Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi

Professor and Head of School, Archi

School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Overview

Ali Cheshmehzangi is Professor in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) at the University of Queensland, where he leads the School and researches across the fields of architecture, design, and planning/urbanism. He is the World’s top 2% field leader for two consecutive years, recognised by Stanford University. He is among top 30 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. Ali is internationally known for his scholarly contribution and extended work on climate resilience and sustainable urbanism research, mainly as the Editor-in-Chief of Springer’s Urban Sustainability (US) book series (see https://www.springer.com/series/16930). He has five academic degrees including a PhD Degree in Architecture and Urban Design, Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Urban Design, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), Graduate Degree in Professional Studies in Architecture, and Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture. Ali has a wealth of experience, expertise, and a strong commitment to innovation and excellence in the fields of architecture, design, and planning, three core disciplines of his School at UQ. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the academic and professional communities, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. Prior to joining UQ, Ali held several strategic leadership and senior managerial roles, such as Vice-President for International Engagement and Global Partnership, Founding Director and Head of the Center for Innovation in Education and Research, Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Founding Director of the Urban Innovation Lab, Director of a university-wide Teaching and Learning platform, Director of International Research Network for Rural and Urban Development, Head of Research Group for Sustainable Built Environment, co-director of university-wide research priority areas, Director of Center for Sustainable Energy Technologies, and Interim Director of Digital Design Lab.

Research Impacts

Ali has a wide range of experience at the university leadership level, sitting at several committees for student experience and engagement, UK-Asia Research Network, Regional Strategic leadership, Research and Knowledge Exchange leadership, Student Affairs support, etc. He has carried forward his honorary roles in China and Japan. He was a specially-appointed Full Professor and is now a Research Associate of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, Japan. He has collaborated and worked with major international and national organisations and leading industry partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the UN Habitat, ICLEI, Arup, Siemens, Regional Planning Association (in New York), London Development Agency, Catapult UK, The Guangzhou Award for Urban Innovation, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China Academy of Building Research (CABR), Building Research Establishment (BRE), etc. Under his profile, he has 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 take new PhD/HDR students who are eager to explore important local and global research topics.

Ali is active in research and continues to collaborate with multiple stakeholders in academia, governments, communities, and the industry. He is well-connected internationally in multiple regions in Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. He believes in impactful and meaningful research that could enrich our local communities with a global and progressive outlook. So far, Ali has published over 500 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. To date, he has published 26 academic books, mostly focused on sustainable urban development, urbanism, and sustainability transitions. Three of his books have received awards at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. He also has received international award and recognition for his research on urban resilience studies and sustainability research, as well as a Vice-Chancellor’s award for his impactful contribution to higher education.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, University of Nottingham
  • Doctor of Philosophy of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Nottingham
  • Masters (Extended) of Urban Design, University of Nottingham
  • Graduate Certificate in Architecture, Leeds Metropolitan University
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Architecture, Leeds Metropolitan University

Publications

  • Su, Zhaohui, Bentley, Barry L., McDonnell, Dean, Cheshmehzangi, Ali, Ahmad, Junaid, Šegalo, Sabina, da Veiga, Claudimar Pereira and Xiang, Yu-Tao (2024). The dangers of having only one pandemic exit strategy. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 17 (6), 1007-1012. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.04.006

  • Su, Zhaohui, Bentley, Barry L., Yu, Xin, Jiang, Jianlin, Liu, Yifan, McDonnell, Dean, Cheshmehzangi, Ali, da Veiga, Claudimar Pereira and Xiang, Yu-Tao (2024). Where is the money? Insights into China’s post-COVID healthcare corruption-busting campaign. Journal of Public Health Policy, 1-5. doi: 10.1057/s41271-024-00474-5

  • Su, Zhaohui, McDonnell, Dean, Cheshmehzangi, Ali, Bentley, Barry L., Šegalo, Sabina, da Veiga, Claudimar Pereira and Xiang, Yu-Tao (2024). Where should “Humans” be in “One Health”? Lessons from COVID-19 for One Health. Globalization and Health, 20 (1) 24. doi: 10.1186/s12992-024-01026-y

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Publications

Book

Book Chapter

Journal Article