The winner of the first CIB Makarand Hastak Visiting Scholar Award has been announced as Dr Lei Liu, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, Australia.
The overarching goal of the CIB Makarand Hastak Visiting Scholar Award is to support and promote collaboration between Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in different regions of the world in the building, construction and built environment sector. And the award seeks to prioritise UN Sustainable Development Goals, early career researchers, and collaborations between different continents and regions of the world.
The successful proposal will establish a new research collaboration between Western Sydney University, Australia and Massey University, New Zealand, bringing together expertise in occupant behaviour and building energy efficiency. The visit will foster knowledge exchange through research meetings, teaching, industry engagement and participation in NZBERS2026, creating a foundation for future joint publications, collaborative funding applications and a long-term Australia–New Zealand research partnership focused on sustainable, occupant-centred buildings.
His visit to Massey University will establish a new Australia–New Zealand collaboration on occupant behaviour and building energy efficiency. The research will address the complex, dynamic and uncertain interactions between people, buildings and energy systems, and examine how smart-meter data, digital twins and AI-assisted modelling can improve prediction and support occupant-centred decisions while protecting wellbeing and privacy. Through research meetings, teaching, laboratory and site visits, an industry workshop and NZBERS2026, the visit will develop a joint publication plan, funding concept and collaboration roadmap. This matters because net-zero buildings depend not only on technologies, but also on how people use them.
About Dr Lei Liu
Dr Lei Liu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Western Sydney University. He holds degrees in Engineering Management and Management Science and Engineering and completed his PhD in Construction Management at Western Sydney University in 2025. His research has evolved from green building and life-cycle energy modelling to occupant behaviour, building performance, digital and AI-assisted energy management, and low-carbon construction. His doctoral research developed data-driven methods to predict the life-cycle energy use of urban residential buildings, and his work has been published in Energy and Buildings, Journal of Cleaner Production and other international journals.
He has contributed to funded research projects with a combined value exceeding AU$700,000, alongside teaching, industry engagement and international conference activities. Dr Liu also serves as Communications Coordinator of CIB W116 – Smart and Sustainable Built Environment and received the 2025 Award for Excellence in HDR Thesis from his School at Western Sydney University.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the inaugural CIB Makarand Hastak Visiting Scholar Award. As an early-career researcher, this opportunity is especially meaningful because it will enable me to build a new Australia–New Zealand collaboration with Massey University and advance occupant-centred approaches to building energy efficiency. I am grateful to CIB, my mentors and both universities for their support, and I look forward to developing meaningful research outcomes and a lasting partnership.”
Dr Lei Liu
On announcing the inaugural winner of the award he endowed, Makarand (Mark) Hastak said
“I am excited to see how Dr. Liu achieves the overarching goal of this award in formulating the role of built environment in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through his collaboration with Massey University in addressing the dynamic complexities of occupant behaviour and building energy efficiency.”
