CSU Professor Presents Research at the National FinTech and AI Conference

Chicago State University Professor Presents Research at National HBCU Blockchain, FinTech, and AI Conference

Dr. Mohammad Abdus Salam, Professor and Chair of the Department of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sciences, and Technology (CIMST) at Chicago State University (CSU), participated in the 7th Annual National HBCU Blockchain, FinTech, and AI Conference, held November 9–10, 2026, at the Margaritaville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

Organized by the National FinTech Center at Morgan State University, the conference brought together faculty, researchers, industry professionals, and technology leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other institutions across the country. This year's theme, “Engineering Trust: Scalable, Intelligent, and Secure Financial Systems with Blockchain and AI,” highlighted emerging research and innovations in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, financial technology, cybersecurity, and digital financial systems.

Dr. Salam served as a member of the Conference Program Planning Committee, contributing to the national academic initiative promoting research collaboration, innovation, and engagement among HBCUs and participating institutions.

In addition to his committee service, Dr. Salam presented a research paper titled “Integrating Blockchain and AI for Secure and Scalable Financial Transaction Monitoring,” co-authored with Ozgur Gurbuz of Chicago State University.

The research introduces BlockFedAML, an innovative framework that combines blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to improve financial fraud detection and anti-money laundering monitoring. The proposed approach allows financial institutions to collaboratively improve fraud detection without sharing sensitive customer information. By integrating advanced AI techniques with secure blockchain-based recordkeeping, the framework aims to improve detection accuracy, reduce false alarms, enhance privacy, and support automated regulatory compliance.

Experimental evaluations using established financial transaction datasets demonstrated promising results in fraud detection, privacy protection, and transaction processing efficiency. The research highlights the potential of emerging technologies to address important security and privacy challenges in modern financial systems.

The conference also provided opportunities for academic networking, interdisciplinary research discussions, and exploring collaborations involving blockchain, artificial intelligence, financial inclusion, and cybersecurity.

Dr. Salam's participation reflects Chicago State University's continued engagement in emerging technology research and its commitment to advancing interdisciplinary scholarship, innovation, and collaboration within the national HBCU research community.

Conference Information: 7th Annual National HBCU Blockchain, FinTech, and AI Conference

Conference Agenda: November 8–10, 2026