Staff

Shoaib Akram#

I am the course convener and lecturer for COMP2300 this semester. We have an exciting semester ahead of us. We will learn How Computers Work from the ground up. We will start with the very basic building blocks, namely, transistors, and learn how complex computing systems are systematically built from them, including components such as modern CPUs, GPUs, memory systems, and machine learning accelerators. Our journey will take us from digital logic building blocks to microarchitecture. We will also do some exciting assignments, including implementing a simple microprocessor in a logic simulator and learning ARM assembly language programming.

The ideas we will cover in this course are fundamental to designing computers today, and our focus is on key principles and fundamental tradeoffs in building computing systems.
We hope to open your minds to new ways of thinking and questioning about computers and for you to reason alternative approaches to improve the power and efficiency of computers.

Tutors

Adnan Hasnat#

Hello, I’m Adnan! I’m now in the final year of my double degree in Computer Science and Maths. I absolutely loved this course when I did it as a student. Ever since I was a kid I wondered how in the world you can make electricity and transistors do all of the many things computers do. Well, if you’ve ever wondered the same thing, this course will finally answer that question, and I hope you find that as exciting as I did. Outside of programming, my hobbies include reading, improv and martial arts.

Alex Boxall#

Hi everyone, I’m Alex - I’ve recently completed my software engineering degree, and this course was one of my favourites! I’ve tutored this course the past two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing to teach it to you all, so that you can get as much out of it as I did.

I’m also part of the ANU Solar Racing team, where I mainly work on writing software to simulate the car and race conditions. If you enjoy this course, you should check out the team!

Alexander Phillips#

Hi, I’m Xander! I am a fourth year Engineering and Computer Science student. I took ENGN2219 as a student in 2024 and I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to teaching you this semester and would love to hear from you if you have any questions.

Andrew Nguyen#

Hi everyone, I’m Andrew, - a fourth-year computer science student. I really enjoyed taking this course in 2024, as it demystified many of my initial thoughts about how computers work.

Outside of uni, I enjoy making drum covers of songs and playing TFT.

Harold Geo#

Hello! I’m Harold, I’m a third year student, and my research interest is in hardware security. Computer Architecture is an extraordinary course. After taking it, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how tiny pieces of circuitry are carefully crafted together to solve computational problems in speeds unheard of a hundred years ago. I am looking forward to teaching you this semester, and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did :)

Itay Yarom#

Hey, I’m Itay, and I’ll be one of your tutors in COMP2300 this semester. I’m a fourth year who took this course in 2023 and I found it to be a very rewarding experience. Outside of uni, I’m a huge fan of both board games and fantasy/sci-fi books. Feel free to come to me if you have any questions!

Matthew Hackett#

Hi, I’m Matt. I’m in my third year studying a double of Math Sci and Advanced Computing R&D. I took the course in 2025 and loved every second of it, and now I’m hoping to pass it on! I also sometimes work on machine learning and android projects when I’m bored :)