Monash strengthens its world-class research capability with major appointment
Joining the Faculty of Information Technology in August, Monash University is pleased to welcome Professor Yang Xiang, a globally-recognised leader with more than 25 years of research excellence in cybersecurity, distributed systems and reliable software engineering.
Professor Yang Xiang
An IEEE Fellow, the highest grade of membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Professor Xiang's research spans AI security, software security, trustworthy digital systems and critical cyber infrastructure, with applications across IoT, robotics and emerging technologies.
He has secured more than AUD $35 million in competitive research funding, leading major initiatives supported by the Australian Research Council and the Department of Defence, including an ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub and multiple Discovery, Linkage and Defence projects.
Professor Xiang’s research has produced open-source cybersecurity tools now incorporated into mainstream Linux distributions including Fedora and Debian, bringing his innovations into software used by millions of people worldwide.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President, Professor Robyn Ward AM, welcomed Professor Xiang to Monash. "Monash has a growing reputation as a destination for world-leading researchers tackling some of the most complex challenges of our time. Professor Xiang's expertise in cybersecurity, AI security and trustworthy digital systems will strengthen our capability in areas of significant national and global importance, while creating new opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, industry and government. We are delighted to welcome him to Monash."
During his nine distinguished years of service at Swinburne University of Technology, Professor Xiang spearheaded the university-wide digital research strategy, focusing on interdisciplinary innovation and industry translation underpinned by AI and Cybersecurity.
Under his leadership, the Platform also significantly expanded its research output, industry partnerships and international profile, becoming one of Australia's leading university initiatives in digital technologies.
At Monash, Professor Xiang will further strengthen research excellence in cybersecurity and trustworthy AI while expanding multidisciplinary collaborations with industry, government and international partners.
‘Our faculty focuses on bold ideas, trusted technologies and exceptional research with an increasing emphasis on our partnerships. We’re delighted to welcome Professor Xiang to Monash FIT. He brings vision, an international reputation and experience in driving real-world impact, all of which will strengthen our leading work in the areas of cybersecurity, responsible AI and digital innovation.’ said Professor Ian Burnett, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology.
Professor Xiang has published over 300 papers in premier venues such as ACM CCS, IEEE S&P, Usenix Security, NDSS, IEEE TDSC, and IEEE TIFS, and his work has been cited over 31,000 times achieving a h-index of 91. In recognition of this, he has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and the World’s Top 2% Scientist by Stanford-Elsevier.
His contributions have also earned him prestigious national recognition such as ‘Australia’s Top Researcher’ in Computer Security & Cryptography (The Australian, 2021), and ‘Field Leader’ in Computer Hardware Design (The Australian, 2019). He is currently ranked #12 in Best Computer Science Scientists in Australia by Research.com and is a member of the ARC College of Experts.
Monash University will continue to appoint world-leading researchers whose expertise strengthens its excellence, reputation and impact – particularly in areas of strategic importance such as cybersecurity.