Prof. Zoran Gligoric
PhD, Chair of Scientific Committee
Biography
Prof. dr Zoran Gligoric, doctor of Science in Mining-Underground Mining, has been employed at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mining and Geology, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Field of interest is: Underground mine development system optimization; Underground mine production planning; Multi-criteria decision making; Graph theory; Fuzzy set theory; Stochastic differential equations; Forecasting methods; Simulation and modeling. Prof. Gligorić is a Vice President of the International Association of Grey Systems and Uncertainty Analysis and Vice President of the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia, World Petroleum Council.
Prof. Ray Sterling
PhD, Vice-Chair of Scientific Committee
Biography
Dr. Sterling is Professor Emeritus at Louisiana Tech University where he directed the Trenchless Technology Center from 1995 to 2009. Previously, from 1977 to 1995, he was the founding director of the Underground Space Center at the University of Minnesota. He is a Past President of the ACUUS, Past Chairman of the International Society for Trenchless Technology, a Past-Vice-Chair of the ITA Committee on Underground Space and a Past Chairman of the U.S. National Committee on Tunneling Technology. He is a former Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology.
Prof. Bruno Barocca
PhD, Member
Biography
Bruno Barroca is an architect and professor of Urban Engineering at the Gustave Eiffel University in Paris. He is the member of the urban engineering team of the Lab’Urba (Urbanism Laboratory). His research establishes links between geography, city planning, urban underground space, architecture and he has published numerous articles on given matters and others. He is the director of the “City, Transportation, Territories” (VTT) Doctoral School of the Université Paris-Est Community’s “City, Engineering, Environment” unit and also a delegated director at EIVP – Engineering School of the City of Paris. He is the chief editor of the journal „Urban Risks“.
Prof. Andreas Benardos
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Andreas Benardos is a Professor in the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. His research is focused on underground space development and mine design, risk assessment, ventilation, feasibility and project cost estimation as well as on applications of artificial neural networks in geo-engineering. He has participated in more than 25 research projects awarded by European, National bodies and private firms and has published more than 90 papers in scientific journals and international conferences. Additionally, he is Assistant General Manager of ACUUS, member of Board of the Greek Tunnelling Society (GTS), while he has also been co-chair of the Scientific Committee of the 2023 ITA – AITES World Tunnel Congress.
Prof. Wout Broere
PhD, TUST Chief Editor
Biography
Dr. Wout Broere is professor of Underground Space Technology at Delft University of Technology and a Fellow of the International Society of Trenchless Technologies ISTT. His research interests range from trenchless technologies, large diameter tunnelling, site investigation and foundation engineering, to the use of underground space. He has published extensively on these topics and supervised over 300 BSc, MSc and PhD students.
Dr. Broere is currently Editor-in-Chief for Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, a member of ISSMGE TC204 on Underground Construction in Soft ground and past-Animateur of ITA WG20 on `Urban Problems – Underground Solutions’. Together with the Dutch Center for Underground Construction COB he manages the research programme Futureproof Tunnels, aimed at tackling the challenges in monitoring, maintaining and refurbishing aging underground infrastructure.
Prof. Dimitris Kaliampakos
PhD, ACUUS President
Biography
Dimitris Kaliampakos is a mining engineer and professor in Environmental Mining and the Director of the Laboratory of Mining and Environmental Technology (L.M.E.T) located at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). He is also a consultant Dean of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering and Executive Vice-President of the Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park. Prof. Kaliampakos has been involved in the ACUUS conferences since the Torino Conference in 2002. In 2007, he chaired the Organizing Committee of the 11th International Conference, held in Lavrion and was elected Vice President of ACUUS. In 2013, he was elected President of ACUUS. In 2016 he was re-elected President of ACUUS.
Prof. Monika Mitew Czajewska
PhD, Member
Biography
Professor of Civil Engineering in the Institute of Roads and Bridges at Warsaw University of Technology (WUT). Head of Department of Geotechnics, Bridges and Underground Structures at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, WUT.
President of Polish Tunnelling Association, member of the Board of Polish Committee on Geotechnics and member of General Assembly of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association ITA-AITES 2014-2020. Currently member of ITA-AITES Executive Council. Owner of design and consulting company MMGEO, GEO5 Geotechnical software reseller.
Prof. Takayuki Kishii
PhD, ACUUS Board Member
Biography
Dr. Kishii is Professor Emeritus of Nihon University. He acts now as the President of “The Institute of Behavioral Sciences” and the Representative of “The Urban Underground Space Center of Japan“ (USJ) which is the founding member of ACUUS in 1997. His research focuses on the Urban Development Theory and Policy. He has held many prominent positions including the Presidencies of the City Planning Institute of Japan, of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Landscape Committee, of the “Urban design Center Japan”. Furthermore, Dr. Kishii has been the Director of ASIA in ACUUS since 2014.
Prof. Filippo Lambertucci
PhD, Member
Biography
Filippo Lambertucci, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and member of the teaching committee of the Ph.D. in Theory and Project at Sapienza University, Rome. He is the head of the ReLab Laboratory of Regeneration, where research focuses on architectural space as a theater of human actions, with special regard to the underground spaces of mobility and commerce, and the interactions of contemporary urban needs with archaeological heritage and the built environment. His most recent projects include the San Giovanni and Colosseum stations on the C Line Metro in Rome. He lectures extensively and has authored books and papers on topics such as space, light, form, and atmospheres. As a co-founder of Lpstudio, he has worked on infrastructures, exhibit design, public buildings, and housing, earning several prizes and awards.
Prof. Jamal Rostami
PhD, TUST Chief Editor
Biography
Dr. Rostami is the Hadden/Alacer Gold Endowed Chair and Director of the Excavation Engineering and Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) of the dept. of Mining Engineering at CSM. He is also vice president of the “International Tunneling Association” or ITA. He is the editor in chief of the “Tunneling and Underground Space Technology” (TUST) journal, member of editorial board of several rock mechanics and mining journals. He has a BSc in mining engineering from Univ. of Tehran, Iran and his MSc and PhD in mining engineering in 92 and 97 from CSM, respectively. He has been a faculty at Univ. of Tehran from 1988 through 2002, a full time consultant with major A&E companies from 2002 till 2007 when he joined the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), as Centennial Chair of Carrier Development in Mining. He has published over 130 peer reviewed journal publication and 170 conference papers and many technical reports. He is a member of SME, ASCE, ARMA, ISEE, and TRB AFF-60 tunneling committee. Dr. Rostami was named the recipient 2022 UCA of SME Excellence in Education Award and 2014 Stephen McCann Memorial Educational Excellence Award in mining.
Prof. Priscilla P. Nelson
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Priscilla Nelson came to the Colorado School of Mines in 2014 as Professor and Department Head of Mining Engineering. She formerly served as Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, Division Director at the U.S. NSF, and Provost and Professor at NJIT. She has an international reputation in geological, geotechnical, mining and tailings engineering. Dr. Nelson has >200 technical publications, and is a Distinguished Member of ASCE, former president of the Geo-Institute of ASCE, and a lifetime member, former President and Fellow of ARMA (American Rock Mechanics Association). In 2020, she founded the Tailings Center in collaboration with Colorado State University and the University of Arizona.
Prof. Pavlos Nomikos
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Pavlos Nomikos is a Full Professor at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece. He holds diplomas in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (1995) and Civil Engineering (2001) from NTUA, and he earned his Ph.D. in 2004 in Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics from NTUA. He currently directs the Laboratory of Tunnelling Engineering and the Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program “Design and Construction of Underground Works.” His research focuses on rock mechanics, tunneling and underground works, and tunnel fire protection. He has published over 65 papers, with 900 citations, and is a reviewer for major international scientific journals in his area of expertise. In 2020, he received the Academy of Athens Award for his research in the field of Mining and Mineral Resources.
Prof. Fang-Le Peng
PhD, ACUUS Board Member
Biography
Dr. Fang-Le Peng, who completed his university and postgraduate education at Tongji University in Shanghai, China, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, Japan, is currently a full professor and Director of the Underground Space Research Center at Tongji University. He is also the Vice President of ACUUS (2016-present) and the Deputy Director of the Underground Space Committee of the Chinese Society of Urban Science. He has been engaged in teaching and research in urban underground space planning, geotechnical and underground engineering for a long time, and has published more than 300 academic papers in Chinese, English, and Japanese.
Prof. Zhi-Guo Yan
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Zhiguo Yan is a Distinguished Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Tongji University, chair of the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, and the Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering. He has been funded as one of the Distinguished Young Scholars by the National Nature Science Foundation of China. He is also the Vice President of the Tunnel and Underground Works Branch of the China Civil Engineering Society. He has been engaged for years in research on fire safety and smart disaster prevention and reduction in tunnels and underground spaces. He has published more than 150 papers and 2 academic monographs.
Prof. Farah Zaini
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Farah Zaini is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, holding a Ph.D. in Land Administration and Development with a specialization in the legal administration of urban underground space in Malaysia. Her research expertise encompasses land administration, Geographical Information System (GIS), urban underground space, and community development. Dr. Zaini has been invited to lecture and collaborate on research with universities in China, Indonesia, the UK, and Vietnam, where she has shared her extensive knowledge in these domains.
Prof. Chris Rogers
PhD, Member
Biography
Chris Rogers researches sustainability, resilience and liveability of cities, infrastructure and urban systems, and how systemic changes can be designed and implemented to realise greatest value. With a particular interest in the ‘urban metabolism’, he focusses on buried infrastructure and utility services, trenchless technologies, use of underground space and infrastructure systems’ interdependencies. A Lead Expert of the UK Government Foresight Future of Cities project, project lead of Mapping and Assessing the Underworld programme and founder member of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC), his current research embraces robots for pipeline condition assessment and the ground as an ecosystem service provider.
Nikolai Bobylev
PhD, Member
Biography
Associate Professor, Head of Master programme in Environmental Management, Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia Dr. Nikolai Bobylev is an environmental scientist working on urbanization and sustainable development, urban infrastructure, environmental assessment, and multiple criteria decision analysis. Dr. Bobylev has published more than 40 research papers on environmental and urban development issues. Dr. Bobylev has received several prestigious research awards, including fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and Marie Curie of the European Community. Dr. Bobylev has been a consultant to United Nations Agencies (UNECE, UNHabitat, UNEP, UNDP). Dr. Bobylev is an Animateur of the Working group 15 (Underground and the Environment) of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. Dr. Bobylev is an Associated Editor of the Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology academic journal (Elsevier).
Isabelle Chan
PhD, Member
Biography
Isabelle is a seasoned academic with a strong focus on wellbeing, safety, trust, and environmental neuroscience within the built environment sector. She has successfully obtained various external funding, resulting in numerous publications in international journals, conferences, and books. She has also been invited by various organizations to deliver keynote speeches, guest lectures, seminars, and media interviews. Isabelle’s innovative contributions to teaching and learning include pioneering a virtual reality platform for innovative project delivery management and AI-facilitated risk management in construction. Her service to the university, professional bodies, councils, and international positions underscores her leadership and commitment to academia.
Natasa Danilovic Hristic
PhD, Member
Biography
Nataša Danilovic Hristic obtained her Ph.D. in Architecture and Urban Planning and is currently holding the position of Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia. In her 25 year-long professional career in urban planning and design, she was team leader and responsible urban planner for numerous urban and spatial plans, urban projects and studies. Besides that, she is regularly publishing scientific papers in journals and on conferences, and is the author of several monographs and participates in scientific and international projects. Her main field of interest and expertise is urban safety.
Yun-Hao Dong
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Dong holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Tongji University and is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (the awardee of the 2023 Hong Kong Scholar). His research focuses on urban informatics, data-informed planning techniques, and digital twins for underground space use in high-density built environments. To date, he has published over 30 high-quality academic papers and served as a committee member of the Underground Space Professional Committee of CSUS and is an active member of renowned academic societies, including ACUUS, ITA, and IUIS.
Michael Doyle
PhD, Member
Biography
Michael Doyle is an associate professor at the Université Laval School of Architecture in Quebec City, Canada. His current research revolves around the use of AI for interacting with large corpuses of text and georeferenced data. In 2023 he launched a new project that uses machine learning algorithms to characterize urban streets with big data. The funding provided by the FRQSC over the course of three years will help produce the prototype for a web-based application that can hopefully be expanded to a planetary scale. Michael holds a PhD from the EPFL in Switzerland where he completed his dissertation as a member of the Deep City Project.
Dexter Hunt
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Hunt is an Associate Professor in Sustainable and Underground Construction. He obtained his globally cited Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham in 2004, focusing on improving predictive methods for ground movements associated with multiple tunnel constructions. From 2003 to date, Dr. Hunt has been active in the field of “Sustainability and Underground Space” (in their broadest sense), working on multi-million-pound interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary projects. He is currently working with TfL and HAUC on “Decarbonising Roadworks and Streetworks,” where the potential for adopting trenchless technologies and alternative placement methods (e.g., multi-utility tunnels) is both substantial and necessary.
Marija Lalosevic
PhD, Member
Biography
Research Fellow in Architecture and Urban Planning at the Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia, Dr. Marija Lalošević brings extensive experience in urban planning, demonstrating a strong dedication to sustainable development and the public interest. Her expertise includes leading and participating in the preparation of numerous urban plans, expert studies, and spatial analyses, with a particular focus on strategic planning, urban transformation, and planning within protected spatial, cultural, and historical zones. Actively engaged in scientific research, she has authored and co-authored numerous papers published in national and international journals and conferences in the fields of urban and spatial planning.
Bozidar Manic
PhD, Member
Biography
Božidar Manić, architect and urbanist, finished graduate and postgraduate studies and obtained doctorate at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture. He lives in Belgrade, Serbia and works as Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Director at the Institute of architecture and urban & spatial planning of Serbia (Institut za arhitekturu i urbanizam Srbije – IAUS). He is a licensed architect and licensed urban planner in Serbia. He leads and participates in the research projects which are realized in IAUS, and publishes papers in national and international journals, monographs and conferences. He is also active as an architect and urban planner.
Michael Mooney
PhD, ACUUS Board Member
Biography
Mike is the Grewcock Chair Professor of Underground Construction & Tunneling at Colorado School of Mines and is an ACUUS Director for the Americas. He leads the Center for Underground as well as the post-graduate degree program in Underground Construction & Tunnel Engineering. Mike teaches a wide variety of tunnel, geotechnical, and structural courses. His research involves pressure balance TBM tunneling, large-diameter liner design, AI and the digital underground, and prediction/control of ground and building deformation. Mike was elected to the US National Academy of Construction in 2024. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a consultant on numerous tunneling projects in the US and internationally.
Jelena Ninic
Member
Biography
Dr. Jelena Ninic is an Associate Professor in Digital Engineering in the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, UK, since 2022. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2015 in the field of computational modeling at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. In 2016, she received a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (SATBIM) at the University of Nottingham, where she was later appointed as Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering and Informatics in 2018. Her current research focuses on the development and implementation of computational methods and tools that combine advanced numerical methods with novel information technologies to study structural and geotechnical problems. Prof. Ninić has authored over 80 academic papers and serves as an associate editor of the TUST and ICE Bridge Engineering journals. She is the UK representative and core member of the ISSMGE Technical Committee 222 on Geotechnical BIM and Digital Twins, Vice-President of UKACM, and a General Council member of IACM.
Yong-Kang Qiao
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Yong-Kang Qiao is an assistant professor at the Research Center for Underground Space, Tongji University, China. He obtained his BEng, MSc, and PhD degrees from Tongji University. His research interests include urban underground space planning and design, spatial data infrastructure, underground land administration, and urban analytics. Dr. Qiao has coordinated three national research programs and participated in urban underground space planning projects in more than ten Chinese metropolises. He has authored more than 40 technical papers related to underground space planning. Dr. Qiao has been engaged with ACUUS since 2016 and currently works as a collaborator of the General Manager for China.
Yingxin Zhou
ACUUS Board Member
Biography
Dr. Zhou is the Technical Director with Knights Synergy (S) Pte Ltd. He has 30 years of experience in research, engineering, and teaching in rock engineering and underground space technology. Dr. Zhou is a Fellow of the Academy of Engineering Singapore, a Fellow of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (ISRM), and a Board Member of the Associated Research Centers for the Urban Underground Space. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the TUST Journal. He has served as Vice President of ACUUS and Vice President (Asia) of ISRM and was the Organizing Chair for both ACUUS 2012 and 2024 in Singapore.
Jacques Besner
ACUUS General Manager, Board Member
Biography
Jacques Besner is a consultant in urban underground space planning. With a background in architecture and urban planning, he worked 30 years as a municipal planner at the City of Montréal and was in charge of the Underground City development. He was one of the founding members of ACUUS and its Secretary General from 1997 to 2007. In 1997, he was President of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Conference of ACUUS in Montreal. He is now acting as the General Manager of the organization.
Giuseppe Gaspari
Member
Biography
Giuseppe Gaspari leads AECOM’s Tunneling and Underground Space Practice in Canada, the USA East, and Latin America. He has earned numerous local and international awards and holds licenses in Italy and Ontario, Canada. His academic credentials include a Civil Engineering Degree, a Master in Geotechnics, a second Master in Tunneling & TBMs, and an MBA from Kellogg-Schulich. Gaspari chairs the International Tunneling Association’s WG “Urban Problems, Underground Solutions” and serves as vice-chair of the ITA Sustainability Committee, while also being active in various non-profit scientific committees. With over 20 years of experience, he has significantly contributed to underground urban projects in transportation, water, and power across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, utilizing various procurement methods.
Nemanja Sipetic
Vice-Chair of the Conference
Biography
Nemanja Sipetic is a graduate engineer of architecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, he is currently completing his post-graduate studies on the Formation of a methodological approach for the development of urban planning of the underground spatial medium for the territory of the City of Belgrade. He owns a design company and with his team has designed more than forty public buildings in Serbia. He is also an associate researcher at the Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia (IAUS), an associate at the Urban Institute of Belgrade (URBEL) and a frequent guest lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade (FA). Long time member of ACUUS.
Sanja Zlatanic
ACUUS Secretary General, Board Member
Biography
Sanja Zlatanic is an internationally recognized tunnel and infrastructure engineering expert with over three decades of leadership on the world’s most complex underground transportation projects. Graduated at the top of her class from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, in 1988, and established herself in the United States as a strong leader in developing tunneling and underground engineering projects and promoting the industry.
Sanja has directed and delivered all phases of major, multi-billion-dollar tunnel projects across the globe bringing unmatched technical expertise in underground risk management, transportation solutions, and the design and construction of complex tunneling systems beneath urban environments. As chair of the HNTB’s national tunnel practice since 2016, Secretary General of the international non-profit non-governmental organization Associated Research Centers for Urban Underground Space (ACUUS), and Vice President of International Tunnel Association (ITA – AITES) she has mentored generations of engineers while fostering innovation, excellence and inclusiveness nationally and internationally. A strong advocate for diversity of viewpoints and technical excellence in engineering, Sanja continues to champion inclusive leadership and collaborative problem-solving as essential to achieving transformative outcomes throughout the transportation and tunneling industry.
Ilkka Vähäaho
Member
Biography
Mr. Ilkka Vähäaho graduated with a Master of Science (Technology) from the Technical University of Helsinki in 1979. His expertise is based on 45 years of experience as an executive specialist on soil and bedrock matters for the City of Helsinki, including 25 years as the Head of the Soil and Bedrock Unit. He has been involved in numerous National and European Standards and has a strong engagement with the Finnish Geotechnical Society and the Finnish Tunnelling Association. Today, he works as an entrepreneur, assisting various actors in projects related to the use of underground space and zoning both nationally and internationally.
Mark Wallace
Member
Biography
Mr. Wallace is a Director of Arup in the Hong Kong office and has over 35 years of experience in Project Management, Site Formation, Ground and Project Risks, Underground Space, Geotechnical Design, Engineering Geology, and Tunneling-related work. He has led teams of specialists in Civil Engineering, Tunneling, Cavern Engineering, Engineering Geology, Hydrogeology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Economics, Renewable Energy Civil Infrastructure support, Environmental, and Geotechnical work for the majority of the specialist input on deliverables in Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, and other East Asia locations. He is currently the President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Philippines Tunneling Society. He has been engaged in teaching various courses and modules at The University of Hong Kong on Site Investigation, Rock Mechanics, and Air Photo Interpretation. He has authored and co-authored over 20 publications, with topics ranging from Rock Cavern Development, Tunneling Projects, Landslides, Engineering Geology, to GIS-related solutions.
Behnam Atazadeh
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Behnam Atazadeh is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Early Career Fellow at the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration (CSDILA), Department of Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Serving as a research team leader in 3D land administration, he specializes in various technical aspects, including modelling, capturing, validating, integrating, visualizing, querying, and analysing land and infrastructure data. He is dedicated to developing new 3D underground digital and intelligent solutions, which represent a fundamental shift from current 2D underground plans. His work offers the opportunity to transform underground 2D land and infrastructure information into 3D digital environments.
Prof. Vojkan Jovicic
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Vojkan Jovicic finished Faculty of Civil Engineering at University of Belgrade, Serbia in 1989. He specialised in Geotechnics and took the Master Science degree at the same University in 1993. He obtained his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering at City University in London, UK at 1997. Dr. Vojkan Jovičić is Assistant Professor at Faculty of Civil Engineering at University of Ljubljana and longstanding director of IRGO Consulting d.o.o. Dr. Vojkan Jovičić started teaching Geotechnical Engineering at University in Ljubljana in 2003. As a result of his research work, he published more than 75 scientific papers on the wide area of topics including small strain stiffness of soils and rocks, soil anisotropy, soil structure, mechanical behaviour of sands, constitutive modelling of hard soils and soft rocks and others. He authored and co-authored more than 600 technical reports covering the wide area of topics in Soil and Rock Engineering. During his professional carrier, dr. Vojkan Jovičić designed more than 70 km of road and railway tunnels, which were built in Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro and Italy. Dr. Vojkan Jovičić was President of Slovenian geotechnical Society (SLOGED) during the period between 2012 and 2016. Between 2019 and 2023, he was Vice President of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM). Dr. Vojkan Jovičić is the recipient of the Slovenian Engineering Chamber’s award for engineering excellence, which he received in November 2023.
Prof. Dietmar Adam
PhD, Member
Biography
Head of the Institute of Geotechnics, TU Wien, Austria
Dr. Dietmar Adam is a Full Professor at the Institute of Geotechnics at TU Wien, Austria. He obtained his PhD from TU Wien in 1996 and completed his habilitation in 2002, with an appointment to Full Professor in 2008.
Since 1992, Dr. Adam’s research has encompassed a wide range of topics in geotechnics, including theoretical and experimental soil dynamics, compaction control and ground improvement, innovative geo-materials, railway tamping and dynamic track stabilization, ground freezing, and energy geo-structures. He has initiated numerous research projects with pioneering findings and holds several patents for his innovative work. His research contributions are documented in over 380 publications, and he has been invited to give more than 280 presentations, keynotes, and special lectures worldwide.
In addition to his academic and research achievements, Dr. Adam is highly active as an international consultant. He has led more than 1,000 projects across over 40 countries, demonstrating his expertise and commitment to advancing geotechnics on a global scale.
Ikram Loukili
PhD, Member
Biography
Moroccan Researcher in Urban Planning and Sustainable Infrastructure
Ikram Loukili is a Moroccan researcher with over 14 years of experience in urban planning, civil engineering, and sustainable infrastructure. She holds a PhD in Urban Planning and GIS Systems, is a certified civil engineer, and has a certification in Sustainability of Infrastructure Systems from MIT.
Ikram has managed complex, multidisciplinary projects in Morocco, focusing on urban development, eco-construction, and geotechnical analysis. She has successfully led diverse teams and collaborated with various stakeholders to drive project success.
Currently, Ikram is a part-time professor at Collège Boréal in Canada, where she teaches municipal engineering and remains dedicated to integrating environmental sustainability into urban and territorial development.
Prof. Milorad Jovanovski
PhD, Member
Biography
Prof. Milorad Jovanovski is a full professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje. His main research activities are focused on rock slope engineering, rock mass characterization and classification, tunneling, large dams, etc. He was the first President of the Geotechnical Division of the National Chamber of Authorized Architects and Authorized Engineers, a Vice President of the Engineering Institution of Macedonia, and President of the Macedonian Association for Geotechnics. In 2019, he received the Great Medal of Honor from the Austrian Society for Architects and Engineers for his contributions to engineering geology and geotechnics. He was also awarded by the NCAAAE for advancing geotechnics, by the Macedonian Association for Road Engineering in 2022 for his contribution to the development of road engineering, and became an honorary member of the Serbian Society of Civil Engineers in 2023. He is a member of ISSMGE and ISRM, where he serves as a Vice-President At Large.
Giuseppe Pace
Member
Biography
Giuseppe Pace is a senior researcher at the National Research Council’s Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development (CNR-IRISS).His work focuses on planning, spanning spatial development and applied economics.His research focuses on decision-making, sustainable transitions, and local communities’ empowerment in urban planning, transportation, and cultural heritage management.From 2019 to 2023, he chaired the COST Action “Underground Built Heritage as Catalyser for Community Valorisation,” fostering sustainable development through heritage.Giuseppe serves on the boards of networks, such as LDNet.A prolific author, he has edited seven books and published over 100 journal articles and scientific papers.
Prof. Oussama Hamal
PhD, Member
Biography
Prof. Dr. HAMAL Oussama is an Assistant Professor at the National School of Architecture (ENAM), with a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the Mohammedia School of Engineers (EMI) in Rabat. His research focuses on AI applications in education, smart cities, GIS, IoT, and BIM. With extensive expertise in machine learning and data science, he has published in prestigious international journals and conferences. Dr. Hamal also holds advanced degrees in Information Systems Architecture (France) and Mathematics & Computer Science (Morocco).Previously, he served as the head of the doctoral cycle Urban Planning, Risk Management, and Territories at the National Institute of Planning and Urbanism Morocco (INAU).Passionate about smart campuses, pedagogical innovation, and sustainable urban development, he strives to advance AI-driven solutions for societal advancement.
LI Xiaojun
PhD, Member
Biography
Dr. Li Xiaojun is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Engineering Research Center of Civil Informatics at Tongji University. He has been a visiting scholar at Cambridge University (2009) and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2010-2011). His research interests focus on civil-informatics and its applications in tunnel engineering. He is a founding member of the Geo-Information Platform – Infrastructure Smart Service System (iS3) and a core member of the Joint Technical Committee 2 of the Federation of International Geo-Engineering Societies. Additionally, he serves as Vice Director of the Chinese Institution of Information Technology and Application in Geo-Engineering. Dr. Li has published more than 100 papers in leading international and Chinese journals, with an H-index of 24.
Prof. Vladimir Lojanica
PhD, Member
Biography
Eng. Arch. Vladimir Lojanica is a dean and full professor at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture. He is the founder of an independent architectural practice studio Proaspekt, within which he successfully participates in public national and international architectural competitions, where he has won numerous awards. He is the author of a series of projects and executed buildings both in the country and abroad. There is a interest in more complex program-spatial, architectural-urban compositions in which the functional, engineering-technical and architectural-design aspects of the task are dominant, as well as the issues related to matching the work into the spatial and social context. His professional work is referent in three characteristic branches of comparative activities: theoretical scientific research and pedagogical-educational work; architectural and urban design and construction -professional-artistic work; and wider public professional activity of interest for the architectural profession in the society. He permanently participates in professional social activities and bodies from the Association of Architects of Serbia, Chamber of Engineers, as a member of working groups of the Ministry for Improvement of Rules and regulations in the Field of Housing, concluding with the position of President of Steering Committee of the Republic Institute for protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia.
Prof. Chu Jian
PhD, Member
Biography
Prof Chu is President’s Chair in Civil Engineering, Chair of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Director of the Centre for Urban Solutions (CUS). He joined NTU in 1991 after receiving his PhD from The University of New South Wales, Australia. Prof Chu also worked for Iowa State University, USA, from 2011 to 2014 as professor and James M. Hoover Chair in Geotechnical Engineering. He has more than 30 years’ research and consulting experience in geotechnical engineering, in particular in the areas of laboratory and in-situ testing, engineering properties of soils, soil improvement, land reclamation, coastal protection and waste utilisation. He is a fellow of the Academy of Engineering Singapore.
Currently, Prof Chu is the Chair for ISSMGE Technical Committee TC217 on Land Reclamation and a committee member for ISSMGE Technical Committee TC211 on Ground Improvement and TC303 on flooding respectively. He was the Chair for ISSMGE Technical Committee TC39 on Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation from 2005 to 2009 and a Past President of Geotechnical Society of Singapore.
Prof Chu is among the top 2% of scientists worldwide by Stanford University. He has published over 400 technical papers in international journals and conferences and holds several patents. He has delivered over 70 keynote or invited lectures at international conferences.
Filip Filipovic
MSc, Secretary
Biography
Filip Filipovic, MSc, is a Project Manager at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (FTTE), with 6 years of experience in project design, proposal development, and project management implementation in programs such as HORIZON, IPA, COST, ERASMUS+, etc. He has also been involved in research activities for 10 years, as a research associate and doctoral student at the Department of Road Traffic Safety, he participated in more than 50 projects, as an author or co-author of more than 20 papers and publications. As a student, he received various scholarships and awards. He is skilled in office productivity software, graphic design, web development, data analysis, computer-aided design, content management systems, statistical analysis, programming, and video editing.