The 1st Conference on
Resilient Infrastructure and
Safety Engineering
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About the Conference
You are cordially invited to attend the 1st Conference on Resilient Infrastructure and Safety Engineering (RISE2026), which will be held at Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan, from 14 to 15 October 2026.

RISE2026 is an international academic platform focusing on the resilience and safety of urban infrastructure against natural disasters, climate change and human-induced threats. Co-hosted by the China Civil Engineering Society and Nazarbayev University, this conference aims to foster in-depth exchanges and collaboration among global scholars, industry experts, engineers and young students.

The conference will cover topics including construction technologies and materials, operation and maintenance of urban transportation infrastructure, enhancement of engineering resilience, and international development of engineering technical standards. Participants will gain access to the latest research outcomes, join thematic discussions, and establish long-term partnerships with international peers. Representatives from universities, research institutions, government agencies and enterprises worldwide are welcome to participate.

RISE2026 would like to express sincere gratitude to the key organizing partners – China Civil Engineering Society, Nazarbayev University, China Railway Eurasian Construction Investment Co., Ltd., Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited, Shenzhen University, and Tsinghua University – for their strong support in conference organization, invitation of distinguished international speakers, and promotion of academic-industrial exchange. We appreciate their commitment to advancing research, innovation and international cooperation in the field of urban-infrastructure resilience and safety.
Supporting organizations
Local Organizers
Local organization of RISE2026 is coordinated jointly by the School of Engineering, INMET, and the Department of Special Events and Protocol of Nazarbayev University, including conference preparations, participant coordination, and on-site arrangements at Nazarbayev University.
Conference Theme
Under the theme Enhancing the Resilience of Transport Infrastructure, RISE2026 explores, from perspectives of cutting-edge scientific theories, key-technology innovation and typical engineering practices, the adaptability and recovery mechanisms of urban transportation infrastructure under uncertain risks such as extreme climates, natural hazards and emergent public events. It strives to build a safer, smarter and more sustainable urban-infrastructure system.
Conference Program
Wednesday, October 14
Senate Hall, Block 1
Opening Ceremony Moderator: Prof. Rehan Sadiq
Provost, Nazarbayev University
09:00 – 09:10
Introduction of Distinguished Guests and Declaration of the Conference Opening
Moderator: Prof. Rehan Sadiq
09:10 – 09:15
Address by a Representative of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Kazakhstan
09:15 – 09:20
Address by a Representative of Astana City Transportation Systems LLP
Asylbek Duissebayev
Chairman, City Transportation Systems LLP (CTS)
09:20 – 09:25
Address by a Representative of the China Civil Engineering Society
Xia Xiujiang
Chair, Rail Transit Branch, China Civil Engineering Society
Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman and General Manager, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.
09:25 – 09:30
Welcome address by the Provost of Nazarbayev University
Professor Rehan Sadiq
09:30 – 09:35
Address by a Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Prof. Weicheng Fan
Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Expert Member of the National Disaster Reduction Commission; Chair of the Expert Committee on Urban Disaster Prevention and Reduction, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Dean of the Institute of Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University.
09:35 – 09:40
Address by the Chairman of China Railway Asia-Europe Construction Investment Co., Ltd.
Haiwei Zhou
Chairman, China Railway Asia-Europe Construction Investment Co., Ltd.
09:40 – 10:00
Group Photo and Coffee Break

Morning Session

Moderator: Prof. Jong Ryeol Kim

Head & Professor,

Department of Civil Engineering, Nazarbayev University

Moderator: Tong Bao , Professor-Level Senior Engineer
Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.
10:00 – 10:40
State‑of‑the‑art : Development of Urban Rail Transit in Mainland China
Prof. Xiangsheng Chen
Director of the Urban Rail Transit Construction Professional Committee, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Dean, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University
10:40 – 11:20
Resilient Infrastructure - From Big Data and GIS to accurate prediction of infrastructure vulnerabilities
Prof. Bjorn Birgisson
Vice-Provost, Nazarbayev University
11:20 – 12:00
Technological Support for Unique Facilities in Astana: Practical Experiencefrom the Road and Transport Institute of Kazakhstan on Light Rail Lines
Prof. Zhmagul Nuguzhinov
Director of the Kazakhstan Multidisciplinary Institute for Reconstruction and Development; Professor, Department of Construction, Mechanics, and Telecommunications at Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University
12:00 – 12:40
Light Rail: China-Kazakhstan Partnership
Chen Wang, Professor-Level Senior Engineer
Deputy General Manager & Director of Rail Transit Institute, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.
12:40 – 14:00
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Moderator: Prof. Dichuan Zhang
Department of Civil Engineering, Nazarbayev University
Moderator: Xing Xing, Senior Engineer
Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.
14:00 – 14:25
Designing Cities for Threats We Cannot Yet Foresee
Prof. Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis
Founding Director of the Centre of Global Infrastructure Resilience at the Bartlett, University College London
14:25 – 14:50
The Development of High-speed Railway in China and Attempts for a Resilient Railway Infrastructure.
Prof. Jianbo Fei
Professor, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering Shenzhen University
14:50 – 15:15
The Scientific and Technological Innovation and Application Practice of Urban Lifeline Safety Projects
Prof. Jianguo Chen
Professor, School of Safety Science in Tsinghua University; Director of Urban Lifeline Safety Monitoring and Early-Warning Technology Research Center of Tsinghua University
15:15 – 15:40
Resilience Enhancement of Long-Span Bridges andDevelopment of Intelligent Construction Equipment
Haiqing Cao, Professor-Level Senior Engineer
Chief Engineer, China State Construction Bridge Co., Ltd.
Expert Member of the Expert Committee,
China Construction Industry Association; Science and Technology Expert, China Association of Construction Enterprise Management; Member of the Chief Engineers Committee, China Civil Engineering Society.

15:40 – 16:00
Coffee Break
16:00–17:30
Youth Round-Table Forum
Moderator:
Prof. Alfrendo Satyanaga
Department of Civil Engineering, Nazarbayev University
Invited Panelists:
Dr. Aigerim Tolegenova,
Dr. Saken Sandybay,
Ruimeng Xia, Professor-Level Senior Engineer
Xu Li , Senior Engineer
Target Participants
RISE2026 welcomes researchers and practitioners worldwide in fields including urban planning, civil engineering, environmental science and emergency management. Both senior experts and early-career scholars with research interests or practical experience in improving urban-infrastructure resilience and safety will find opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
Conference directions and scope
  • Construction Technologies and Materials
    - Research on frozen-soil mechanics
    - Durability research of engineering materials
    - Wind-resistance design and research on bridges in strong-wind regions
    - Engineering construction technologies for extreme-cold environments
    - International frontiers of engineering-material innovation
  • Enhancement of Engineering Resilience
    - Fire-dynamics research
    - Public-safety theories
    - Disaster prevention and mitigation for urban infrastructure
    - Urban emergency management
    - Safety of urban lifeline systems
  • International Development of Engineering Construction Standards
    - Rail-transit engineering
    - Highway engineering
    - Municipal pipe-network engineering
    - Water conservancy and hydropower engineering
    - Building engineering
  • Operation and Maintenance of Urban Transportation Infrastructure
    - Operation monitoring and detection of infrastructure
    - Calculation and analysis of light-rail operating speed in strong-wind regions
    - Comprehensive control of vibration and noise for light-rail transit
    - Safety of fully-automatic operation systems for urban rail transit
    - Energy management of urban-rail-transit systems in extreme-cold environments
Invited Speakers
This world-class international conference of scholars and industry experts conducts cutting-edge research on urban rail, ground engineering and infrastructure resilience.
Hailing from China, Kazakhstan, Sweden and the UK, they advance China-Kazakhstan technical cooperation on landmark projects such as Tarlan Astana LRT and facilitate global cross-border engineering exchanges.
  • Xiangsheng Chen
    Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Member of the Organizing Committee of the International Symposium on Ground Freezing; Director of the Urban Rail Transit Construction Professional Committee, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Dean, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University.
  • Bjorn Birgisson
    Vice-Provost, Nazarbayev University; International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences; Fellow of ASCE and of the Engineering Mechanics Institute.
  • Zhmagul Nuguzhinov
    Director of the Kazakhstan Multidisciplinary Institute for Reconstruction and Development (KazMIRD), a research, expert, and design-survey institution, and Professor of the Department of Construction, Mechanics, and Telecommunications at Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University
  • Chen Wang
    Deputy General Manager & Director of Rail Transit Institute, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.
  • Jianguo Chen

    Professor of School of Safety Science in Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Director of Urban Lifeline Safety Monitoring and Early-Warning Technology Research Center of Tsinghua University
  • Jianbo Fei

    Professor, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering Shenzhen University, Winner of the Excellent Youth Science Funding (NSFC), the director of ASCE (Greater China Section), the young council member of Chinese Society of Particuology, expert of railway science and technology for Chinese National Railway Administration.
  • Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis
    Founding Director of the Centre of Global Infrastructure Resilience at the Bartlett, University College London, and Director of MetaInfrastructure.org and bridgeUkraine.org.
  • Haiqing Cao, Professor-Level Senior Engineer

    Chief Engineer, China State Construction Bridge Co., Ltd.
    Expert Member of the Expert Committee, China Construction Industry Association; Science and Technology Expert, China Association of Construction Enterprise Management; Member of the Chief Engineers Committee, China Civil Engineering Society.
  • Register for RISE 2026
Organizing Committee

Jun Yi

Chair

Vice-Director, Population, Resources and Environment Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; President, China Civil Engineering Society

Zeping Ma

Vice-Chair

Vice-President, China Civil Engineering Society


Jiqin Li

Vice-Chair

Secretary-General, China Civil Engineering Society


Ying Cheng

Member

Deputy Secretary-General, China Civil Engineering Society


Jinxiu Yan

Member

Vice-Chairman, Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society


Li Liu

Member

Chief Economist, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited


Xi Chen

Member

Director of General Management Office, Future Underground City Research Institute, Shenzhen University


Changqing Xia

Member

Professor, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University

Rehan Sadiq

Vice-Chair

Provost, Nazarbayev University


Haiwei Zhou

Vice-Chair

President, China Railway Eurasian Construction Investment Co., Ltd.


Yanwei Wang

Member

Professor, Nazarbayev University



Hongyong Yuan

Member

Dean & Doctoral Supervisor, School of Safety Science, Tsinghua University


Jianbo Fei

Member

Professor, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University


Jin Wang

Member

Party Secretary & Chairman, China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd.


Zhoulin Lv

Member

Standing Director, Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society; Deputy Director, Industry Coordination Office, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.

Chunming Shang

Vice-Chair

Vice-President, China Civil Engineering Society


Xiujiang Xia

Secretary-General

Chair, Rail Transit Branch, China Civil Engineering Society
Chairman and General Manager, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.

Zhang Hongjun

Member

Director, China Railway Asia‑Europe Construction Investment Co., Ltd.


Chen Wang

Member

Deputy Secretary-General, Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society; Deputy General Manager & Director of Rail Transit Institute, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited


Jianguo Chen

Member

Professor, School of Safety Science, Tsinghua University


Xianlei Xu

Member

Professor & Doctoral Supervisor, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing

Academic Committee

Xiangsheng Chen

Chair

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Member of the Organizing Committee of the International Symposium on Ground Freezing; Director of the Urban Rail Transit Construction Professional Committee, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Dean, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University

Weicheng Fan

Vice-Chair

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Expert Member of National Commission for Disaster Reduction; Director of Expert Committee on Urban Construction Disaster Prevention & Mitigation, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Dean, Institute of Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University


Jiulin Li

Member

National Outstanding Engineer; Chief Engineer, Beijing Urban Construction Group Co., Ltd.


Zhmagul Nuguzhinov

Member

Director, KazMIRD; Professor, Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University


Xia Ruimeng

Member

Technical Director, Rail Transit Institute, BUCD


Xiaojia Huang

Member

National Engineering Survey-and-Design Master; Chief Engineer, China Zhongyuan International Engineering Co., Ltd.


Songwei Yu

Member

National Engineering Survey-and-Design Master; Consulting Chief Engineer, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.


Hongyong Yuan

Member

Dean & Doctoral Supervisor, School of Safety Science, Tsinghua University


Mingming Tang

Member

General Manager, Beijing Anjie Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.

Bjorn Birgisson

Vice-Chair

Vice-Provost, Nazarbayev University; International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Fellow of ASCE and Fellow of the Engineering Mechanics Institute


Chen Wang

Secretary-General

Deputy Secretary-General, Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society; Deputy General Manager & Director of Rail Transit Institute, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.


Stergios‑Aristoteles Mitoulis

Member

Founding Director, UCL Centre for Global Infrastructure Resilience


Liang Gao

Member

Vice-Chairman, Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society; Vice-President & Doctoral Supervisor, Beijing Jiaotong University


Xiuren Yang

Member

National Engineering Survey-and-Design Master; Consulting Chief Engineer, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.


Jianbo Fei

Member

Professor, School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University


Haizhi Ma

Member

National Engineering Survey-and-Design Master; Deputy General Manager, Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Ltd.

Suping Peng

Vice-Chair

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Member of National Energy Expert Advisory Committee; Vice-President, International Palaeogeographical Society; Professor & Doctoral Supervisor, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing


Chuan He

Member

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Chief Professor & Doctoral Supervisor, Southwest Jiaotong University


Chen Jianguo

Member

Professor, School of Safety Science, Tsinghua University


Ye Pengjun

Member

Deputy General Manager, Tianjin Metro Group Co., Ltd.


Yanliang Du

Member

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University


Xiuli Du

Member

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Professor, Beijing University of Technology


Jong Ryeol Kim

Member

Head & Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Nazarbayev University


Xianlei Xu

Member

Professor & Doctoral Supervisor, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing

Contact us
yanwei.wang@nu.edu.kz

Nazarbayev University, Block 3, Office 555
Kabanbay batyr ave. 53, Astana, Kazakhstan