On the morning of May 22^nd, 2023, Tsinghua University’s New Civil Engineering Building hosted the appointment ceremony for Professor Asif Sohail Usmani from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. Mr. Lu Xinzheng representing Tsinghua University’s School of Civil Engineering, chaired the event. Vice Dean Professor Li Kefei presented Professor Usmani with the official appointment letter. Attendees included faculty from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Mr. Xiao Fu, Mr. Wang Qixin, Mr. Luo Mingchun, Mr. Huang Xinyan, and Ms. Zhang Yuxin - along with Mr. Zhang Hui from Tsinghua’s Institute of Public Safety Research, and Tsinghua’s own teachers Li Wei and Gu Chen from the Department of Civil Engineering.

Mr. Lu Xinzheng provided an overview of Professor Usmani's notable contributions and academic background. Recognized as an eminent scholar in architectural science and fire safety engineering, Professor Usmani has made significant research contributions in the mechanical behavior of civil infrastructure in fires, development resistant structural design methods and safety research on smart city resilience and fire safety through artificial intelligence. He maintains a longstanding collaborative relationship with Tsinghua University.

Vice Dean Li Kefei praised that Professor Usmani’s exceptional achievements and practical experience in civil engineering and urban safety, noting his potential to impart valuable knowledge to both the School of Civil Engineering, and the Institute of Public Safety Research. Li Kefei then officially presented Professor Usmani with the appointment letter as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University.

Attending faculty group photo.

Following the appointment ceremony, Mr. Lu Xinzheng moderated a seminar on “Smart City Resilience and Fire Safety,” conducted both in-person and online.

Faculty from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, including Professors Usmani, Huang Xinyan, Wang Qixin, Zhang Yuxin, and Anwar Orabi, joined Tsinghua University’s Professors Zhang Hui, Li Wei, and Mr. Lu Xinzheng, along with Dr. Andy Wai Cheong Tam from NIST, in delivering insightful presentations. Topics encompassed smart city resilience and safety, digital twinning, fire engineering, structural fire performance, intelligent robots, machine learning, and more. The seminar was both rich in content and informative, with active participation and engaging discussions from faculty and students from both universities.

Professor Usmani delivered a presentation titled "Introduction to the SureFire Project."