Mehdi El Krari

PhD in Computer Science

Education

PhD in Computer Science

Mohammed V University in Rabat
2014 - 2019

MSc in Computer Science

Mohammed V University in Rabat
2011 - 2013

BSc in Mathematics & Computer Science

Mohammed V University in Rabat
2008 - 2011

Languages

  • English (Professional)
  • French (Fluent)
  • Arabic (Native)

Interests

  • Combinatorial Optimization
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Metaheuristics
  • Evolutionary Computation
  • Discrete Algorithms

Career Profile

I am interested in research about evolutionary computation and operation research to solve real-world problems (transportation, logistic, healthcare, etc.). I am currently working on evolutionary algorithms, especially local search-based heuristics and studying different aspects of combinatorial optimisation problems.

In addition to the research activities mentioned above, I'm interested in Fitness Landscape Analysis, Automated Offline Design of Algorithms, Genetic Programming and Machine Learning.

Experiences

Teaching Fellow

Keele University
Since Mar. 2023
To play a significant role in teaching within the School’s Computer Science programmes. To deliver and assess modules for these programmes. To develop and/or maintain competitive scholarship that complements Keele’s existing strengths in Computer Science within the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Research Fellow

The University of Nottingham
Aug. 2021 - Aug. 2022
The 2ZERO (Towards Zero Emissions in Regional Airline Operations) project is funded by Innovate UK under UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge Fund (£1,561,202).
I contributed to an integrated simulator for the 2ZERO Project. The simulator includes many models and takes into account different operations and constraints. I have been assigned many tasks in
  • Demand model
    • Preparing the input data (train ticket prices and travel times) for the attractiveness factor and flight ticket price
    • Tuning the demand model based on some data given by the airline partner
  • Airport model
    • Scheduling the ground operations for a single aircraft using a greedy heuristic
    • Scheduling the airport operations for a single aircraft using linear programming (Cplex)
    • Scheduling the airport operations for multiple aircraft using linear programming (Cplex)
    • All the scheduling consider operation and resource constraints

Fixed-term assistant professor

Centrale Lille
Sept. 2020 - Aug. 2021
  • Teaching: Computer Science & Mathematics department
  • Research: Centre de Recherche en Informatique, Signal et Automatique de Lille

Fixed-term assistant professor

Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale
Sept. 2019 - Aug. 2020
  • Teaching: Computer Science department
  • Research: Laboratoire d'Informatique Signal et Image de la Côte d'Opale

Research

Fairer comparisons for Travelling Salesman Problem solutions using Hash Functions

Mehdi El Krari, Rym Nesrine Guibadj, John Woodward, Denis Robilliard
The 23rd European Conference on Evolutionary Computation in Combinatorial Optimisation (EvoCOP 23) - April 2023, Brno (Czech Republic)

Introducing a hash function for the travelling salesman problem for differentiating solutions

Mehdi El Krari, Rym Nesrine Guibadj, John Woodward, Denis Robilliard
The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2021) - July 2021, Lille (France)

A Memetic Algorithm Based on Breakout Local Search for the Generalized Travelling Salesman Problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
Applied Artificial Intelligence (2020)

A pre-processing reduction method for the generalized travelling salesman
problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
Operational Research (2019)

A fitness landscape analysis of the Travelling Thief Problem

Mohamed El Yafrani, Marcella S. R. Martins, Mehdi El Krari, Markus Wagner, Myriam R. B. S. Delgado, Belaïd Ahiod, Ricardo Lüders
The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018) - July 2018, Kyoto (Japan)

Breakout Local Search for the Travelling Salesman Problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS (CAI), Vol 37, No 3 (2018)

A Novel Reduction Algorithm for the Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2017) - July 2017, Berlin (Germany)

Using Cluster Barycenters for the Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
16th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications (ISDA 2016) - December 2016, Porto (Portugal)

An empirical study of the multi-fragment tour construction algorithm for the travelling salesman problem

Mehdi El Krari, Belaïd Ahiod, Bouazza El Benani
16th International Conference on Hybrid Intelligent Systems (HIS 2016) - November 2016, Marrakech (Morocco)

Ongoing collaborations

Hash Functions for Combinatorial Optimisation Problems

  • Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale: R. Guibadj, D. Robilliard, C. Fonlupt
  • Queen Mary University of London: J. R. Woodward

Schools & Training

SIGEVO SUMMER SCHOOL (along with ACM GECCO 2017 Conference)

July 14-21, 2017, Berlin (Germany)

International Computer Science Student School Recent Advances in Algorithms

May 22-26, 2017, St. Petersburg (Russia)

Conference Committee member

Technical Program Committee member

The 1st International Workshop on Machine Learning Applications (MLA'2020)

Organizing Committee member

International Workshop on Mobile Networks and WIreless COMmunications (WINCOM 2014 )

Reviewing

Operational Research, ISSN: 1866-1505

IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, ISSN: 1089-778X

Knowledge-Based Systems, ISSN: 0950-7051

International Journal of Metaheuristics, ISSN: 1755-2184

Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research, ISSN: 1793-7019

Teaching

Basics of algorithmics / Oriented Object Programming (Java) /
Data structures / Complexity

2020 - 2021
Centrale Lille Institut, France

Courses, tutorials and practical works for different levels of computer science engineering students.

Basics of algorithmics / C++ programming language /
Data structures / MySQL

2019 - 2020
Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale (ULCO), France

Courses, tutorials and practical works for different levels of computer science BSc students.

Algorithmics and Basics of C

2015 - 2017
Mohammed VI international Academy of Civil Aviation (AIAC), Morocco

Giving to “Air Traffic Safety Electronics” Master students courses and tutorials in Algorithmics and basics of C programming language.

Practical Works: Data Structures and Files

2014 - 2017
Faculty of Sciences, Rabat (Morocco)

Assisting BSc students in practical works of data structures (Stacks, Linked Lists, Trees,...) and files using C programming language.

Practical Works: Maple

2014
Faculty of Sciences, Rabat (Morocco)

Assisting BSc students in practical works of the computer algebra system Maple.

Certificates

Excellence Scholarship

2014 - 2017
National Center of Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST)

Excellence in Programming

December 2012
CodinGame (Morocco 2012) Certificate of Excellence in Programming

Projects & Internships

Automation of continuous integration and quality metrics process for a Java/J2EE project - (Jenkins, Sonar, Talend, Java, Checkstyle, PMD, Ant, PostgreSQL)

Master's degree internship at CGI (March - July 2013)

Investments Management Application - (Java, JDBC, UML 2)

Bachelor's degree internship at Wafa Gestion (February - March 2011)