On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the Master of Artificial Intelligence Program (S2 AI) at Universitas Syiah Kuala had the pleasure of welcoming one of its lecturers, Prof. Dr. Hammam Riza, M.Sc., IPU.
Prof. Hammam Riza is a prominent figure in artificial intelligence and digital transformation in Indonesia. He previously served as the Head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and later as Deputy for Digital Transformation and Big Data at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
He is also one of the key architects behind the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (Stranas KA) 2020–2045, and has been actively promoting AI-driven innovation, data science, and digital governance in Indonesia.
Usually, Prof. Hammam conducts his lectures online, as he is based outside of Aceh. However, this time he visited the campus and delivered an offline session for the course Computational Linguistics.
During the lecture, Prof. Hammam focused on the discussion of the AcehX corpus development, an initiative aimed at preserving and processing the Acehnese language using computational linguistics approaches.
This project represents an important step toward developing language technology for local languages through artificial intelligence.
One of the students shared,
“The Computational Linguistics class with Prof. Hammam Riza was held offline. The discussion focused on the development of the AcehX corpus as part of efforts to preserve and process the Acehnese language using computational linguistics.”
In response, the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, USK, commented,
“Excellent! Hopefully, the AcehX project will become the foundation for the most comprehensive Acehnese language corpus. I also heard there’s a plan to collaborate with AI Singapore — is that right, Prof. Hammam?”
In addition to his lecture, Prof. Hammam was also in Banda Aceh for the pilot program “AI Literacy for Civil Servants,” organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Aceh Communication and Informatics Office (Diskominsa Aceh) on October 15–16, 2025.
Several students from the Master of Artificial Intelligence program had the opportunity to attend and take part in the discussion sessions, gaining valuable insights into AI literacy and its implementation within government sectors.
Prof. Hammam’s in-person lecture and his involvement in the UNESCO program brought great enthusiasm to the S2 AI students, motivating them to continue advancing research that combines technological innovation and cultural preservation through artificial intelligence.