Globally recognised researcher Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi has taken up the position of Head of the School of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at The University of Queensland.
With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, Professor Cheshmehzangi has made significant contributions to both the academic and professional communities in architecture, design and planning, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. He has a strong commitment to innovation and excellence, along with an extensive history of strategic leadership and a passion for urban resilience and cutting-edge design thinking.
“The School of Architecture, Design and Planning is uniquely positioned to engage across professions and industry, enabling us to support students as next generation leaders tackling the challenges of tomorrow,” said Professor Cheshmehzangi.
“I am excited to guide the School’s growth as it forges pioneering collaborations, fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, and leads cutting-edge research.
“Our school continues to cultivate a dynamic learning environment that empowers students to push the boundaries of sustainability and innovation in creating the built environment of the future.”
Professor Cheshmehzangi is a World’s top 2% field leader, recognised by Stanford University, and is among the top 30 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. He holds five academic degrees, including a PhD in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Nottingham, UK.
Before joining UQ, he was Professor at Qingdao City University (QCU) in China, where he remains a Distinguished Honorary Professor in Architecture and Urbanism. He also held several strategic leadership and senior managerial roles at QCU, including his recent positions as Vice-President for International Engagement and Global Partnership, Executive Board Member, and Founding Director and Head of the Center for Innovation in Education and Research.
Prior to this he held several leadership roles, including Head of Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Founding Director of Urban Innovation Lab and Acting Director of Digital Design Lab at University of Nottingham, and the Director of Center of Sustainable Energy Technologies.
At Hiroshima University, Japan, Professor Cheshmehzangi was a specially appointed Full Professor and is now a Research Associate of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability. He has worked with major international and national organisations and leading industry partners, including the Asian Development Bank, UN Habitat, Arup, Siemens, London Development Agency, and China’s National Development and Reform Commission, among others.
To date, he has published more than 500 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters and reports, as well as 26 academic books. He is internationally known for his scholarly contribution to climate resilience and sustainable urbanism research, mainly as the Editor-in-Chief of Springer’s Urban Sustainability (US) book series.
Professor Cheshmehzangi has advised 11 PhD students to completion and nine ongoing PhD students studying various urban sustainability and built environment research topics, often through applied research and problem-solving ideas. He is open to taking new PhD/HDR students who are eager to explore important local and global research topics.
Professor Cheshmehzangi is active in research and continues to collaborate with multiple stakeholders in academia, governments, communities and industry. He believes in “impactful and meaningful research that could enrich our local communities with a global and progressive outlook.”
