The 12th World Sustainability Forum
The 12th World Sustainability Forum
Innovative Pathways for Sustainable, Resilient Cities and a Greener Planet
Part of the World Sustainability Forum series
1 May 2026
1 June 2026
10 July 2026
30 June 2026
20 August 2026
Circular Economy, Climate Adaptation, Smart Cities, Urban Resilience, Renewable Energy, Zero-waste Strategy, Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Education, Water Resource Management
Abstract Submissions and Registrations are now open for the 12th World Sustainability Forum (WSF-12), which is happening from 21 to 24 August 2026, in Hong Kong, China!
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Welcome from the Chairs
Building on the success of previous editions, we are delighted to announce that the 12th World Sustainability Forum (WSF-12) will be held in Hong Kong from 21–24 August 2026. In a time of rapid climate change, increasingly frequent extreme weather events, and growing resource constraints, the need for integrated, scalable solutions has never been greater.
WSF-12 will bring together global leaders, researchers and innovators to bridge science, policy, and society, fostering integrated solutions and collaborative partnerships that accelerate the transition from vision to action for a resilient and sustainable future. The forum will highlight the critical role of innovation and cross-sector partnerships in accelerating this transition.
This year’s forum will focus on seven key themes:
• Smart and Inclusive Urban Planning, and the Urban Sustainability Nexus (refers to the intersection of urban planning, resource management, and social well-being);
• The Circular Economy–Resource Efficiency Nexus;
• Waste Management, Renewable Energy Integration and Grid Modernization;
• Climate Adaptation and Ecological Conservation;
• Sustainable Transportation and Low-Carbon Mobility;
• Policy Frameworks for Equitable Green Transitions;
• Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Hospitality.
WSF-12 aims to bridge scientific research, societal needs, and policy implementation. We especially encourage contributions that integrate technological advancements with socio-economic perspectives to address the complex challenges of sustainability in a changing world.
We look forward to welcoming you to Hong Kong in 2026 to share your expertise, explore new collaborations, and contribute to a sustainable future.
Conference Chairs
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
Event Chairs
Prof. Lu joined the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as an assistant professor in 2006 after working for Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia) Ltd for 2 years, and was promoted to Professor in July 2018. As a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics in Engineering and a World’s Top 2% Scientist by Stanford University in Energy, Prof. Lu is a well established researcher in renewable energy and building energy engineering.
Prof. Lu has published 6 books/handbook chapters and over 350 SCI-cited journal papers (including Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, etc.), and her work has been financially supported by the Research Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong (GRF, NFSC/RGC JRS, CRF(Co-PI), HKPDF), Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission (ITF), Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (ECF), Hong Kong Policy Innovation and Coordination Office (PPR), Hong Kong Construction Industry Institute (CII), Dept of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, the Society of Hong Kong Scholars and the China National Postdoctoral Council (Hong Kong Scholars), Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) and various industry partners including Sinopec.
Prof. Lu has received several prestigious awards, primarily as the first awardee, and is the founder of two spin-out startups. Currently, she is serving local government as The Project Management Committee (PMC) for Cleaner Production Partnership Programme, Task Force Member for Energy Management System Certification under Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) and as Working Group Member for Building Energy Codes (Electrical; Energy Audit; Lighting) under Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance.
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Weiqi Zhou received his B.Sc. degree in environmental sciences from Peking University, Beijing, in 2001; his M.Sc. degree in cartography and geographic information systems from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, in 2004; and his Ph.D. degree in natural resources from the University of Vermont, Burlington. He is currently working at the State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a research professor. He is experienced in urban landscape dynamic analysis using geographic information system and remote sensing technologies, especially with high spatial resolution remote sensing images.
Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA
Mark A. Bonn, Ph.D., is known internationally as one of the most renowned hospitality and tourism researchers, having published well over 125 scientific, scholarly academic journal articles. For over three decades, Dr. Bonn was a faculty member at Florida State University's Dedman School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where he held the title of the Robert H. Dedman Professor of Services Management.
Dr. Bonn established and directed Florida State University’s International Center for Hospitality Research & Development. As director, he produced over 500 technical reports and generated nearly $2.5 million in funded contracts and grants. Dr. Bonn developed the Dedman School’s highly successful on-line program in Beverage Management and also founded the Resort & Vacation Rental Management program.
Dr. Bonn is currently serving a Section Editor-in-Chief for the academic journal, Sustainability: Tourism, Culture and Heritage. He also has served as an associate editor for the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and as a member of numerous editorial boards for leading hospitality and tourism journals.
Dr. Bonn earned his doctorate at Texas A&M University, majoring in resource development with supporting areas of study in organizational behavior, attitude theory and measurement and demographics. His research focuses on hospitality and tourism sustainability, visitor perceptions, satisfaction, revisit intentions, resource quality, supply chain management, strategic market segmentation, and consumer behavior.
In 2008, Dr. Bonn was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame by the Florida Commission on Tourism. He is the only academic researcher to have ever received this honor.
Honorary Chair
Prof. Dr. Max Bergman
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Prof. Manfred Max Bergman is Chair of Social Research and Methodology and Director of the Social Transitions Research Group at the University of Basel, member of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations. He is President of the Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology and Editor in Chief of World. He has been chairing the World Sustainability Forum and the Basel Sustainability Forum since 2014. He currently collaborates with the Mixed Methods Program at the University of Michigan, and his substantive research is on sustainability and the business-society nexus in North America and Asia.
Plenary Speakers and Panelists
Prof. Dr. Zongping Shao
Western Australia School of Mines, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation proudly recognizes Professor Zongping Shao as a 2026 World Sustainability Award Winner for his outstanding contributions to sustainable energy research and innovation. Professor Shao is currently a John Curtin Distinguished Professor at Curtin University, Australia, He received his Ph.D. from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences at 2000, and has hold research appointments in IRC-CNRS, France and California Institute of Technology, USA, Nanjing University of Technology, China, and Monash University, Australia during his research career. His research advances next-generation energy storage and conversion technologies, including advanced batteries, fuel cells, solar energy systems, and hydrogen-related technologies. Widely regarded as a global leader in energy materials, Professor Shao has significantly contributed to accelerating the transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions. He has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate for multiple years, in particular in three fields of Chemistry, Materials Science and Environmental and Ecology in 2025, reflecting the international impact and influence of his work.
Asst. Prof. Katrina Knauer
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation proudly recognizes Dr. Katrina (Kat) Knauer as the 2026 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) Winner for her visionary leadership in advancing circular plastics and sustainable materials innovation. Dr. Knauer earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Florida State University and her Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has held leadership roles across industry and national research, including BASF, Novoloop Inc., and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where she serves as Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE™ Consortium. She is also an Assistant Adjoint Professor and RASEI Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work integrates polymer science, engineering, and systems analysis to redesign plastics for circularity. By advancing scalable recycling technologies and circular-by-design materials, she has helped shape strategies that keep plastics in continuous use and out of the environment. The 2026 ESLA recognizes her cross-sector leadership in translating advanced chemistry into practical solutions for a regenerative and economically viable circular economy.
Dr. Abdelbagi M Ismail
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Nairobi, Kenya
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation proudly recognizes Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail as the recipient of the 2025 World Sustainability Award for his outstanding contributions to advancing climate-resilient agriculture and strengthening food and income security for smallholder farmers in vulnerable environments. Dr. Ismail is a Principal Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with more than 30 years of experience in research, development, and the deployment of solutions supporting smallholder farmers. He received a BSc (First Class) and MSc in Crop Sciences from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, and a PhD in Botany from the University of California, Riverside, USA. At IRRI, Dr. Ismail has led several regional programs on the development and delivery of climate-resilient rice varieties and technologies and coordinated extensive networks of research and development partners. He has also served in senior leadership roles including Associate Deputy Director General, Interim Deputy Director General for Research, and Head of the former Genetics and Biotechnology Division. From June 2017 to December 2025, he served as IRRI’s Regional Director for Africa and subsequently continued contributing to the institute as Senior Advisor–Consultant. His research focuses on enhancing and sustaining crop productivity in areas severely affected by drought, floods, salinity, and heat stress—constraints increasingly intensified by global climate change. His work contributed substantially to strengthening the resilience and sustainability of smallholder farming communities by reducing the impacts of worsening climatic conditions on rice-based systems and enhancing farmers’ capacity to adapt through resilient crop varieties, improved management interventions, strengthened value chains, and supportive policy environments developed in collaboration with governments. Dr. Ismail has authored or co-authored more than 290 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters and has co-supervised over 50 graduate students.
Prof. Dr. Xiaobo Yin
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
https://mech.hku.hk/academic-staff/yin-xb/
Keynote/Invited Speakers
Mark A. Bonn, Ph.D., is known internationally as one of the most renowned hospitality and tourism researchers, having published well over 125 scientific, scholarly academic journal articles. For over three decades, Dr. Bonn was a faculty member at Florida State University's Dedman School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where he held the title of the Robert H. Dedman Professor of Services Management. Dr. Bonn established and directed Florida State University’s International Center for Hospitality Research & Development. As director, he produced over 500 technical reports and generated nearly $2.5 million in funded contracts and grants. Dr. Bonn developed the Dedman School’s highly successful on-line program in Beverage Management and also founded the Resort & Vacation Rental Management program. Dr. Bonn is currently serving a Section Editor-in-Chief for the academic journal, Sustainability: Tourism, Culture and Heritage. He also has served as an associate editor for the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and as a member of numerous editorial boards for leading hospitality and tourism journals. Dr. Bonn earned his doctorate at Texas A&M University, majoring in resource development with supporting areas of study in organizational behavior, attitude theory and measurement and demographics. His research focuses on hospitality and tourism sustainability, visitor perceptions, satisfaction, revisit intentions, resource quality, supply chain management, strategic market segmentation, and consumer behavior. In 2008, Dr. Bonn was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame by the Florida Commission on Tourism. He is the only academic researcher to have ever received this honor.
Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Dr. Jianming CAI is a full professor at the Beijing Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and got his Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong. He is author and co-author of more than twenty books in Chinese and in English, including Towards Socially Integrative Cities--Perspectives on Urban Sustainability in Europe and China. He has published more than 180 papers so far in academic journals since 1990, both in Chinese and English, as well as many consultant reports, including the reports for World Bank, ADB, Lincoln Institute and Shui On Land. He frequently serves as a senior consultant or expert on urbanization, regional development, urban agriculture and food security issues to both international agencies such as the World Bank, ADB, AIIB, Lincoln Institute and Chinese Government Ministries such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, local governments and private sector. His current research focuses on sustainable urban development and spatial restructuring of China’s large cities with an emphasis on peri-urban development dynamics and metropolitan governance, as well as urban agriculture，agro-tourism and rural revitalization.
Bridging the Knowledge-Action Gap in Sustainability Education: From HKU Climate Ambassador to the Cross-Institutional University Climate Ambassador Program (UNICAP)
Prof. Janet Kit Yan Chan is Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Chief Program Leader of the inter-institutional University Climate Ambassador Program (UNICAP), and Program Leader of the HKU Climate Ambassador and ESG Podcast initiatives. A Senior Fellow of Advance HE and a Professional Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals, Prof. Chan's research focuses on sustainability education, the Students as Partners model, and bridging the knowledge-action gap in climate action. Her work has been recognized with the Advanced Materials Innovation Award, the HKU Outstanding Teaching Award, and finalist nominations for the QS Reimagine Education Award, Green Gown Awards, PIEoneer Awards, and the Universitas 21 Climate Action Award. She serves as a panel member for the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2026 and advises HKSAR government bodies on environmental policy.
Zongshi Chen, Professor in sociology of Zhejiang University, Director of sociological research institute. He obtained his Ph.D from sociology of UC Berkeley. His research interests include economic sociology, organization, and environmental sociology, and his current research focuses on corporate social responsibility, organization, institution and environment. His papers appeared in SSCI journals such as Chinese Sociological Review, Asian Business and Management and top Chinese sociological journals. He has published a book The revival, legitimization and development of private enterprise in China: Empowering state capitalism at Palgrave MacMillan.
Prof. Jianheng Chen is a Professor at China University of Petroleum (East China). He earned his Ph.D. from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2021, followed by postdoctoral research at both The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong. His research primarily centers on radiative sky cooling technologies and low-energy technologies in support of carbon neutrality. He has published over 40 SCI-indexed journal papers and received several prestigious honors, including the ASET International Best Paper Award, ESI Highly Cited Paper Award and World's Top 2% Scientists.
Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency: An Integrated Engineering and Educational Perspective
Giovanni De Feo is Associate Professor of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering at the University of Salerno (Italy), where he teaches Industrial Ecology in Chemical and Management Engineering programmes. His research focuses on waste management, circular economy, life cycle assessment, water and wastewater systems, and sustainability assessment. He is a member of the PhD Board in Innovative Engineering Technologies for Industrial Sustainability and represents the University of Salerno in national sustainability networks (RUS). He is author of over 230 scientific publications and is the creator of Greenopoli, an internationally recognised environmental education and science communication project.
Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Erfu Dai is a Professor and PhD Supervisor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. He received his PhD in Physical Geography from Peking University in 2002. He currently serves as Director of the Lhasa Plateau Ecological Comprehensive Experimental Station and Director of the Plateau Ecology Research Center at IGSNRR, CAS. He also holds several academic service roles, including Chair of the Youth Working Committee of the Geographical Society of China and Vice Chair of multiple professional committees in the fields of natural resources, disaster reduction, and ecosystem services. Prof. Dai’s research focuses on natural hazards, land system modeling, ecosystem services, and integrated physical geography. He has led over 40 national and institutional research projects, including key national R&D programs on climate extreme risk assessment. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored 11 books, and holds five software copyrights.
Dr. Chuanshuai Dong conducts research primarily on membrane-based heat and mass transfer mechanisms and phase‑change energy storage. In recent years, he has published more than 70 SCI papers in leading journals such as Advanced Functional Materials, Carbon Energy, Physics of Fluids, Chemical Engineering Journal, Chemical Engineering Science, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, and Applied Energy, including over 50 papers in top CAS‑ranked journals. He has led more than 10 national and provincial research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program and Young Scientists Program) and the Guangdong Outstanding Young Scholar and General Program grants. He has been selected for Guangdong’s “Pearl River Talent Plan” (Overseas Young Talent Program) and the China Association for Science and Technology’s “Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program.” He also serves as Assistant Editor of the international journal Experimental and Computational Multiphase Flow and as a committee member of the Thermal Physical Properties Division of the China Metrology and Testing Society.
National Central University, Taiwan, China
Dr. Wu-Yuin Hwang is a Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Network Learning Technology, National Central University, Taiwan (since 2010), China and currently serves as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at National Dong‑Hwa University (2023–2026). His research focuses on AI‑supported learning, text recognition technologies, smart learning in authentic contexts, and multimedia human–computer interaction. He has been listed among Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientists in education and educational research (2023–2024). In the field of technology‑enhanced language learning, the Journal of Computer Assisted Language Learning ranked him No. 1 globally for publication impact (2008–2019). He was also ranked among the world’s top 7 scholars in instructional design and technology based on publication performance across 65 SSCI journals (2007–2017). Dr. Hwang has published around 150 SSCI/SCI journal papers in educational technology. His research excellence has been recognized with the Ta‑You Wu Memorial Award (2005) and the Outstanding Research Award from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology (2021).
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Market mechanism and semi-uniform pricing for urban energy resources
GUO Ye received his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Tsinghua University. He worked as a Postdoc at Cornell University from 2014 to 2018, an Assistant (2018) and Associate Professor (2021) at Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, and joined the Hong Kong PolyU in 2025. His research is on the building-grid energy ecosystem. He has published over 100 research papers in prestigious journals and conferences on energy systems. He received the IEEE PESGM Best Paper Award four times in three years in a row (2019-21). He was selected by the National Young Talent Program and secured two consecutive NSFC standard grants.
"Prof. Jun Hou is a professor and doctoral supervisor, selected for the national high‑level talent program. He is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars and the Jiangsu Province Distinguished Young Scholar Fund, and is also a Jiangsu Distinguished Professor. He was selected for the first cohort of the Young Talent Support Program jointly organized by the China Association for Science and Technology and the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. For consecutive years, he has been listed among the world’s top 2% scientists in both the “Lifetime Scientific Influence” and “Annual Influence” rankings published by Stanford University, as well as among the “Top 100,000 Scientists Worldwide” by the Global Scholars Database. His research focuses on river and lake water quality improvement and ecological restoration, eco‑friendly environmental functional materials and pollution control technologies, and the environmental behavior and risk management of emerging contaminants in aquatic systems. In recent years, he has led more than 30 research projects, including one NSFC Regional Joint Key Project, one Excellent Young Scholars project, three General Program projects, one Young Scientists project, one national key R&D program sub‑project, and one Jiangsu Distinguished Young Scholar Fund project. He has published over 100 SCI‑indexed papers as first or corresponding author and holds more than 60 authorized national invention patents. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the National Science and Technology Progress Award (First Class), the National Technological Invention Award (Second Class), the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class), the Agricultural Water Conservation Award, the First Class Award in Natural Science by the Ministry of Education, and the First Class Award in Technological Invention by the Ministry of Education."
Dr. Hui Hu is a Full Professor and the Deputy Director of the Department of Economics at Wuhan University. He has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the China Economic Review, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Economics & Management, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Applied Economics, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Environment Development and Sustainability, Ecological Indicators, Journal of Cleaner Production, Emerging Markets Finance & Trade, and Social Indicators Research.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
Dr. Bin Jiang is Professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) [HKUST(GZ)], with dual appointments in Urban Governance and Design, and Computational Media and Arts. He is the founder and director of LivableCityLAB and serves as Acting Master of Residential College 1. He also chairs the International Cartographic Association Commission on Digital Transformation and sits on editorial boards including Computational Urban Science. His research bridges urban informatics, complexity science, and architectural and urban design, advancing living structure theory as a foundation for more sustainable and human-centered cities. He has pioneered quantitative metrics such as the L-score (Living Structure Score) and B-score (Beauty Score), operationalized through the Beautimeter, to scientifically evaluate structural beauty and aliveness in architecture and urban space. These innovations highlight the value of crossdisciplinary approaches that connect spatial analysis, digital technology, and aesthetic theory. Dr. Jiang has held academic roles across Europe and Asia and advises organizations such as Beijing City Lab and the International Society of Biourbanism. His work continues to integrate theory, technology, and design practice to advance the creation of adaptive, livable cities.
Dr. La Rosa is Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at the Department Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Catania (Italy). He teaches spatial planning and urban design in Building Engineering MSc course at the University of Catania. His research interests include sustainable urban planning, Ecosystem Services, GIS applications for urban and landscape planning, environmental indicators, Environmental Strategic Assessment, Land Use science and landscape studies. He is author of more than 100 publications on the above mentioned topics. He has been included in the top 2% scientists list in the years 2020-2024.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou),
Guangzhou, China
Dr. Chaosu Li is an assistant professor in the Urban Governance and Design Thrust at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). Dr. Li received his master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Peking University and his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill. His current research focuses on 1) how the urban built environment shapes energy consumption and climate resilience, and 2) the application of Large Language Models in urban planning. His work has been published in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Journal of Planning Education and Research, Nature Cities, among others. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Planning Association.
Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
"Prof. Li Jiang, Ph.D., is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, China. He received his Ph.D. degree from Chongqing University and conducted part of his doctoral research at Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands. His research focuses on water pollution control and resource recovery, solid waste treatment and recycling, and the control of emerging pollutants. He has led several competitive research projects, including grants funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and has extensive experience in research and teaching in the fields of water environmental management and pollution control engineering."
Jia Liu is the Associate Professor of the School of Civil Engineering and Transportation in Guangzhou University. She got her PhD from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University majoring in Building Environment and Energy Engineering. Her research focuses on the field of building integrated photovoltaic technologies and design optimization of renewable energy and storage systems for net-zero energy buildings. She is PI of research projects including national and provincial projects, and she has published over 30 SCI papers with a H-index of 21 (two highly cited papers). She was selected in World's Top 2% Scientists list both in 2024 and 2025, and she also serves as the Subject Assistant Editor and Young Editorial Board Member in the journal of Applied Energy.
Dr. Xintao Liu is an Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK PolyU). He received his PhD from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow and part-time lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada. His main research interests include GIScience, Spatial Intelligence, and Complexity Science. His research aims to apply modern technologies to promote smart cities and improve urban quality of life. He has led research projects funded by the NSFC, RGC (ECS, GRF, RIF), ITF, PPR, etc. He has published over 130 academic papers and received the Faculty Outstanding Research Award from HK PolyU.
Lu Chuntian, Ph.D. in Sociology, is a Professor and the Head of the Department of Sociology at Xi'an Jiaotong University. He earned his bachelor's degree from Nanjing University, pursued his master's studies in the Department of Sociology at Renmin University of China, and later obtained both a master's degree in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University. His primary research interests lie in environmental sociology and social governance. He has published over 80 papers in both Chinese and English in renowned domestic and international journals. His research has been supported by various funding sources, including key and general projects from the National Social Science Fund of China, as well as projects from organizations such as the World Fisheries Organization.
Bridging New Technologies with Foundational Theories: Sustainable Innovation for Student Growth
Dr. Heng Luo is a Professor and Vice Dean at the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University. He holds a Ph.D. from Syracuse University and previously worked at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Luo has led major national research projects and authored over 100 publications in leading journals such as Computers & Education. He is the Program Committee Chair for CSTE 2025-2026 and has served on committees for ICBL and ICoME. His outstanding research has been recognized with prestigious awards including the AECT Design and Development Outstanding Practice Award (2019) and the AERA Outstanding International Collaborative Research Award (2022).
Jinlong Ma is a Professor at Tianjin University, China, and Vice President of APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC). At APSEC, he is responsible for advisory and research programs; one of the main research themes concerns energy transition solutions in APEC economies. Prior to the current role, Dr. Ma worked in many Asia and Pacific countries and held senior positions at renowned academic and research institutions, technical and advisory service organizations, and international energy corporations. His areas of expertise include energy system planning, renewables, power sector development, electricity market analysis, energy conservation and efficiency, urban sustainable energy, greenhouse gas inventory and emission abatement strategies. Jinlong holds a PhD in Energy Economics from the University of Melbourne, an M.Eng. in Energy Technology and Planning from the Asian Institute of Technology, and a B.Eng. in Electric Engineering from North China University of Electric Power. He serves as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE), is a member of International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
Sustainability from the margins: what place-based universities matter for the Planet's future"
Dr Thandi Mgwebi is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Walter Sisulu University in South Africa and a distinguished leader in higher education, research strategy, and science diplomacy. With extensive executive experience at the National Research Foundation and in senior university leadership, she has championed impact-driven research, global partnerships, and equitable knowledge systems. Her work advances sustainability through transformative education, innovation ecosystems, and community-embedded development. A recipient of the 2025 Special Science Diplomacy Award, Dr Mgwebi advocates for Africa-centred solutions to global challenges, positioning universities as catalysts for just transitions, resilience, and inclusive growth in a rapidly changing world.
Dr. Rustam Shadiev is a Professor at the College of Education, Zhejiang University, China. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a member of ACM, and was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor of Jiangsu Province in 2019. His research focuses on advanced educational technologies, language learning, and intercultural communication. He has published extensively in leading SSCI journals and has been recognized among the Most Cited Chinese Researchers in Education and the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists. He also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Roshis Krishna Shrestha is a Research Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With a PhD in Business and Economics from the Australian National University (2023), he specialises in Indigenous tourism, regenerative sustainability, and cultural heritage tourism. His research has been published in top-tier journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, and Journal of Sustainable Tourism.
Prof. Huaping Sun focuses on research in energy economics, environmental management, and global value chains. His work systematically examines sustainability issues such as ESG and corporate innovation, as well as low‑carbon economic development. He has published extensively in leading domestic and international journals and has led multiple projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. His research has had a significant impact in the fields of energy economics and sustainable development.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
Woon is a researcher and educator committed to fostering transformative resilience in climate sustainability by deepening the understanding of the environment-economic-social nexus. Named a 2025 National Champion of the Frontiers Planet Prize, he has published over 100 papers, including in Science, and his work has been featured in Future Earth, The Guardian, and Anthropocene Magazine. Before entering academia, Woon led green architectural designs for townships in Malaysia and Indonesia. He is a 2021 Global Development Network Award recipient, a 2023 SUSI Scholar, the 2025 ACS Energy & Fuel Rising Star, a 2025 Top 2% Scientist by Stanford/Elsevier, and a member of the Global Young Academy. He is currently an Assistant Professor at HKUST(GZ) and an adjunct associate professor at Xiamen University Malaysia.
Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Chunsheng Wu earned his Ph.D. in Cartography and Geographical Information Systems in 2017 from the State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. His doctoral research focused on applying GIS and remote sensing to ecological studies. In recent years, he has been dedicated to investigating the interactions between land use and ecosystem services. By refining and innovating ecological modeling processes, he has examined the mechanisms behind land use change and analyzed the spatio-temporal variations in ecosystem services, highlighting the influential roles of both natural and human factors. Grounded in social-ecosystem theory, his work further explores the practical implications of the land use–ecosystem service relationship. At this conference, he will present his findings on the interplay between human activities and ecosystem services on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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Hydrothermal Technologies for Resourceful Utilization of Biomass & Organic Solid Wastes
Prof. Charles Xu, Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering, is currently Chair Professor of Advanced Biorefinery at School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong. He was a full professor and the NSERC/FPInnovations Industrial Research Chair in Forest Biorefinery at Western University, Canada, with over 20 years of research experience in advanced biorefinery for conversion of biomass and bioresources into bio-based chemicals/materials; resourceful utilization of organic solid waste by hydrothermal liquefaction/carbonization to produce low-carbon fuels or biofuels and bio-carbon materials; green hydrogen production, storage and applications; biomass metallurgy; clean coal technologies and air emission control. He has published 400+ refereed journal papers, having received 28,000+ total citations with an H-index of 87 to date. He is recipient of the Excellent Research Award (1999) from the Japan Energy Society, the Syncrude Canadian Innovation Award (2011) and the Industrial Design and Practice Award (2019) from the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers, the Changjiang Scholars Chair Professorship (2020) from the Ministry of Education of China, and the 2023 Humboldt Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
Multi-energy complementary energy geo-structures
Tian You, Associate professor under the "Hundred Talents Program" at Shenzhen University and a doctoral supervisor, mainly focuses on research in energy geo-structures and building renewable energy technologies. She has led three national projects and three provincial projects and so on. Besides, she has published over 70 papers. She has received honors such as the First Prize of Technological Invention in Guangdong Province and the First Prize of Construction Science and Technology Progress in Henan Province.
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Weiqi Zhou received his B.Sc. degree in environmental sciences from Peking University, Beijing, in 2001; his M.Sc. degree in cartography and geographic information systems from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, in 2004; and his Ph.D. degree in natural resources from the University of Vermont, Burlington. He is currently working at the State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a research professor. He is experienced in urban landscape dynamic analysis using geographic information system and remote sensing technologies, especially with high spatial resolution remote sensing images.
Event Scientific Committee
Manuela Almeida (f) is a Full Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Minho (UMinho) in Portugal. She has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering since 1995, an MSc in Thermal Engineering and a degree in Civil Engineering. At UMinho, she created and developed a research line focused on innovative, sustainable construction products and solutions for zero-energy, zero-emissions buildings and neighborhoods. She coordinates and participates in several national and international research projects whose results have contributed to the development of national and European standards for building thermal performance.
Professor Stuart J. Barnes is Chair in Marketing at Newcastle University Business School. He previously held senior academic positions at King’s College London and other universities, and holds a BSc in Economics from UCL and a PhD from Manchester Business School. A multidisciplinary scholar, he works across marketing, technology, analytics and sustainability, and founded a major research centre on digital analytics. He has held visiting roles in countries including Australia, Denmark, Brazil, China and Germany. Professor Barnes is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and the Royal Statistical Society and is consistently ranked among the world’s top researchers.
Professor Ali Bahadori-Jahromi is Head of Civil Engineering and Doctoral Lead for Engineering at the University of West London, UK. He leads the Building Performance and Climate Change Research Group, focusing on sustainable construction, building energy performance, low-carbon materials, and the application of artificial intelligence in the built environment. His work involves research supervision, programme leadership, and collaboration with industry and professional bodies to support improved environmental performance and resilience in buildings and infrastructure.
Dr. Rahul R. Bhosale is Guerry Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His research focuses on renewable energy systems, solar thermochemical energy storage, hydrogen production, and sustainable process engineering. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications with significant citation impact and is a recipient of the U.S. National Science Foundation Engineering Research Initiation Award, supporting his work on advanced energy materials and technologies for a more sustainable future.
Mark A. Bonn, Ph.D., is known internationally as one of the most renowned hospitality and tourism researchers, having published well over 125 scientific, scholarly academic journal articles. For over three decades, Dr. Bonn was a faculty member at Florida State University's Dedman School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where he held the title of the Robert H. Dedman Professor of Services Management. Dr. Bonn established and directed Florida State University’s International Center for Hospitality Research & Development. As director, he produced over 500 technical reports and generated nearly $2.5 million in funded contracts and grants. Dr. Bonn developed the Dedman School’s highly successful on-line program in Beverage Management and also founded the Resort & Vacation Rental Management program. Dr. Bonn is currently serving a Section Editor-in-Chief for the academic journal, Sustainability: Tourism, Culture and Heritage. He also has served as an associate editor for the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and as a member of numerous editorial boards for leading hospitality and tourism journals. Dr. Bonn earned his doctorate at Texas A&M University, majoring in resource development with supporting areas of study in organizational behavior, attitude theory and measurement and demographics. His research focuses on hospitality and tourism sustainability, visitor perceptions, satisfaction, revisit intentions, resource quality, supply chain management, strategic market segmentation, and consumer behavior. In 2008, Dr. Bonn was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame by the Florida Commission on Tourism. He is the only academic researcher to have ever received this honor. "
Prof. Janet Kit Yan Chan is Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Chief Program Leader of the inter-institutional University Climate Ambassador Program (UNICAP), and Program Leader of the HKU Climate Ambassador and ESG Podcast initiatives. A Senior Fellow of Advance HE and a Professional Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals, Prof. Chan's research focuses on sustainability education, the Students as Partners model, and bridging the knowledge-action gap in climate action. Her work has been recognized with the Advanced Materials Innovation Award, the HKU Outstanding Teaching Award, and finalist nominations for the QS Reimagine Education Award, Green Gown Awards, PIEoneer Awards, and the Universitas 21 Climate Action Award. She serves as a panel member for the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2026 and advises HKSAR government bodies on environmental policy.
Prof. Jianheng Chen is a Professor at China University of Petroleum (East China). He earned his Ph.D. from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2021, followed by postdoctoral research at both The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong. His research primarily centers on radiative sky cooling technologies and low-energy technologies in support of carbon neutrality. He has published over 40 SCI-indexed journal papers and received several prestigious honors, including the ASET International Best Paper Award, ESI Highly Cited Paper Award and World's Top 2% Scientists.
David Pastor-Escuredo is a Ph.D. from UPM in Artificial Intelligence and Complex Systems working with CNRS and UCSD. He did his postdoc at CNRS. He was a data-driven sustainability pioneer working with several United Nations agencies and BID. He has worked as advisor of UN Global Pulse Jakarta and also as lead data scientist for UNICEF and UNHCR. He led the digital innovation ecosystem at UPM for itdUPM working with Climate-KIC and MIT. Currently, he leads Digital Innovation and AI projects at UCL and UPM. He is an expert of the ITU’s Early Warning for All and U4SSC initiatives. Also, he is a fellow of the EIT Health of the Catalyst Europe and SCIFI programmes. He owns LifeD Lab where he designs innovations for a sustainable future. He is also a fellow of the CEO Academy of UCAM HiTech.
Alan Fyall, Ph.D., is Associate Dean Academic Affairs and Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. His research focuses on destination planning, sustainability and resilience, travel accessibility, and the impacts of tourism on resident communities. He is a Board Member of TravelAbility, has conducted tourism projects in many parts of the world, and recently co-organized the inaugural International Conference on Destinations, Events & Sport in Sapporo, Japan. Alan is co-founding editor of Elsevier’s Journal of Destination Marketing & Management and regularly contributes to the media including New York Times and Washington Post.
Brian Garrod is Professor of Marketing in the School of Management, Swansea University, UK. His main interests are in tourism, accessibility, neurodiversity, sustainability and heritage. He has published more than 100 journal articles over a period of some 35 years and is the author of eight textbooks. He has served as consultant to the World Tourism Organization and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. His research has been funded by the UK Research Councils, the European Union, and various UK government departments.
Michele Grimaldi is an Associate Professor in Urban Planning at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Salerno. He teaches courses on Urban and Territorial Systems Analysis and Spatial Planning. He is a member of the scientific board of C.U.G.RI - interUniversity Centre for the Prediction and Prevention of Major Hazards. He is the Secretary of the Campania section -National Institute of Urban Planning (INU) He is Vice President of the scientific board of ASITA - Federation of Scientific Associations for Territorial and Environmental Information.
Radu Godina is currently an Assistant Professor at the NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA FCT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. He received the Ph.D. degree from University of Beira Interior (UBI), Covilhã, Portugal. Radu Godina is on the Board of Directors of the Research and Development Unit in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (UNIDEMI), which is part of Associated Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LASI), located in Guimarães, Portugal. He has authored or co-authored more than 190 indexed international journals, book chapters and conference proceedings papers in such topics as industrial symbiosis, sustainability, lean manufacturing, electric vehicles, circular economy, life cycle assessment and quality control. He has published with 40 international universities and 16 distinct enterprises and/or corporations. He is a full member of the EurOMA (European Operations Management Association) and full member of the IEOM Society International Association (Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society - IEOM). He recently developed research in the project Microstructural Engineering and Integrated Non-Destructive Testing - Smart-WAAM obtained through European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) RawMaterials, and in this task the goal is to detail rigorously and perform the life cycle analysis, life cycle cost and social life cycle analysis of the additive manufacturing process, namely Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). Radu Godina was the the coordinator at UNIDEMI of the project M4ML - Mobility for Maritime Logistics: M4ML, which is part of the Blue Growth Program that is funded by the EEA Grants Portugal and the Portuguese State.
Akhtar Hussain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Université Laval and a member of the LEEPCI research laboratory. He is a Senior Member of IEEE. His research focuses on microgrids, distributed energy resources, electric vehicle integration, and advanced control of power systems, with an emphasis on optimization, resilience, and AI-driven energy management. His work addresses the planning, operation, and coordination of modern power systems under high renewable penetration, bridging theory and real-world applications in smart and sustainable energy systems.
I am a Chemical Engineer with a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Production, specifically on membrane engineering. I am specialised in environmental engineering, focusing particularly on circular economy and tertiary and quaternary treatments, such as advanced oxidation processes and membrane separation technologies. I have also worked as a water consultant for over eight years. I have over 15 years' experience working on R&D&I projects related to the circular economy in both the public and private sectors, including in the agri-food, textile, cosmetics and chemical industries, being actively involved in several EU projects, including INNO4CFIs, MIXMATTERS, TOBEREAL and CHEERS.
Dr. Antonio J. Jara is Chief Scientific Officer at Libelium, leading R&D and innovation in AI-enabled smart city platforms, IoT, data spaces, and digital twins with a strong focus on sustainability and climate resilience. He is Technical Director of the European Commission’s Local Digital Twin Toolbox initiative and chairs the IEEE P2510 standard on data quality. He has coordinated and contributed to international projects addressing urban heat islands, flooding risk, environmental health, and citizen-oriented impact assessment, integrating satellite-based high-value datasets with in-situ sensing and interoperable data governance frameworks (FIWARE, GAIA-X, ETSI).
Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
Roger Jones is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities, Victoria University, where he leads a team working on climate-related risk, ecological and institutional economics, and the integration of research into practice. His work adopts a transdisciplinary approach spanning science, economics, and policy, with current projects on urban green infrastructure, liveability, natural hazard economics, and climate risk management. Trained in earth science, he has contributed extensively to climate research and served as Coordinating Lead Author for multiple chapters in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments.
Dr. Jari Kaivo-oja is Research Director and Adjunct Professor affiliated with the Universities of Helsinki, Lapland, and Vaasa. He is a leading expert in foresight methodologies, sustainability science, energy economics, and socio‑economic megatrends. His work spans strategic and participatory foresight in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including major contributions to international research programs. Dr. Kaivo-oja has collaborated extensively in EU research frameworks, served as an evaluator for European security programmes, and lectured for institutions such as the European Science Foundation and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is among Finland’s most cited futures researchers.
Prof. Hao Chiang Koong Lin is a Professor of the Department of Information & Learning Technology at National University of Tainan, Taiwan. His research spans artificial intelligence in education, affective computing, extended reality, interactive multimedia, digital art, and personalized learning. He has led numerous funded projects and published extensively in international journals and conferences, with a strong focus on integrating technology, creativity, and pedagogy. He also serves in academic and professional roles supporting digital learning evaluation and innovation, and his interdisciplinary works have been showcased in major digital art exhibitions.
Fernando Moreira is Full Professor of Computer Science at Portucalense University, where he founded and led the Science and Technology Department (2018–2022) and created its first engineering degrees. He holds a PhD and Habilitation in Electronic Engineering from the University of Porto. He has authored over 300 Scopus-indexed publications and serves on editorial boards and as guest editor of multiple JCR journal special issues. He regularly acts as conference chair, keynote speaker and PC member. His main research interests are mobile computing, generative AI in higher education, machine learning and digital transformation. He received the Atlas Elsevier Award in 2019
Prof Cathal O’Donoghue is Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at the University of Galway and Director of the PolicyLab. His work spans bio‑systems modelling, spatial and economic analysis, and interdisciplinary policy research. He leads initiatives that integrate environmental, social, and economic modelling to support evidence‑based policymaking. Prof O’Donoghue works closely with teams focusing on land use, social inequality, environmental systems, and marine resource modelling, contributing to a comprehensive research platform addressing major sustainability and societal challenges.
Olusola (Shola) Ololade, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, South Africa, where she previously served as Acting Director and Associate Professor. Her expertise includes land-use and land-cover analysis, integrated water resources management, the water–energy–food nexus, mining and sustainability, Climate change and mitigation, and sustainable development. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and supervised 37 graduate students.
Dr Flavio Pileggi is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Australia. His expertise lies in Knowledge Engineering and ontology-based systems, with current research focusing on human-centric socio-technical systems, sustainability, and climate change. He has published over 50 papers in leading journals and conferences, contributed to more than 10 funded research projects, and serves on the editorial boards of several international journals.
Profile: https://profiles.uts.edu.au/SalvatoreFlavio.Pileggi
Prince of Songkla University, Phuket City, Thailand
Graduated in Environmental Engineering in 2002. Since 2005 she got three PhD titles, in Environmental Engineering, Energy Engineering and Engineering and Management. Since 2023, she got the Italian National Qualification to function as Full Professor. Member of tens of scientific committees of international conferences, she is Author of co-Author of more than 250 articles in conferences and journals indexed in the SCOPUS® database, Hindex=41. Editor of many Special Issues on International Journals. Presently she is Associate Professor in the University of Insubria, Italy. Ranked in the top 2% scientists list of the World Ranking published by Stanford University. In 2016, she received the Eminent Scientist Medal from the Wessex Institute of Technology.
Wenjie Ren, Ph.D., Associate Professor. His research focuses on soil organic pollution and bioremediation, and ecological effect of emerging contaminants in soil. He has authored 103 academic papers, including 73 in peer-reviewed SCI journals, with an H-index of 32 (Google Scholar). He holds 13 authorized invention patents, including 2 international patents. Besides, he has co-authored 4 academic books, contributing 2 chapters to English monographs, and led the development of 1 national standard as the second contributor. In addition to his research, Dr. Ren serves as an Associate Editor for the Frontiers in Microbiology and an Editor of Sustainability.
Paulo Santos, Associate Professor in Dep. of Civil Eng. of University of Coimbra (PT) and integrated member of ISISE research centre. The main actual research topics are Thermal Behaviour, Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Circular Economy and Sustainable Construction, with focus on the Lightweight Steel-Framed (LSF) construction system and sustainable construction materials. As a result of his research work he is (co)author of 230 scientific publications, having 3,700 citations and 93,000 reads on Research Gate (Berlin), with an h-index of 29. Member of the Editorial Board of 25 international scientific journals, for which he already has 880 verified Web of Science editor records and 131 peer reviews.
Central Mining Institute- National Research Institute (GIG-NRI), Katowice, Poland
Professor Adam Smoliński, PhD, Eng. received his education in chemistry and geoengineering from the University of Silesia in Katowice and the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland, and completed postgraduate studies in environmental protection management at AGH University of Science and Technology. He undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Southern Illinois University, USA. He is currently Scientific Secretary (Deputy Director for R&D) at the Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute, and a lecturer at the University of Economics in Katowice. He is also a professor at Nasarawa University, Nigeria, and a visiting professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. His research focuses on clean fuel processing technologies, including solid fuel gasification and co-gasification for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide sequestration and utilisation, and the application of sorbents and catalysts. He has authored over 250 JCR-indexed publications (h-index: 35, Scopus) and is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Mining. He has received numerous awards and has been listed among Stanford–Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientists since 2019.
Professor Ercan Sirakaya Turk is a leading scholar in tourism studies, with over 15,000 citations, ranking him in the top 4% globally. A Fulbright alumnus, he is ranked USC’s No. 1 marketing professor by the AD Scientific Index and currently serves as interim Faculty Research Director and Associate Dean of Research at USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. His research focuses on tourism destination marketing and sustainable development, with publications in top journals such as Annals of Tourism Research and Journal of Travel Research.
Dr. Huachao Yang is an Assistant Professor in College of Energy Engineering at Zhejiang University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Zhejiang University in 2018. During Ph.D. studies, he was a joint Ph.D. student at RWTH Aachen University. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at Zhejiang University from 2018 to 2021. His research focuses on the electrochemical energy storage devices (e.g., ion batteries and capacitors), seawater desalination (CDI and solar-thermal desalination) and recycling of spent lithium batteries.
Jin YANG, PhD, Professor. Selected as a high-level young talent in Hubei Province. Mainly engaged in the application of high performance and high value utilization technology of solid waste. Hosted more than 10 government sponsored projects such as the National Key Research and Development Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. H-index 39. More than 120 papers have been published in Cement and Concrete Research, Composites Part B, Chemical Engineering Journal, etc., total citations of more than 4900, selected as 5 ESI highly cited papers. Received 20 authorized Chinese invention patents and 3 US patents. Since 2024, he has been consecutively included in Stanford University's Annual List of the World's Top 2% Scientists
Sessions Chairs (Continuously Updated)
S1. Emerging Technologies and Integrated Solutions for Sustainable, Resilient Cities and Planet
Session Chairs
The human history has validated that while technologies playing an increasingly important role in shaping and reshaping the development of human society, its associated creative destruction impact brought also many challenges to human society. Therefore, how to seek for an integrated solution to maximize the positive effects of new technologies while to minimize their negative ones has always been the hot topic for exploration. The objective of this session is to dive in and digest the emerging cutting-edge technologies and their ground applications in real society, any challenges faced in the application, and any good practices in the application process so that we may harvest the promising solutions for sustainable, resilient cities and planet through the decent debates and fruitful discussions in this session.
Both theoretical advances and practical case studies at local, regional, and global scales are invited. Please note that literature reviews will not be accepted. 
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S2. Resilient Urban Energy Infrastructure
Session Chairs
Submission of both theoretical advances and applied case studies at neighborhood, city, and metropolitan scales are welcome.
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S3. Sustainability Education and Innovative Approaches
Session Chairs
The “Sustainability Education and Innovative Approaches” session explores how education can cultivate the knowledge, skills, and values essential for addressing complex sustainability challenges. It invites contributions on pedagogical strategies, curriculum design, and innovative teaching practices that integrate sustainability principles across disciplines. Emphasis is placed on transformative, inclusive, and action-oriented approaches that empower learners, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support just transitions toward resilient societies. The session highlights evidence-based initiatives and theoretical perspectives that advance sustainability education and promote systemic change in educational ecosystems.
Types of abstracts welcome:
- Empirical or conceptual studies on sustainability education across formal, non-formal, and informal contexts
- Innovative pedagogical models, curriculum design, and assessment aligned with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
- Interdisciplinary, technology-enhanced, community-engaged, or policy-informed approaches
- Evidence-based practices demonstrating impact on learners, institutions, or communities
Abstracts likely outside the session scope:
- Technical sustainability research without an explicit educational dimension
- Purely environmental or engineering studies lacking pedagogical focus
- Opinion pieces without clear theoretical grounding or empirical support
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S4. Climate Change and Socio-Ecological Systems
Session Chairs
We welcome papers that examine climate impacts, adaptation strategies, and mitigation pathways through the lenses of socio-ecological resilience, environmental justice, and systemic vulnerability. This session particularly encourages contributions that integrate natural sciences, social sciences, and policy perspectives, and emphasize the roles of community engagement, multi-level governance, and transformative action in building sustainable and resilient socio-ecological systems in the face of climate change.
Specifically, this session aims to present globally informed yet context-sensitive approaches, solutions, policies, and projects addressing climate change challenges. These contributions are intended to enhance climate adaptation and mitigation, strengthen biodiversity, and improve overall environmental quality.
Submission of both theoretical advances and applied case studies at local, regional, and global scales are welcome.
Sessions
S2. Resilient Urban Energy Infrastructure
S3. Sustainability Education and Innovative Approaches
S4. Climate Change and Socio-Ecological Systems
S5. Sustainable Urban Landscapes and Low-Carbon Mobility
S6. Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency
S7. Renewable Energy and Smart Grids
S8. Policy Frameworks for Equitable Green Transitions
S9. Sustainable Economic Models and Green Finance
S10. Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Hospitality: Global Strategies for a Sustainable Future
S11. Inclusive Strategies for Water Quality Improvement, Ecological Restoration and Water Resource Management
S12. Transformation of Food Systems
2026 MDPI Sustainability Foundation Award Winners
2026 MDPI Sustainability Foundation Award Winners
Curtin University, Perth, Australia
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
The awards ceremony will take place at WSF-12, 21–24 August 2026, Hong Kong.
Instructions for Authors
●The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference.
●Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes. Please use the same email address during registration and when submitting your work.
What are the benefits in getting your abstract accepted at the WSF2026?
● You get to present and discuss your latest findings with your peers.
● You get to network and exchange ideas and resources with like-minded researchers.
●Your research might be highlighted in an MDPI announcement and social media post. You will be mentioned in the News section of MDPI.com, as well as in one of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation Social Media Posts.
Submit your research
Create an account on Sciforum if you do not have one, then click on ‘New Submission’ here or by clicking on ‘Submit Abstract’ at the top of this webpage. Indicate what thematic area is best suited for your research.
● Submit an abstract in English (200-300 words). The deadline to submit your abstract is 1 May 2026
● The structured abstract should include the identification of the research gap based on prior research, the aim of
the paper, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion sections of about 200–300 words in length
● Upon submission, you can select if you wish to be considered for an oral presentation or a poster presentation
● Following assessment by the Selection Committee and the Chairs, you will be notified by 1 June 2026 in a separate email whether your contribution has been accepted for oral presentation
● Please note that, in order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. Covering Author registration deadline is 22 June 2026. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Oral Presentations
● Oral Presentations will be given in person. If a selected speaker cannot attend in person to give their oral presentation, they forfeit their right to present.
● All presentations must be sent to the Conference Organizers before the day of their presentation.
Poster Presentations
● Each presenter will be provided with a vertical poster board and posters can be displayed in the venue near the meeting hall. A plan of the poster session will be circulated later on.
● Maximum poster size is limited to: 90 ×140cm / 35 x 55 in (width x height) in the vertical orientation (portrait).
● You can use our free template to create your poster. The poster template can be downloaded HERE.
Publication Opportunities
1. Sustainability Journal Publication
Participants of WSF-12 are cordially invited to contribute a full manuscript to the conference's Special Issue, published in the Sustainability ( ISSN 2071-1050, IF 3.3, Citescore 7.74) with a 20% discount on the publication fee. Please note, if you have IOAP/association discounts, conference discounts will be combined with IOAP/association discounts. Conference discounts cannot be combined with reviewer vouchers.
All submitted papers will undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review procedure. The abstracts should be cited and noted on the first page of the paper.
Authors of accepted abstracts are highly encouraged to submit an extended proceedings paper (ideally 4–8 pages in length) for the conference's dedicated proceedings volume in the Proceedings ( ISSN 2504-39000 journal . Publication of the proceedings will be free of charge.
Please submit it after the conference. Proceedings paper submission deadline: 9 October 2026 (45 days after the conference)
Please click HERE to submit your proceeding paper to the Proceedings , and be sure to disclose the conference information in your cover letter or mention the conference name in your submission.
Publication Notice: Proceedings papers will undergo peer-review procedure. Acceptance at the conference does not ensure final publication.
WSF-12_proceeding_paper-template.dot
Registration
Important Information
|
Early Bird Until 10 July 2026 |
Regular Until 20 August 2026 |
Supported documents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | 459.00 EUR | 499.00 EUR | |
| Invited Speakers/EB/GE/Committee/Society member | 409.00 EUR | 449.00 EUR | |
| Students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) | 209.00 EUR | 249.00 EUR |
PolyU Student ID |
| Student | 309.00 EUR | 349.00 EUR |
Student ID |
| Non-Academic | 609.00 EUR | 659.00 EUR | |
| Accompanying Person | 180.00 EUR | 180.00 EUR |
Includes access to the banquet dinner on the evening of 22 August 2026 and the post-event technical visit on 24 August 2026 only. |
Cancellation policy
Cancellation of paid registration is possible under the terms listed below:
|
> 2 months before the conference |
Full refund but CHF 50 are retained for administration |
|
> 1 month before the conference |
Refund 50% of the applying fees |
|
> 2 weeks before the conference |
Refund 25% of the applying fees |
|
< 2 weeks before the conference |
No refund |
Disclaimer
In the unlikely event that WSF-12 Conference Secretariat shall deem it necessary to cancel the conference, all pre-paid registration fees will be reimbursed. WSF-12 Conference Secretariat shall not be liable for reimbursing the cost of travel or accommodation arrangements made by individual delegates.
The statements, opinions, and data presented in this conference or on this website are solely those of the individual participant(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI. MDPI disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
Photographs and/or video will be taken during the conference
By taking part in this event, you grant the event organizers full rights to use the images resulting from the photography/video filming, and any reproductions or adaptations of the images for fundraising, publicity or other purposes to help achieve the conference’s aims. This might include (but is not limited to), the right to use them in their printed and online publicity, social media, press releases and funding applications.
Insurance
The organizers do not accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property incurred as a result of participation in WSF-12. Delegates are advised to arrange appropriate insurance to cover travel, cancellation, or medical costs, and theft or damage of belongings.
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
Currencies accepted by this event
Swiss francs (CHF) , Euros (EUR) , US dollars (USD) , Pounds sterling (GBP) , Japanese yen (JPY) , Canadian dollars (CAD) and Singapore dollars (SGD)
Event Awards
We are excited to announce two prestigious event awards in recognition and celebration of the outstanding contributions made by our participants during WSF-12.
2. Best Poster Awards
Winner Announcement: The winners of these awards will be announced during the closing ceremony of the conference. Results will be announced on the website, and all winners will be individually contacted via email.
Venue Information
Location
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)
Adress: ST805, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
Source: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ (official website)
With over 85 years of rich heritage, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has evolved alongside Hong Kong, making pivotal contributions to its social and economic development, as well as to the Nation and the world. PolyU aspires to be an innovative world-class university that pursues excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer. Guided by its motto, “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”, the University nurtures socially responsible professionals and leaders with a strong sense of national pride and a global perspective, while driving world-leading research and innovation for societal benefits. PolyU’s unwavering commitment to excellence, impact, and innovation has earned it widespread international recognition. The University consistently ranks among the world’s top 100 universities, a testament to its status as a global leader in higher education and cutting-edge research.
Venue
Block Z, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Main Conference Hall: Lam Chik Ho Lecture Theatre (Z209), 2/F, Block Z
Click here to ➡️ Campus Map（official map）
Route to Block Z (official vedio from PolyU Adimissions):
Route1: Starting Point-Hung Hom Station Exit A1
Route2: Starting Point-Hung Hom Station Exit D1
Route3: Starting Point-Main Entrance (Cheong Wan Road)
Travel
By Plane
Getting from Hong Kong International Airport to PolyU
· By MTR
1. At the Airport, take Airport Express from Hong Kong International Airport to Tsing Yi Station.
2. Next interchange to Tung Chung Line for Hong Kong Station at Tsing Yi Station Platform 4.
3. Then interchange to Tuen Ma Line for Wu Kai Sha Station at Nam Cheong Station Platform 2.
4. Get off at Hung Hum Station and take the footbridge at Exit A1 or D1 to the campus.
For more details, please read the MTR website
· By bus
1. Take Cityflyer route A21 from Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) Bus Terminus to Hung Hom Station.
2. Take the footbridge at Hung Hom Station Exit D1 or A1 that leads you to the campus.
For more details, please read the Citybus website
· By taxi
Take Urban red taxis to go to PolyU and drop off at PolyU's main entrance on Cheong Wan Road.
Duration: ~30–45 minutes (varies with traffic) | Estimated Fare: ~HKD280–380
Additional charges occur for large baggage. The toll and return toll are both payable by a passenger for cross-harbour hiring.
By High-Speed Rail
Getting from Hong Kong West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station to PolyU
· By MTR
1. From the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station, take the Tuen Ma Line bound for Wu Kai Sha Station.
2. Alight at Hung Hom Station and take the footbridge at Exit A1 or D1 to reach the campus.
For more details, please read the MTR website
· By taxi
Take Urban red taxis to go to PolyU and drop off at PolyU's main entrance on Cheong Wan Road.
Duration: ~10–15 minutes (varies with traffic) | Estimated Fare: ~HKD45
Accommodation
We have carefully selected some accommodation options near the PolyU to ensure your stay is comfortable and convenient. Please note that the event organizer is not responsible for any hotel payments. Attendees are required to make their own hotel reservations.
Regal Kowloon Hotel
Ideally situated in Tsim Sha Tsui East within close walking distance of the MTR, hotel is an exquisite blend of classical European elegance with Oriental hospitality. Regal Kowloon Hotel integrates sustainability into business strategy → Regal Kowloon Hotel-Sustainbility
Adress: 71 Mody Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong
Distance from PolyU: 9 minutes' walk (650 m)
Email: Jason Lin (RKH) <rkh.dos@regalhotel.com>
Check-in /Check-out: 15:00 / 12:00
*Please click this special booking link and use the group code "WSF12" to to make advance with instant online booking confirmation and the preferred rates.
Hotel Stage
Park Hotel
Adress: 61–65 Chatham Rd S, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Distance from PolyU: 9 minutes' walk (650 m)
Notice: Beware of Unauthorized Accommodation Offers
- Sciforum is the only official registration platform for WSF12
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Tourism
Urban-Nature Harmony | Sustainable Design | Eco-Friendly Mobility
Victoria Harbor captures the essence of Hong Kong — a stunning meeting point of tradition and modernity. Stroll along the waterfront promenade to admire the skyline of green architecture and enjoy the dazzling Symphony of Lights, where the city’s energy and creativity shine across the night sky.
Riding the historic Ding Ding tram through Central and then heading up to The Peak offers an eco-friendly journey through time. From the Peak, sweeping views of the city and harbor reveal Hong Kong’s balance between urban growth and environmental preservation.
The M+ Museum stands as a cultural landmark of contemporary art and design. Its striking architecture and sustainable design reflect Hong Kong’s forward-thinking spirit. Inside, visitors explore modern art, moving images, and installations that connect local stories with global creativity — a must-visit for art lovers and curious minds alike.
Route 2 – Cultural Tourism
Historical Architecture | Revitalization | Heritage Conservation
Begin at Central Market, a Grade III historic building reopened after years of revitalization. Once a bustling market in the 1930s, it has been transformed into a vibrant community hub blending heritage architecture with modern design. The open-air atrium, terrazzo staircases, and art installations create a sense of urban nostalgia.
From there, stroll up to Pottinger Street, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic heritage lanes. The granite steps, built in the mid-19th century, wind between old façades, traditional shops, and market stalls selling costumes and souvenirs. Walking along the uneven stones is a reminder of the city’s evolution from a colonial port to a global metropolis.
End the day at Tai Kwun, an award-winning conservation project that has transformed the former Central Police Station compound into a cultural landmark. The site integrates 16 restored historic buildings with contemporary art galleries, cafés, and open courtyards, creating a harmonious dialogue between old and new.
Route 3 – Natural Tourism
Marine Park | Ecological Conservation | Hiking
Tung Ping Chau, located at the northeastern tip of Hong Kong, is a designated area within the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. The island is renowned for its striking sedimentary rock formations, rich marine ecosystems, and serene coastal scenery.
A one-day trip to Tung Ping Chau allows visitors to experience both geological wonders and ecological diversity. The Tung Ping Chau Country Trail encircles the island, guiding travelers past famous landmarks such as Kang Lau Shek, Lung Lok Shui, and Cham Keng Chau, where the island’s unique layered rock formations vividly record millions of years of natural history. Along the trail, visitors can enjoy the beauty of coral beaches, marine habitats, and panoramic ocean views.
Transportation:
Ferry Departure: Ma Liu Shui Pier (near the University MTR Station)
Destination: Tung Ping Chau
Schedule: Operates mainly on weekends and public holidays
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours each way
Tips: Check the latest ferry schedule in advance. Bring enough food and water, as facilities on the island are limited.
Thematic Highlight – Hong Kong Flavors
Hong Kong is a paradise for food lovers, where East meets West on every plate. Classic dim sum like siu mai and har gow, golden egg tarts, and silky milk tea represent the city’s culinary heritage. On the streets, you’ll find steaming cheung fun, curry fish balls, and egg waffles — simple yet iconic snacks that define local life. For something heartier, roast goose, wonton noodles, and clay pot rice bring comfort to every table. From bustling cha chaan tengs to modern cafés, Hong Kong’s cuisine tells the story of a city that celebrates flavor, tradition, and creativity.
Visa Information
Most nationalities can visit Hong Kong for a short period without a visa; however, the requirements vary by country, with visa-free stays ranging from 7 days to 180 days. To confirm your specific requirements, visit the Hong Kong Immigration Department website. For longer stays, you must apply for a visa in advance, either through the nearest Chinese diplomatic mission, a local sponsor, or directly by post to the Immigration Department. You will need your passport, sufficient funds, proof of accommodation, and your travel itinerary to apply for a visa.
1. Check Your Visa-Free Status
Varying Periods: Hong Kong allows visa-free entry for short visits for nationals of many countries, but the duration of stay differs.
Specific Information: Check the official Hong Kong Immigration Department (immd.gov.hk) website or the Hong Kong Tourism Board for details specific to your country of origin.
2. When a Visa is Required
Extended Stays: You need to apply for a visa or entry permit if your planned visit exceeds the visa-free period allowed for your nationality.
3. How to Apply for a Visa
Visa Application: Applicants must submit their visa application to the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission or directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
Sponsor: A local sponsor can also be used to submit the visa application on your behalf.
e-Visa: The Immigration Department issues "e-Visas," which are PDF-formatted notification slips, upon approval of the application.
4. Required Documents
Passport: A valid passport with at least six months of validity beyond your planned stay.
Application Form: A completed Hong Kong visitor visa application form.
Financial Proof: Evidence of sufficient funds to cover your stay, such as bank statements.
Travel Documents: Proof of onward or return transportation arrangements, like flight bookings.
Other Documents: Passport-sized photographs and proof of accomodation may also be required.
Visa Support Letter
● Applicants must have paid for registration and submitted an abstract in order to get a letter of support
● Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid, in-date passport that contains a photo of them.
● Applicants must provide us with a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
● This must be carried out in good time before the meeting; “last minute” requests will not be processed.
Request for Visa Application Document(s) - Invitation Letter
If, for visa purposes, you require an invitation letter to allow you to travel to Hong Kong, please email wsf12@mdpi.com the following details to the conference secretariat:
● Photocopy of your passport;
● Name (as it appears on your passport);
● Passport number;
● Nationality;
● Date and Place of Birth;
● Place of Issue;
● Date of Issue: dd/mm/yyyy;
● Expiration Date: dd/mm/yyyy;
● Country of departure;
● Job title;
● Organization;
● Mailing address;
● Email.
Kindly ensure that you have completed your registration and made payment before sending in your request for your visa application document(s) to the conference secretariat. The document(s) will be prepared and sent by email. Failure to provide the above information will result in the delay of your invitation letter.
Organizers
Sponsorship Opportunities
With a global audience of academic, policy, and industry participants, WSF-12 offers a unique platform to connect your organization with thought leaders and decision-makers shaping a sustainable and resilient future.
Join us in driving innovation and collaboration at the 12th World Sustainability Forum (WSF-12), 21–24 August 2026, Hong Kong.
Download our Sponsorship Prospectus:
Secure Your Strategic Advantage at WSF-12
Gain exposure and build meaningful connections with 500+ participants, including sustainability experts, policymakers, researchers, and corporate leaders from across the globe.
Benefits for All Sponsors, Regardless of Package:
- Display your logo, website link, and organization profile on the WSF-12 webpage.
- Your logo will appear in our digital and printed Book of Abstracts.
Exclusive Networking Opportunities:
Engage directly with our VIP guests, keynote speakers, and institutional partners at dedicated networking sessions and appreciation dinners.
Email us to find out more:
Feel free to contact our partnerships and sponsorships representative at wsf12@mdpi.com.
Supporting Organizations
Sponsors and Partners
For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, check out our Sponsorship Prospectus or contact wsf12@mdpi.com.
Media Partners
Supporting Journals
Event Secretaries
Mrs. Amy Cheng
Mrs. Cassie Zhao
Mrs. Fionn Ee
Dr. Alina-Andrada Igna
Mrs. Flora Li
Email: wsf12@mdpi.com
For inquiries regarding submissions and sponsorship opportunities, please feel free to contact us.
