Prof. Peng Zhang
Zhengzhou University, China
Biography: Peng Zhang is a second-level professor at Zhengzhou University and vice dean of the School of Water Conservancy and Transportation. He is a distinguished professor of Henan Province, a leading talent in technological innovation in the Central Plains region, a recipient of the Henan Province Outstanding Youth Fund, and a specially appointed professor in a key discipline at Zhengzhou University. He has been listed for two consecutive years in the “lifetime scientific influence ranking” of the world’s top 2% scientists. He has also received honors and titles such as Henan Province Academic and Technical Leader, Leader of the Model Worker and Craftsman Innovation Studio in Henan’s education, science, culture, health and sports system, Baosteel Excellent Teacher, Central Plains Water Conservancy Talent, Academic and Technical Leader of the Henan Provincial Department of Education, Leader of the university science and technology innovation team for new green hydraulic materials and structures in Henan Province, Henan Province University Science and Technology Innovation Talent, Henan Province Civilized Teacher, Outstanding Communist Party Member in Henan Higher Education Institutions, Young Backbone Teacher in Henan Province, Zhengzhou University’s “My Favorite Teacher” as voted by students, and an Outstanding Individual in Zhengzhou University’s “Three-Fold Education” program.
He also serves as a council member of the Civil Engineering Branch of the China Composite Materials Society, a council member of the Advanced Engineering Materials Branch of the China Civil Engineering Society, a council member and vice chair of the Academic Committee on Alkali-Activated Cementitious Materials under the Solid Waste and Ecological Materials Branch of the China Silicate Society, a council member of the 6th Council of the Henan Hydropower Engineering Society, an expert committee member of the Specialized Committee on Dam Concrete and Rock Fracture Mechanics of the China Dam Engineering Society, and a committee member of the Specialized Committee on Testing, Repair and Strengthening of Hydraulic Concrete Structures of the China Dam Engineering Society. He also serves as editor-in-chief or editorial board member for multiple international and domestic academic journals.
His research focuses on new high-performance hydraulic materials and the structural performance of related systems.
Prof. Ahmad Safuan Bin A. Rashid
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
Biography: Prof. Ahmad Safuan Bin A. Rashid began his academic career as a university academician in March 2005. Over the past 19 years, he has taught 228 credit-hour courses at the university, covering both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. He has supervised 21 PhD and 9 Master’s research students as the main supervisor, with 9 PhD and 8 Master’s students having successfully graduated under his guidance. He has led 32 out of 77 research projects in which he has been involved, with a total research value of MYR 5,525,701.00. In addition, he has led and assisted in 30 consultation projects worth MYR 2,318,101.56. He has also received 1 utility innovation award. Prof. Ahmad Safuan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from UTM, and obtained his Master of Civil Engineering (Geotechnics) from UTM in 2005. He then pursued his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Sheffield, England, graduating in November 2011. His doctoral research focused on the failure behavior of soft soil treated with a group of soil-cement columns formed using the Deep Mixing (DM) method. To date, he has published 153 journal papers, 20 technical proceedings papers, and 3 book chapters. Of his 153 journal publications, 101 are indexed in the ISI database, 52 are indexed by Scopus, and 3 are classified as non-indexed refereed journals. His publications have contributed a total cumulative impact factor of 244.275 to UTM, supporting the university’s research university status. Beyond writing, he actively contributes as a manuscript reviewer and has reviewed more than 50 journals, including the Journal of Geological and Geotechnical Engineering, the International Journal of GEOMATE, and the Geotechnical Testing Journal (ASTM).