Published by: Yu Huiping and Li Lichen Edited by: Zhou Tongjiang

WUST News (Correspondents Yu Huiping and Li Lichen) On November 2, 2025, Professor M. Hesham El Naggar, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Distinguished Professor at Western University, and internationally renowned geotechnical engineering expert, delivered an academic report at the Huangjiahu Campus of Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST). Invited by Professor Huang Shibing, Dean of the School of Urban Construction, the event was held in Room 52302 of the Teaching Building and attracted over 100 faculty members and students from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), East China Jiaotong University, and WUST. Associate Dean Yang Zhao chaired the event.

Associate Dean Yang Zhao began by introducing Professor El Naggar’s academic and professional background, after which Associate Professor Li Lichen presented an overview of the School of Urban Construction’s academic programs and disciplinary strengths.

Titled Framework for Regional Seismic Hazard Characterization, Professor El Naggar's report introduced a systematic framework for analyzing and identifying regional seismic hazards. Using Vancouver，Canada as a case study, he demonstrated how comprehensive seismic site databases can support predictions of critical site characteristics at both local and regional scales. Following the presentation, Professor El Naggar engaged in a lively discussion with faculty and students on topics such as the future applications of artificial intelligence in geotechnical engineering and the career development prospects for civil engineering students. A group photo concluded the event.

Speaker biography:

Professor M. Hesham El Naggar is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Institute of Canada. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the renowned international journal Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering and previously held the position of Associate Editor for the Canadian Geotechnical Journal. His research focuses on soil-structure interaction under static and dynamic loads, soil dynamics, earthquake engineering, pile foundation behavior, long-term performance of marine structures, and dynamic foundation design.

Professor El Naggar has led research projects totaling over CAD 20 million (approx. CNY 120 million) and has mentored more than 120 master's and doctoral students. He has authored over 400 SCI/EI-indexed publications and received numerous international awards, including the G. G. Meyerhof Award (2002), Colloquium Speaker at the Canadian Geotechnical Conference (2002), A. G. Stermac Award (2007), and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OPSE) and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Engineering Medal for Research and Development (2015).