Professor Ali Ghaffarian is a Senior Academician, a Seasoned People Leader, and a Champion of Transformational Change Management.
With over 2 decades of experience in Academic Management, leading sophisticated teams and initiatives, he has constantly been regarded as a high achiever. Professor Ghaffarian is member of the Artificial Intelligence Reference Group at the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, an Evaluator at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, a Delegate of the College of Assessors at Royal Society Te Apārangi, Head of the Built Environment Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, a Senior Academic Representative on the University Academic Board (led by the Vice Chancellor), an Appointed Leading Researcher, an Academic Architectural Engineer/Designer (New Zealand Institute of Architects), and a Green Star Accredited Professional (New Zealand Green Building Council).
From a scholarly perspective, Professor Ghaffarian is a Globally Recognized Scientist, having led various International Collaborations with world-class leaders, and has achieved well-recognized awards plus scholarship of over 200 international-level Patents, Journal Articles, Books/Book Chapters, Conference Papers, etc. focusing on the interdisciplinary system of integrating advanced technologies with sustainable development approaches to achieve smarter built environments both at the building and urban levels with a focus on Smart Cities & Intelligent Buildings, Urban Technology Induction, Resilient Mobility & Infrastructure (Decarbonisation), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Twins & Artificial Intelligence in Design & Construction, Regenerative Design, Climate Adaptation, Built Environment Energy Optimization and Carbon Footprint Reduction.
In Curriculum Leadership and Pedagogical Development, he has Led, Developed, Moderated, Reviewed, and contributed to the Accreditation of various academic programmes along with design, development and operationalization of special Research, Teaching, and Testing Laboratories/Facilities plus Financial Management, Recruitment, and Mentoring of Several Academicians and Team Leaders. Ali has been an International Assessor for Government Projects, United Nations, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Funding Projects, DIGI+ and SyMeCo, European Research Council (ERC) and Research Infrastructures: Horizon Europe’s Pillar I – ‘Excellent Science’, etc. He is SoFE’s Representative at Te Kāhui Rangahau o Te Rōpū Taki Māori: Sub-committee of Te Rōpū Taki Māori – DCT Māori Staff Caucus.
Professor Ghaffarian’s substantial involvement in Academic Management has not diminished his engagement in research. His scholarly standing (Citations: 8K+, h-index: 30+, i10-index: 50+) represents his significant contribution to the academic spectrum, highlighting his dedication to Research and Dissemination. Moreover, he has been a pivotal figure, serving as the Organizer/key member of Scientific/Technical Committees for 100+ Prestigious International Academic Conferences in 30+ Countries.
He is the Co-founder and Co-director of RESPONSIVE + GREEN Urban Built Environment (RG UBE) Lab. RG Lab is an interdisciplinary consortium based in New Zealand, Canada, and Malaysia. It is led by Prof. Ali Ghaffarian & Prof. Amir Ghaffarian. The Lab aims to contribute to the development of healthier, smarter, and environmentally responsive urban built environments. It encompasses highly talented scholars with diversified fields of expertise related to the responsiveness and green performance of urban built environments. The Lab, with its cutting-edge research focus at both building and urban scales, aims to contribute to the sustainable development of future cities.
Professor Ghaffarian is closely linked with Senior Scholars/Leaders of major Universities within New Zealand and Australia plus engaging in academic partnerships with several key universities in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America. He is in scholarly engagement with, and leading teams involving representatives from Governing Bodies (Auckland Council and Auckland Transport), Ministries (MoT, MfE, MBIE), Crown Institutes (Genesis Science, NIWA, Ara Ake, etc), Professional Boards & Industry Leaders (ANZAScA, APRU, BECA, CIBSE, CIOB, EECA, ENZ, Fletcher’s, HFESNZ, JasMax, NZGBC, NZIA, NZIOB, RICS) as well as current and past members of parliament.
He has collaborated with, and possesses an in-depth understanding of, the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) agreements and accords, specifically the Washington, Sydney, and Dublin accords. Professor Ghaffarian has Led/co-led, liaised with and in association with prominent professional and accrediting bodies such as the Engineering New Zealand (ENZ), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB), Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), and the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC).
Ali plays a significant role in architectural design, urban thinking, academic research, and curriculum development and offers his expertise in a diverse range of consultations.