Half-Day Conference on AI-Driven Circularity in the Built Environment
Discover how digital innovation and circular thinking are shaping the future of the built environment—where AI meets sustainability to create smarter, greener cities.
Date: Friday, 28 November 2025
Time: 14:00 – 17:00
Venue: Room 1.325 (Senate Hall), ISSAI Department, Block 1, Nazarbayev University
Facilitators: ISSAI and ACI Student Chapter (aci@nu.edu.kz)
To participate the event email to ferhat.karaca@nu.edu.kz
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how we understand, measure, and promote circularity in cities and construction. This conference explores how AI-powered tools and data analytics can redefine sustainability practices in the built environment, helping cities transition toward circular construction policies and resource-efficient operations.
This event will bring together experts, policymakers, and researchers to discuss how AI-driven data analytics and circular city indдexing (CCI) can accelerate sustainable construction practices and policy innovation. Topics include AI applications in urban resilience, material flow optimization, circular city performance assessment, and intelligent construction management. The event will highlight how AI can provide measurable indicators of urban circularity, offering policymakers and practitioners a clearer path toward greener, data-informed decisions.
Welcome and Opening Remarks: 2:00 – 2:25 PM
Professor Ferhat Karaca, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor Atakan Varol, ISSAI Founding Director and Professor at School of Engineering and Digital Sciences School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Department of Robotics and Mechatronics
(TBC) Prof Waqar Ahmad, President of NU
First Session: 2:25 – 3:45 PM
Keynote Speech 1: CircularB: Connecting Frameworks and Digital Tools for Intelligent Circular Building Assessment
By Professor Luis Braganca – Professor of Sustainable Building and Circular Economy at the University of Minho, Coordinator of CircularB – Implementation of Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Invited Talk 1: The work of the Center of Urbanism in Astana, its approaches to supporting urban resilience in the city
by Mr. Bakhtiyar Bekenov – Deputy Head of the Center of Urbanism in Astana
Invited Talk 2: The National Green Building Standard OMIR as a Tool for Advancing Circular Economy Principles in Kazakhstan’s Construction Sector
by Mr. Alexandr Belyy, PhD – Executive Director, Kazakhstan Green Building Council (KazGBC)
Invited Talk 3: Energy-efficient modernization of the housing stock in the Republic of Kazakhstan: problems, barriers, and solutions
by Ms. Aiman Shopaeva, PhD – Technical Director, Kazakhstan Green Building Council (KazGBC)
Invited Talk 4: “Urban Resilience in Petropavlovsk” organized within the framework of the regional UNDP project “Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia,” funded by the Government of Japan
by Ms. Adiya Karsybek– UNDP National Consultant on Urban Development
Coffee Break: 3:45 – 4:00 PM
Second Session: 4:00 – 4:45 PM
Keynote Speech 2: Operation and interceptive maintenance of wind energy systems in the era of artificial intelligence
by Professor Charalampos Baniotopoulos (Lambis) – Professor at the University of Birmingham; Visiting Professor at EPFL
Research Highlights 1: Deep Learning and AI-driven Analysis to Advance Circular Building Construction and Develop Sustainable Solutions
by Mr. Hamad Hassan Awan, PhD Candidate – Nazarbayev University
Research Highlights 2: AI and Satellite Mapping for Material Flow Analysis in the Built Environment
by Mr. Sakiru Olarewaju Olagunju, PhD Candidate – Nazarbayev University
Discussion and Q&A: 4:45 – 5:15 PM
Closing Remarks: 5:15 – 5:30 PM
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