NUS named top contributor for green building research

NUS has been named the top contributing institution in the world for research on green building projects (GBPs) in a bibliometric review published in prestigious journal Building & Environment, achieving global recognition for its extensive studies in the field.

The review assessed research publications on critical success factors (CSFs) for GBPs between 2005 and 2018, and identified 36 publications published in 20 highly recognised international journals that met the selection criteria of the bibliometric review. An analysis of the active contributors and main contributing institutions of the 36 publications revealed that NUS is the top contributing institution in the world, surpassing universities in China and the United States. All five NUS authors who contributed to the identified NUS publications are from the Department of Building in NUS Design and Environment.

Head of Department Professor Willie Tan, said, “We are heartened by the news and are extremely proud of our researchers who have contributed to this recognition. As a department, we will continue to leverage our expertise and knowledge to push the boundaries of green building projects.”

Prof Tan added that the accomplishment attests to the school’s commitment to adopt well and the green thinking in its pedagogy and research, which emphasises human-centric design within a sustainable natural and built environment.

Associate Professor Hwang Bon Gang, who is amongst the five authors, was named the top contributing author in the world. Assoc Prof Hwang has been a faculty of the Department of Building since 2008, lending his research expertise in the areas of project management strategies and innovations for green construction projects, risk management and design management to a wide range of studies conducted at NUS.

Prof Hwang said that development of new technologies has largely been the focus of research on green building projects. However, he believes that studying the impact of new technology adoption on the process of delivering green buildings is equally important, and hopes to deepen his research in this area.

“The excellent research environment and support provided by the Department, School and University have enabled me to venture into this relatively new area of research I am passionate about. I am very pleased to be able to contribute to NUS through my research and this recognition,” Prof Hwang added.

Singapore was also ranked as one of the top three countries in the world that have actively contributed to better understanding of the CSFs that influence the professional practice of green building project management.

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