If anyone wants to experience the benefits of belonging to an amazing global organization, join CIB – an impressive worldwide network of building and construction experts who improve their day-to-day performance through international co-operation and information exchange with their peers.
My personal introduction to CIB was fortuitous. When I started my PhD studies in 1997 at the University of Florida which is a CIB member, the late Professors Rick Coble and Jimmie Hinze of CIBW099 fame insisted from day one that it was imperative that I build my international research profile and there was only one way to do so – become involved with CIB. What they did not tell me was that I really had no choice. Their guidance and mentorship in CIB and the experiences I have had since then have without any doubt positively and exponentially changed my professional and personal life. My subsequent CIB journey included naturally being heavily involved with W099, becoming the joint coordinator of TG59 now W123 – People in Construction, serving as a guest of the CIB board, and being elected as a member of the CIB board.
My appointment as CIB Programme Director presents the opportunity to build on the stellar work of my predecessor, Mike Behm, during his term. His shoes will be hard to fill. This new role allows me to use my many years of experience in CIB and the countless relationships I have built along the way to grow the CIB brand. I witnessed CIB as a learning organization experiencing and transcending the challenges of a transition period which positions itself at stages 3 and 4 of Rostow’s 5-stage model of growth, namely take off and drive to maturity respectively. CIB like every organization around the world did not escape the impact of COVID-19. It survived when doomsayers thought that it would not. I believe that CIB is better, is stronger and can be even greater if we work together to achieve that goal.
I adopted the following acronym to drive the activities of my programme management team, namely
C – Collaborate and compare
I – Include and Inspire
B – Boost and belong
As I reflected upon the objectives of CIB I realize that CIB is:
- a valued source of information concerning worldwide building and construction research and innovation
- an effective access point to the global research community
- a forum for collaboration between the entire spectrum of building and construction interests and the global research community
CIB has to be increasingly and visibly relevant and responsive to the burning issues facing our global society today such as, for example, climate change and the drive towards near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030, relationship between technology and people, energy crisis and challenges, post-war restoration, and the threats and impacts of global disasters. These responses may include pathways to building technical and institutional capacity, developing skills and setting appropriate governance structures.
To achieve this relevance and response together with my team, Cheng Siew Goh and Sina Moradi we see the role of our portfolio as having several arms, namely
- Revitalizing CIB Commissions which are the engine room of CIB by providing active support to their activities, developing improved value propositions and guidelines, improving communications based on current contact information of co-ordinators; and improving their visibility using various platforms – website, newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc
- Establishing new commissions and task teams where these are deemed necessary that are relevant and responsive to critical current and future global issues
- Growing Early Career Researchers by strengthening current initiatives which include PhD dissertation award; Sebysten Future Leaders Award; Hampson ECR-Industry Award; and investigating postdoctoral fellowships as part of ECR , and expanding the reach of all these awards to include all continents
- Growing Future Leaders by identify regions that are underrepresented and increasing their involvement
- Promoting the Vistas programme and its reach namely Global collaboration; People and the Planet; and Futures by raising the visibility of this CIB ‘flagship’ initiative, and growing the levels of interest and involvement across all continents
For the initial three months of our term the team will provide support to the relevant Chairs and committees and promote their activities and goals; establish contact with all commissions and task teams; and support current activities of the secretariat and board.
I look forward to working to advancing the CIB agenda and building a winning team. I hate losing.
Finally, my team and I wish you everything of the very best for 2023 and serving you as best we can.
