Academic Session Chair: Dr Natalie Ferry

Student Session Chair: Sadia Sarwar and Daniel Wales

This session will focus on emerging research at the forefront of green biotechnology and circular bioeconomy that looks at how biotechnology can contribute to a more sustainable and circular future. It will focus on novel ways to turn a wide range of underutilized and renewable biomass sources such as agricultural waste, industrial side-streams, forestry by-products and food waste into valuable products like biofuels, chemicals with urgency to reduce carbon footprint and reliance on petrochemicals.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Enzyme and microbial development for biomass breakdown
• Sustainable chemical production from waste biomass
• Using alternative feedstocks, Valorisation of diverse biomass types
• Circular economy applications in biotechnology
• Synthetic biology, AI and computational tools in enzyme/protein design (if relevant to sustainability goals)
• Social, economic, or policy links to green biotech and bioeconomy

Session Objectives

• The aim is to showcase how researchers are tackling environmental challenges through creative, biology-driven solutions that fit into the wider goals of sustainability, circularity and green biotechnology. Postgraduate researchers working on any aspect of sustainability, biotechnology, green chemistry, environmental engineering, or related areas, turning lab research into real-world impact.

Postgraduate researchers working on any aspect of sustainability, biotechnology, green chemistry, environmental engineering, or related areas, turning lab research into real-world impact.

Academic Session Chair(s): Dr Zeljka Krpetic, Dr Rosa Arrigo

Student Session Chair: Josh Pickston

Nanoparticles continue to offer ground-breaking opportunities across biomedical sciences, plasmonics, and catalysis. Their customisable nature, ranging from core materials to surface modifications, positions them as key players in personalised medicine, high-resolution diagnostics, and sustainable chemical processes. This session will focus on the latest research in nanomaterial design,functionalisation, and applications, with an emphasis on biomedical technologies, plasmonic enhancements, and catalytic systems. We welcome contributions that highlight innovations in nanoparticle synthesis, targeted delivery systems, biosensing, and catalytic mechanisms as well as robust analytical approaches addressing key challenges such as particle characterisation, reproducibility, and risk assessment.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Nanoparticle design and surface engineering for biomedical and catalytic applications
• Emerging techniques for in situ and in vitro characterisation of complex nanoparticle structures
• Nanomaterials in cancer therapeutics, antimicrobial systems, or diagnostics
• Plasmonic nanomaterials for sensing and imaging
• Catalytic nanomaterials for sustainable or precision applications
• Biomolecular corona formation and its impact on functionality
• Multidisciplinary approaches to nanoparticle standardisation and regulation

Session Objectives:

• Showcase innovative synthesis and functionalisation strategies for nanomaterials.
• Explore advanced methodologies for in vitro characterisation of nanoparticles.
• Identify current limitations in nanoparticle standardisation and propose robust, reproducible solutions.
• Encourage dialogue across disciplines to enhance understanding of nanomaterial behaviour in complex biological or catalytic systems.

We invite PGRs working across chemistry, materials science, bioengineering, and biomedical research to submit their work and contribute to this vibrant session.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Rosie Anthony

Student Session Chair: Emma Louise White

Due to the rising population in urban areas all over the world and an estimated ten billion people by the year 2050, there is a need for managing urban planning and the implications on inclusivity and sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital need for urban green infrastructure (UGI) and the positive impact it has on our general well-being. Furthermore, research into green spaces and mental and physical health increased significantly post-COVID-19. However, there are major gaps in research on how urban planning and development impacts inclusivity, particularly marginalised groups such as the disabled and elderly populations, and sustainability practices.  

This session will look at the current impact of urban planning in cities with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity. In particular the session will focus on marginalised groups including gender, age, race, and disability.  Research has highlighted major gaps in these areas. The objectives of this session are:

1. To assess a range of urban planning schemes, such a city parks and creative projects, to ascertain their value to multiple audiences and the impact on sustainability.
2. To make recommendations for the future about what cost effective adjustments can be made in planning, that have a positive impact on sustainability whilst also implementing inclusive practices.
3. To educate other PGRs about the impacts urban planning has on inclusivity and sustainability and what can be done in the future.
4. To engage the PGRs in a discussion about the impacts of urban planning and what their own thoughts and opinions are.

This session aims to attract any papers that focus on urban planning or development in cities, urban green infrastructure in cities, sustainable development, inclusive planning, sustainability in cities, the impacts of urban planning, or any papers relating to architecture and urban planning.

Academic Session Chair: Mariana Do Amaral Camara Lima

Student Session Chair: Samuel Thom

Seagrass meadows, hidden beneath coastal waters, are powerful yet underappreciated ecosystems that provide vital ecological, economic, and climate benefits. As blue carbon ecosystems, they sequester carbon at rates faster than tropical forests, enhance biodiversity by serving as nurseries for marine life, protect coastlines from erosion, and support sustainable fisheries. However, these essential habitats are rapidly declining due to pollution, development, and climate-related pressures.

This session invites postgraduate researchers (PGRs) from across disciplines to explore the multifaceted value of seagrass and share innovative approaches to its study, protection, and restoration. By fostering collaboration across marine science, environmental policy, coastal engineering, and community engagement, the session will highlight how academic research contributes to real-world solutions for marine conservation and climate resilience.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Seagrass mapping, monitoring, and restoration techniques
• Ecosystem valuation and blue carbon accounting
• Biodiversity and ecological function of seagrass meadows
• Coastal protection and nature-based climate solutions
• Socio-ecological approaches and community-led conservation
• Policy development and management strategies for seagrass protection
• Communication and outreach for marine ecosystem awareness

Session Objectives:

• Showcase interdisciplinary research advancing seagrass conservation and restoration.
• Explore the ecological and societal roles of seagrass in climate adaptation and biodiversity protection.
• Encourage collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to co-design solutions.
• Highlight the role of public engagement and science communication in raising awareness of blue carbon ecosystems.

This session provides a platform for PGRs working in marine biology, environmental science, coastal governance, and related fields to contribute to a shared mission of safeguarding coastal ecosystems for a sustainable future.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Vincent Uzomah

Student Session Chair: Favour Chukumela Woko

Greywater reuse is gaining recognition as a sustainable strategy to address water scarcity, especially in agriculture. However, concerns remain about its long-term impact on soil quality. This session explores current research on the influence of long-term greywater irrigation on soil physical and chemical properties in urban and peri-urban settings.

We welcome contributions that assess how greywater affects parameters such as soil texture, bulk density, porosity, pH, electrical conductivity, and heavy metal accumulation. Studies comparing greywater and non-greywater irrigated soils, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are encouraged.

This session will also address broader environmental challenges, including salt build-up, changes in soil structure, and the implications for crop health and food security. We aim to gather insights into water reuse practices, treatment technologies, and risk mitigation strategies that support resilient, sustainable agricultural systems.

By drawing on interdisciplinary research from soil science, environmental chemistry, public health, and resource management, this session promotes innovative thinking and safe implementation of greywater reuse in agriculture.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Effects of greywater irrigation on soil physical and chemical properties
• Sustainable water reuse practices in agriculture
• Risk assessment and monitoring of greywater impact on soil health
• Urban wastewater reuse and environmental policy implications
• Soil degradation, salinity risks, and mitigation strategies
• Community-level water resource management
• Greywater treatment and field application techniques
• Water chemistry and irrigation quality
• Heavy metals in alternative water sources
• Environmental challenges and global water-soil issues

Session Objectives:

• Examine greywater irrigation and its impact on soil properties and productivity
• Assess risks and benefits of long-term greywater reuse in agriculture
• Promote sustainable and community-based water reuse strategies
• Highlight alternative water sources and their chemical safety
• Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across soil science, agriculture, and water management

We invite PGRs researchers working in environmental science, water resource management, agriculture, and related fields to contribute to this session.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Kaveh Kiani

Student Session Chair: Aviad Bessler

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes deeply embedded in sectors like healthcare, education, energy, and governance, the urgency to ensure AI development aligns with environmental sustainability, ethical integrity, and social fairness grows rapidly. This session invites interdisciplinary research that critically engages with the design, deployment, and governance of AI systems through responsible and transparent approaches.

We welcome research on how AI affects the environment, such as its energy consumption, carbon footprint, and on how we can make computing more sustainable. Ethical dimensions are central particularly studies tracing accountability across the AI pipeline, from data sourcing and model training to deployment and post-use auditing.

Social equity is another major focus, including algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, and the distribution of benefits and harms across different populations. We welcome investigations into misinformation, manipulated media, and the challenges of protecting rights and privacy in AI-driven ecosystems.

Policy and governance discussions are also crucial: how can we build transparent, participatory oversight models and regulatory frameworks that support public trust in AI?

Finally, we also encourage case studies that demonstrate responsible AI in action whether in healthcare, education, climate science, or public policy.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Environmental impact of AI (e.g., carbon emissions, energy efficiency).
• Ethical AI development and lifecycle transparency.
• Algorithmic fairness, bias, and digital inclusion.
• AI and misinformation, media manipulation, and content rights.
• Privacy-preserving and inclusive machine learning.
• Participatory governance, regulation, and public trust in AI.
• Explainable, reproducible, and low resource AI systems.

Session Objectives:

• Explore interdisciplinary strategies for responsible AI development.
• Highlight the environmental, social, and ethical impacts of AI.
• Showcase technical solutions that promote transparency and fairness.
• Foster dialogue on policy, regulation, and public accountability in AI.

We invite PGRs working across computer science, engineering, ethics, policy, social sciences, and environmental studies to submit their work and contribute to this vibrant session.

Academic Session Chair: Professor Julian Bass

Student Session Chair: Oluwaremilekun Yusuf  

This session will address research in applied software engineering with an industry-focus. We envisage to attract papers addressing issues such as software development processes, agile development, code refactoring and algorithms to support software development artefacts in practice. Issues might include experimental characterisation of algorithms, software quality measures and evaluation also machine learning approaches for assessment of technical debt in agile software development environment.

Though the subject of technical debt is very wide and broad we will be focusing more on technical debt from the programmer side of things which may include: code debt, maintenance debt  to name a few.

Attempts will also be made to see the link between technical debt to the perception of software quality. The quality of a software will be viewed in the tripartite scenario which are: quality to the programmer, quality to the user, quality to the sponsor.

The idea of technical debt can not be concluded as well without talking about the refactoring options/ debt repayment methods. We hope to dive into this realm as well while linking all the thoughts together in a conscience manner.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Technical debt in agile ecosystems
• Code debt versus code quality
• Improving Code quality in agile ecosystems

Session Objectives:

Most effective code smell to refactor first

To show a novelty knowledge in the relationship between code debt and code quality

Effect of code quality in agile ecosystem productivity

Academic Session Chair(s): Dr Tanja Poppelreuter, Dr Uche Ogbonda, Dr Laura Coucill

Student Session Chair: Muhammad Ladan

Co-creation, widely explored across disciplines like psychology, art, and product design, fosters ownership and engagement among stakeholders. In urban design, it has proven useful in enhancing the “sense of place,” which in turn encourages deeper participation in the design process. This reciprocal relationship makes co-creation a vital tool in sustainable place-making.

This session will focus on co-creation and participation in the discourse of architectural design development and within the iterative process of Design Science Research. We welcome contributions that explore co-creation as a theory in architectural design, with examples of architectural or research projects that deploy participation as part of their process of development.

Topics of Interest Include

• Design Science Research (DSR) and its application to architectural design development
• Iterative process of Design Science Research methodology and multidisciplinary theoretical approaches to the Design Science process.
• Contextualizing DRS through Research-Led Design with the principles of Hausa vernacular architecture.
• Participation theory – Co-creation as a tool for place-making/homemaking.
• Sense of place, cultural identity and sustainable housing delivery.

Session Objectives

Identify the differences between co-creation, collaboration & co-design within participatory theory and their functions within architectural discourse and DSR methodology.

Demonstrate the role of participation and co-creation as tools for place making.

Explore the theory of sense of place and cultural attachment as an incentive for participation.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Paul Coates

Student Session Chair: Paria Nosrati

The construction industry is undergoing a transformation driven by the increasing capabilities of AI systems. Companies across the sector must individually and collectively determine how best to integrate AI to enhance efficiency and profitability.

This session will explore methods for evaluating and implementing AI-driven changes, considering both technological tools and the development of knowledge systems. Key topics may include education, ethics, and quality assurance. Participants may examine AI adoption from either a business-centric and project-centric perspectives. Alternatively a product centric approach of how AI can improve the output of the industry can be considered.

Discussions may involve case studies, roadmaps, or frameworks for future AI integration. The challenges of merging AI with existing or legacy technologies will also be addressed, including the evolution of current information management systems. While no specific research methodology is prescribed, the creation of prototypes and demonstration projects will serve as a strong foundation for exploration.

All AI technologies—from expert systems to deep learning—are within the scope of this session. Researchers may propose future AI paradigms for the construction industry, considering autonomous systems as well as individual and group co-generative approaches. Sentiment analysis on AI adoption may also be undertaken.

Technical demonstrations may be included as part of the presentations, covering various aspects of the construction industry, from manufacturing to facilities management. Additionally, discussions may extend to computer vision and automation, particularly in relation to digital twins and their impact on construction processes.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Levingshan Augusthus Nelson

Student Session Chair: Uttam Woli Sharma

The construction industry is rapidly evolving toward sustainability due to increasing concerns over climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation. As a response, research on eco-friendly construction materials has intensified, aiming to reduce carbon emissions, enhance durability, and promote circular resource use.

This session invites researchers working on sustainable construction materials to share their latest innovations. It will highlight experimental and theoretical work related to material development, structural performance, life-cycle assessment, and environmental impact. We welcome interdisciplinary research that contributes to practical and scalable solutions for sustainable infrastructure materials.

Topics of Interest Include:

• Low-carbon and carbon-neutral binders
• Recycled aggregates and industrial by-products (e.g., fly ash, slag)
• Fiber-reinforced and self-healing composites
• Geopolymer and bio-based concretes
• Nanomaterials and eco-friendly additives
• Policy frameworks, life-cycle analysis, and circular economy models

Session Objectives:

• To showcase novel research on sustainable construction materials.
• To promote knowledge exchange between early-stage researchers and experts.
• To encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across civil engineering, materials science, and environmental fields.
• To bridge the gap between academic research and real-world construction practices.
• To support postgraduate researchers in presenting their work to both academic and industry audiences.

This session supports the global agenda of building resilient, low-impact infrastructure and fosters critical discussion on material innovation in sustainable construction.

Academic Session Chair: Dr Amanda Marshall-Ponting, Dr Shaba Kolo

Student Session Chair: Benedict Oluseye Olokede

The construction industry remains a cornerstone of national economies, playing a critical role in socioeconomic development. In the post-COVID era, the sector has faced increasing challenges, particularly in construction project management, with cost overrun, time overrun and inefficiency becoming more prevalent. At the same time, end users are demanding more sophisticated designs and higher functional performance from built facilities and assets. These evolving expectations necessitate a proactive and innovative response from industry stakeholders.

This session will focus on the latest research aimed at improving construction productivity, efficiency, and performance through the adoption of advanced technologies. It will focus on the role of digital innovations in improving project delivery and optimising value across the project lifecycle. Specific attention will be given to cutting-edge developments in construction planning, processes, and management, e.g. Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Automation, and Lean Construction Methodologies.

We invite papers that investigate how recent technological advancements are reshaping construction cost planning and management practices, improving scheduling and cost optimisation, and driving continuous improvement in construction processes. Contributions that combine theoretical insights with practical applications are especially encouraged, as are case studies demonstrating measurable impact.

We invite papers on the following areas:

• Construction Cost Management Practices in the Construction Industry
• Optimising Construction Processes Using Technological Solutions
• Revolutionising Construction Efficiency and Productivity: A Comprehensive Review of Cost Management Software
• Integrating Digital Technologies for Effective Cost Planning and Cost Control of Building Projects

Session Objectives:

Provide a robust understanding on how the application of digital tools can assist in improving materials allocation difficulties, team coordination, project planning techniques and enhance overall construction practices

Review studies on how technological developments are transforming construction cost management practices

Examine the role of technology in reshaping and optimising construction processes.

Investigate how digital tools can advance lean construction practices and continuous improvements to deliver increased productivity.

Academic Session Chair: Mo Maleki Sadabad

Student Session Chair: Titilola Grace Ishola

The oil and gas sector generates substantial export earnings and is a major contributor to the economic development of many countries. This industry, especially petroleum refineries, is characterised by its complex operating environment, which has a high exposure to risk where human error, process failure, or technical faults can lead to a disastrous incident that can have an impact on the economy, humans, the environment, and loss of operational activities.

Applying advanced technological processes to improve safety procedures in the oil and gas industry, with ineffective systematic procedures and processes such as poor communication, inefficient organisational culture, and lack of leadership commitment, can increase or lead to accidents in the workplace (Alsehaimi et al., 2025; Tayab et al., 2024). Therefore, achieving meaningful improvement in industrial safety requires a holistic approach that not only includes technical safeguards but also considers behavioural, organisational, and systemic factors.

This session will focus on exploring and evaluating the impact of safety management system practices, safety culture, and workers’ risk perception on safety outcomes in petroleum refineries in Nigeria using a structured evaluation framework such as ISO 45001:2018.

A profound commitment to understanding the socio-economic consequences of having safe and productive operations in Nigerian petroleum refineries, as well as promoting occupational health and safety in the industry, is very important.

The objectives of the session are:

To propose using ISO 45001:2018 structured recommendations to enhance safety management practices and improve safety performance within Nigerian petroleum refineries.

Evaluate the existing safety culture and risk perception of workers in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry (petroleum refinery).

Identify Nigeria’s current limitations in implementing the elements of the International structured Occupational Health and Safety Management System ISO 45001:2018.