Rizal Sebastian appointed visiting professor at London South Bank University

The annual Digital x Data Research Conference of London South Bank University (LSBU) took place on 1 and 2 July 2026. This year, the conference had a special connection with THUAS, as Dr Rizal Sebastian, our Professor of Future Urban Systems, formally took up his post as visiting professor at LSBU. Rizal: ‘It’s a wonderful way to cement the international collaboration between THUAS and LSBU.’ 

Rizal graduated with Distinction from LSBU with an MSc in Construction Management in the past but reconnected with the university 18 months ago when a delegation representing ten major UK universities visited THUAS. Representing LSBU was Professor Rodney Day (Group Executive Director & Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Global), who invited Rizal to explore the visiting professorship opportunity. ‘It was a great honour’, Rizal recalls. ‘Especially because LSBU is such a good fit with THUAS, given our shared focus on applied research and education.’ 

Making a difference with digitalisation

‘THUAS and LSBU complement each other very well in a number of areas, and that’s exactly what we intend to build on in the years ahead’, Rizal explains. ‘And we’ve got off to a strong start! Over the past nine months, we have worked together on a number of international research proposals. If they are successful, we’ll have some fantastic projects for researchers, lecturers and students to work on together over the coming years. Across a range of areas, we want to explore how digitalisation can help address challenges in the built environment.’

Rizal’s inaugural lecture was introduced by Professor Geoff Cox (Director of Digital x Data Research Centre, LSBU), Richard Taylor (Director of Research and Innovation, LSBU) and Nellie van de Griend (Director of the Faculty of Technology, Innovation and Society, THUAS). 

Data-driven approaches for a resilient built environment 

In his inaugural lecture, Rizal focused on digital innovation for sustainable, just and resilient cities. He presented research on data-driven approaches to address challenges such as the energy transition, raw material scarcity, climate change and the shortage of affordable housing in London and The Hague. ‘There are all sorts of possibilities. Take the predictive maintenance of buildings, for example. Wouldn’t it be great to develop a model that uses data on how a building is used to show us exactly what needs repairing and when – and what can wait a little longer?’ 

Digital sovereignty in a just society

Ambitions for collaboration extend beyond the built environment. ‘An inclusive society is also part of what makes cities sustainable’, Rizal explained. ‘Together with LSBU and the University of Waterloo in Canada, we want to explore how municipalities can use digital twins and responsible AI to work more intelligently and inclusive. Our aim is to create systems that use accessible data to give citizens a genuine say in decision-making. We’re currently seeing opposing trends in the United States and China. But we see opportunities for Europe and Canada to work more closely together on digital justice in the future’, he added optimistically. ‘At a time like this, it’s important to retain control of your own data. This is why digital sovereignty is an important topic on our shared agenda.’

Raising our international profile

Rizal has been appointed visiting professor for a three-year term. During this period, he will work with his new colleagues to launch joint research programmes and educational modules, publish academic papers and organise international conferences. ‘This will help raise THUAS’s international profile’, he said. ‘The collaboration with LSBU is also a great opportunity for my colleagues at the Centre of Expertise Mission Zero and in the Faculty of Technology, Innovation and Society. I am looking forward to seeing what the future brings!’

You can watch Rizal’s full inaugural lecture on YouTube.