Digital Twins for Sustainable Cities

Dr. Dat Doan is a Senior Lecturer in the Built Environment Engineering Department at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), specializing in sustainable construction and digital innovations like Green Building and Building Information Modelling (BIM). He is the Associate Editor for Environment, Development and Sustainability and serves on the Editorial Boards of several high-impact journals, including Environmental Research Communications and Environmental Technology Reviews. His extensive editorial experience is complemented by his leadership roles in prestigious conferences and research clusters, such as serving on the Organizing Committee for the SASBE2024 and ASA2020 Conferences and co-leading the Advanced Construction Plus cluster. One of Dr. Doan’s most impactful works, "A Critical Comparison of Green Building Rating Systems," has received significant recognition, including being listed among the Top Papers and Highly Cited Papers. It was also highlighted as one of the Top 50 New Green Buildings by The Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN).

Professor Ali GhaffarianHoseini is a Senior Academic Strategist and Head of Built Environment Engineering at Auckland University of Technology. With over 20 years of academic management experience, he has excelled as a leader, consultant, and scholar. He actively contributes as a Consultant to the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Evaluator at MBIE, and Delegate of the College of Assessors at Royal Society Te Apārangi. An internationally recognized scientist, Professor Ghaffarian has led collaborations with global leaders and published extensively, with over 200 patents, articles, books, and conference papers. His research focuses on integrating advanced technologies with sustainable development, including Smart Cities, BIM, Digital Twins, and climate adaptation. A dedicated academic leader, he has developed and accredited numerous programs, laboratories, and mentoring initiatives. His scholarly contributions and leadership at over 100 international conferences highlight his impact in academia and beyond.

Professor Amir is a renowned academic with over 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and leadership across New Zealand, Canada, and Malaysia. Currently serving as Director of the Architectural Engineering Lab and the Responsive + Green Urban Built Environment Lab at AUT, his work focuses on sustainable urban futures, digital twins, and intelligent buildings. He ranks among New Zealand's most cited architecture professors and is listed in the top 2% of global scientists by Stanford University. Amir has published extensively in leading journals and led $1 million NZD in research projects. As Editor-in-Chief of Urbanization, Sustainability, and Society and Co-Leader of APRU’s Future Energy Landscape Cluster, he is a thought leader in urban resilience. Amir also contributes as a consultant, assessor, and speaker for global organizations and governments.

Hossein Omrany is a Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia. Hossein’s primary research interests lie in the application of digital technologies within the construction industry, with a focus on advancing sustainability, efficiency, and innovation. His work has been published in leading journals, including Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Journal of Cleaner Production, Automation in Construction, and Energy and Buildings. He also serves as an Assistant Editor for Urbanization, Sustainability and Society (Emerald) and is a member of the editorial boards for several other high-impact journals in the field such as Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (Emerald) and Discover Cities (Springer). His publications include highly cited and widely downloaded papers, e.g., in Architectural Science Review, where one of his articles ranks among the most downloaded papers of all time.