Biographical note

Zaheer Allam holds a PhD in Humanities, a Master of Arts (Res), an MBA, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Architectural Science from universities in Australia and the United Kingdom. Based in Mauritius, he was the first Chairperson of the National Youth Environment Council (NYEC) under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office, and is a board member of the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA). He works on a number of projects on the thematic of Smart Cities and on strategies dwelling in the increasing role of technology in Culture and the Society. Zaheer is also the African Representative of the International Society of Biourbanism (ISB), member of the Advisory Circle of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), and a member of a number of other international bodies. Honorary Fellow at Deakin University (Australia) and Senior Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University (Australia), he holds a number of awards and commendations, including an elevation, by the President of Mauritius, to the rank of Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, the highest distinct order of merit in Mauritius. Featured among the World's top 2% field leader, recognised by Stanford University, he is the author of over 150 peer reviewed publications and author of 10 books on the subject of Smart, Sustainable and Future Cities.

Prof. Ali Cheshmehzangi is the World’s top 2% field leader, recognised by Stanford University. He has recently taken a senior leadership and management role at Qingdao City University (QCU), where he is a Professor in Architecture and Urban Planning, Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching, Learning, and Research, and Advisor to the school’s international communications. Over 11 years at his previous institute, Ali was a Full Professor in Architecture and Urban Design, Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Founding Director of the UrbanInnovation Lab, Director of Center for Sustainable Energy Technologies, and Director of Digital Design Lab. He was Visiting Professor and now Research Associate of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS) at Hiroshima University, Japan. Ali is globally known for his research on ‘urban sustainability’. So far, Ali has published over 300 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. To date, he has 15 other published books.

David S. Jones is a Professor (Research) at the Indigenous Studies Research Centre at Monash University, an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Art & Design at the University of Canberra, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Cities Research Institute at Griffith University, and was Foundation Professor of Planning and Landscape Architecture at Deakin University, before more recently oversighting strategic planning and urban design for the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. With academic and professional qualifications, he has taught, researched, and published extensively across urban planning, landscape architecture, cultural heritage and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the past 35 years. He has co-authored the Victoria square/Tarntanyangga Regeneration Project (2017); authored the Adelaide Park Lands and Squares Cultural Landscape Assessment Study (2007); co-authored Learning Country in Landscape Architecture Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Respect and Appreciation (2021); co-authored North Gardens Indigenous Sculpture Landscape Master Plan (2019), Geelong’s Changing Landscape (2019), Re-casting Terra Nullius Blindness (2017); and co-authored chapters to the Routledge Handbook to Landscape and Food (2018), The Handbook of Contemporary Indigenous Architecture (2018), Routledge Handbook on Historic Urban Landscapes of the Asia-Pacific (2020), and RoutledgeHandbook of Cultural Landscapes in the Asia-Pacific (2022).