Ali Ghorbani (PhD'96) received an RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, recognizing his inspiring achievements and leadership. Dr. Ghorbani is Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity, a professor of computer science on the UNB Fredericton campus, and director of UNB’s Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, which he established in 2016. Moving to Canada from Iran in 1991, Dr. Ghorbani and his wife, Mahin, chose to raise their family in Fredericton. Their three children are graduates of UNB.
“Canada is a good and exceptional country, arguably the most successful multicultural society in the world, and among the best destinations for new immigrants, opening its doors and promise to millions like me,” says Dr. Ghorbani.
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards are given to Canadian immigrants who have demonstrated significant contributions and outstanding achievements. This is the 11th year for the awards, bringing the total number of recipients to 275.
Thousands of names were submitted, with a shortlist of 75 nominees selected by a diverse judging panel of past winners. The 25 recipients were chosen based on a combination of nationwide online voting and a second round of judging.
Over his 37-year academic career, Dr. Ghorbani has carried out fundamental and applied research in the area of cybersecurity, machine learning and intelligence. He is the co-inventor of three awarded patents in network security and web intelligence and has a passion for entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for students and colleagues. Dr. Ghorbani received the StartUp Canada Senior Entrepreneur Award in 2017.
Dr. Ghorbani served as dean of the faculty of computer science from 2008 to 2017. He is the founding director of the Intelligent and Adaptive Systems Research Group and co-founder of the Privacy, Security, Trust Network in Canada. Since 2010, Dr. Ghorbani has obtained more than $15 million to fund eight large multi-project research initiatives. His technologies have been adopted by industry leaders and he co-founded two start-ups, Sentrant Security and EyesOver Technologies.
Along with freedom and opportunities, Dr. Ghorbani says being a Canadian citizen also comes with responsibilities. Dr. Ghorbani and his wife established a scholarship at UNB for students from developing countries who study computer science or software engineering.
“As a Canadian citizen, I have had the chance to raise well-educated and responsible children and realize my dream of becoming a successful husband and father, educator, researcher and entrepreneur,” says Dr. Ghorbani. “Canada is a peaceful, stable and multicultural country where all citizens are equal.”
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners receive a commemorative plaque and a $500 donation will be made toward a registered Canadian charity of their choice. The full list of winners is featured online and in the July print edition of Canadian Immigrant magazine.
