer Society (BCS), Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Institute of Leadership (IoL), Royal Statistical Society (RSS), Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM), ATL, Association for Project Management (APM), Higher Education Academy (HEA) with Advanced HE, ORS, Institute of Analytics (IoA) and Institute of Physics (IoP).
The Innovation Horizon: Data Science for a Better World
Professor Chang’s research is defined by its application and its ambition to solve complex, global challenges. He focuses his expertise on utilizing AI, Data/Business Analytics, and the IoT to create systemic improvements across several sectors.
In healthcare, Professor Chang’s work is life changing. He actively pioneers smart surveillance systems for the workplace. These systems use Deep Neural Networks and cloud computing to manage and analyze data related to diseases like COVID-19. He develops intelligent medical decision support models. These models leverage soft computing and IoT to provide rapid and accurate diagnostic insights. Professor Chang’s published research includes developing specialized models for heart disease detection and using machine learning algorithms to classify Pima Indians diabetes mellitus. Professor Chang designs privacy-preserving smart IoT healthcare systems with sophisticated, self-adaptive access control. His applied research extends to active partnerships with NHS trusts, where he translates these frameworks into real clinical environments, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and operational efficiency.
In the financial and business world, Professor Chang provides clear direction in times of digital disruption. He has published influential works that map the impact of blockchain technology on financial services. He investigates how FinTech influences the performance and strategies of commercial banks. Professor Chang successfully applies agent-based models and explainable machine learning to predict bank credit worthiness and analyze credit risk. His research also includes the use of innovative neural network approaches for powerful stock market prediction. His expertise in FinTech applications is further demonstrated through collaborative work with leading financial institutions, applying explainable AI to real-world banking operations and risk management.
Professor Chang’s authority in Cybersecurity and ICT Infrastructure is foundational. He provides critical security frameworks for ensuring the safe adoption of business clouds. He researches the challenges and opportunities presented by open, crowd-sourced cyber threat intelligence. Professor Chang deeply engages with modern ICT, including cloud, edge, and fog computing, as well as the transition to 5G and 6G networks. He also demonstrated significant outputs in experimenting with 6G with his new federated learning algorithms, making him one of the pioneering scientists in this field. He actively works on digital transformation strategies, technology adoption frameworks, and assessing the overall impacts of these changes. He is instrumental in shaping national and international strategies in these critical areas of security.
His wide-ranging research also touches upon applying his core technologies to industry, government, and higher education. He focuses on areas such as social networks, smart manufacturing, geo-economics, and developing the critical infrastructure for smart cities. His dedication to sustainability is evident in his earlier work, including the creation of a big data reduction framework designed for value creation in sustainable enterprises.
The Human Element: Building Digital Trust
Professor Chang’s most profound impact stems from his unwavering commitment to the human element of technology. His work is guided by a powerful passion for public engagement, promoting digital trust, and ensuring inclusive innovation. He actively shapes policy development and champions ethical practices in the IT community. He deeply invests in developing the next wave of talent in AI and cybersecurity, recognizing that people are the true engine of progress. His vision is fundamentally humanitarian. He works tirelessly to ensure that the rapidly expanding digital future remains strong, secure, and genuinely helpful for everyone.
Professor Chang stands as a definitive “Icon to Watch in 2025“. He continues his influential work from his Birmingham base. He is the living embodiment of a leader who successfully merges academic rigor with impactful, practical application, guiding the global digital narrative toward a smarter, more equitable tomorrow. He is not merely an observer of the digital revolution; he is one of its most essential architects.
