Research interests

My research interests are at the intersection of Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Knowledge Representation and reasoning (KRR). In particular, I'm interested in:

  • Representation learning, Integrated approaches to learning and reasoning
  • Lexical semantics, concept modelling, relation extraction, vector space representations, Language models,
  • Conceptual spaces, Existential rules, description logics, ontologies, query answering, automated knowledge base completion.
  • Bayesian learning, possibility theory, uncertainty management.
  • Reasoning under inconsistency, belief update and merging.

Research Highlights

  • Astrid Klipfel, Olivier Peltre, Najwa Harrati, Yaël Frégier, Adlane Sayede, Zied Bouraoui: Equivariant Message Passing Neural Network for Crystal Material Discovery. Proceedings of the 37th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-2023) .
  • Kun Yan, Chenbin Zhang, Jun Hou, Ping Wang, Zied Bouraoui, Shoaib Jameel, Steven Schockaert: Inferring Prototypes for Multi-Label Few-Shot Image Classification with Word Vector Guided Attention. Proceedings of the 36th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-2022) .
  • Zied Bouraoui, Sébastien Konieczny, Thanh Ma, Nicolas Schwind, Ivan Varzinczak: Region-Based Merging of Open-Domain Terminological Knowledge. KR 2022 Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KR 2022) .
  • Na Li, Zied Bouraoui, José Camacho-Collados, Luis Espinosa Anke, Qing Gu, Steven Schockaert. Modelling General Properties of Nouns by Selectively Averaging Contextualised Embeddings Proceedings of the 30th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence. (IJCAI 2021) .
  • Rana Alshaikh, Zied Bouraoui Shelan S. Jeawak and Steven Schockaert: A Mixture-of-Experts Model for Learning Multi-Facet Entity Embeddings. Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING-2020) .
  • Rana Alshaikh, Zied Bouraoui and Steven Schockaert: Hierarchical Linear Disentanglement of Data-Driven Conceptual Spaces. Proceedings of the 29th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-2020) .
  • Zied Bouraoui, Jean-Marie Lagniez, Pierre Marquis and Valentin Montmirail: Consolidating Modal Knowledge Bases. Proceedings of the 24th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI-2020) .
  • Zied Bouraoui, Jose Camacho Collados and Steven Schockaert: Inducing Relational Knowledge from Pre-trained Language Models. Proceedings of the 34th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-2020) .
  • Zied Bouraoui, Jose Camacho Collados, Luis Espinosa-Anke and Steven Schockaert: Modelling Semantic Categories using Conceptual Neighborhood Proceedings of the 34th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-2020) .

The full list of publications is available here. Find out more on my DBLP page.

Research projects

I am/was a member of the following projects:

On going projects:

  • ANR JCJC ERIANA: Event-Centric Reasoning for Interpreting Everyday Narratives, Principal Investigator (PI). Find out more
  • ANR CHAIRE IA BE4musIA: BElief change FOR better MUlti-Source Information Analysis, co-I. Find out more
  • ANR VIVAH. Vers une Intelligence Artificielle à Visage Humain. P. Find out more
  • ICT-48 European networks of AI excellence centres, Foundations of Trustworthy AI – Integrating Reasoning, Learning and Optimization, P. Find out more
  • CNRS FEI EMILIE : Explainable Multi-label few-shot Image cLassifica$on with qualitative constraint networks and word Embeddings, PI. Find out more
  • BQR Artois University, Reasoning with Conceptual Neighbours, PI. Find out more

Past Projects:

  • PRC Royal Society : Non-Classical Reasoning for Enhanced Ontology-based Semantic Technologies, P. Find out more
  • BQR Artois University: Learning Conceptual Spaces by Disentangling Language Models, PI. Find out more
  • PEPS INS2I MODERN : Merging distributed sOurces for enhanceD quERy aNswering, PI. Find out more
  • BQR Artois University, Non-Classical Reasoning for Enhanced Ontology-based Technologies, co-I. Find out more
  • H2020-MSCA-RISE: High Dimensional Heterogeneous Data based Animation Techniques for Southeast Asian Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Content, P. Find out more
  • ANR ASPIQ : ASP technologIes for Querying large scale multisource heterogeneous web information, P. Find out more
  • BQR Artois University, Plausible reasoning in logic using Semantic Spaces, PI. Find out more
  • BQR Artois Unversity: Conceptual Space Learning (Project leader) Find out more

Awards and distinctions

  • Best theory paper award at IEA/AIE 2022
  • Best paper award Rep4NLP@ACL2021
  • Distinguished paper at ECAI 2020
  • Best paper award runner-up at ISWC 2019
  • Distinctive mention as area chair favourites at COLING 2018

Invited Talks

  • Spatio-Temporal Reasoning and Learning (strl@IJCAI 2022)
  • International Research School in Artificial Intelligence in Bergen (AIB 2022)
  • 2nd edition of the Hauts-de-France alliance of Artificial intelligence (humAIn 2019)
  • Hauts-de-France DATA FORUM, Arras, France, 2018. Find out more
  • Journée GDR ISIS & IA - Apprentissage et Raisonnement avec un accent sur le traitement des signaux et des images, Paris, France, 2018. Find out more
  • FCA4AI@ijcai18 : Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) for Artificial Intelligence, Stockholm, Sweeden, 2018. Find out more
  • JIAF-2018 : Journées sur l’Intelligence Artificielle Fondamentale, Amiens, France, 2018. Find out more
  • Culturathon saison 2 – Louvre Lens, Lens, France, 2017. Find out more
  • Journées RAP-GDR IA : Représentations et Algorithmes en Pratique Find out more
  • JIAF-2013 : Journées sur l’Intelligence Artificielle Fondamentale, Aix-en-Provence, France, 2013. Find out more

Seminars and Visits

  • Bambrg University, Germany, 2022.
  • Bordeaux University, France, 2021.
  • Nanjing University, China, Erasmus+ (March 16th - March 23th), 2019.
  • KU Leuven, Departement Computerwetenschappen, Belgium, 2019.
  • CNRS, Heudiasyc UMR 7253, UTC, 2018.
  • ISIMS, Tunisia, 2018.
  • National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan. Oct 31th - Nov 11th, 2018.
  • Cardiff University, School of Computer Science & Informatics, UK. Mai/Auguest 2018.
  • CTU Prague, faculty of Electrical Engineering Department of Computer Science. Prague. Nov 21st - Nov 24th 2017.
  • National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan. Dec 06th - Dec 23th 2017.
  • LSIS-CNRS UMR 7296, l’université d’Aix-Marseille, 2016.

Supervision of PhDstudents/PostDoc

  • Hanane Kteich, PhD, University of Artois, France. (2021-present)
  • Nurul Ariyani, PhD, University of Cardiff, UK. (2021-present)
  • Yixiao Wan, PhD, University of Cardiff, UK. (2020-present)
  • Astrid Klipfel, PhD, University of Artois, France. (2020-present)
  • Rym Mohamed, PhD, University of Sfax, Tunisia. (2019-present)
  • Truong-Thanh Ma, PhD, University of Artois, France. (2019-2022)
  • Na Li, PhD, University of Nanjing, China. (2018-2021)
  • Rana Alshaikh, PhD, University of Cardiff, UK. (2017-2020)

Organisation of scientific meeting

  • Organization committee of the Seventeenth European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty; ECSQARU 2023 Find out more
  • Member of the Steering Committee for Representation and Reasoning at AFIA (French Association for Artificial Intelligence) Find out more
  • Program co-chair of JIAF@PFIA2022, Journées d’Intelligence Artificielle Fondamental. Find out more
  • Program co-chair of JIAF@PFIA2021, Journées d’Intelligence Artificielle Fondamental. Find out more
  • Program co-chair of JIAF@PFIA2020, Journées d’Intelligence Artificielle Fondamental. Find out more
  • Special session co-chair, International Conference on Industrial, Engineering, and Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems. Find out more
  • Local organisation committe of the 24th International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming, CP2018. Find out more

Program Committees and Journal Reviewing

  • I am/was a member of the programme committee of more than 20 international conferences including top-ranked conferences such a of IJCAI, AAAI, ECAI, ACL, PRICAI, ECML/PKDD, ISWC, COLING, EMNLP, EACL, AAMAS , WWW Satellite tracks , KRR.
  • I have been a reviewer for the following journals: Artificial Intelligence journal, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools, Fundamenta Informaticae, Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, Journal of Logic and Computation, Cognitive Systems Research, Journal of Logic, Language and Information.

Examining boards

  • Lucas Simonne's PhD, University of Paris Saclay, France, 2023
  • Othman Zennaki’s PhD. University of Grenoble Alpes, France. 2019.
  • Elie Merhej’s PhD. University of Ghent, Belgium. 2018.
  • Sara Mefteh's PhD mid-term evaluation, University of Paris Saclay, 2018.