Public Notice: Hebei University of Technology’s Ge Xiao

Summary

Ge Xiao, associate professor at the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Hebei University of Technology, has been invited by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) to attend the 2027 Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Christchurch from 14 to 20 February 2027, a seven-day visit. The conference theme is 'Earthquake Engineering', with academic discussions focusing on 'disaster prevention and mitigation for infrastructure in the Pacific Rim region'. Ge will discuss frontier directions in seismic engineering with conference experts and deepen cooperation with international scholars.

The return route is Beijing–Guangzhou (transit)–New Zealand–Guangzhou (transit)–Beijing. The inviting organisation, NZSEE, was founded in 1968 and is New Zealand's core professional society for earthquake engineering and a registered charity, with about 1,100 members including engineers, scientists, architects, insurers and contractors. It publishes the open-access quarterly NZSEE Bulletin and holds an annual technical conference, is deeply involved in technical guidelines and policy advocacy for TS 1170, base isolation, assessment and retrofit of existing buildings, and low-damage seismic design, and has run more than 30 post-earthquake reconnaissance missions under its 'Learning from Earthquakes' programme, collaborating with SESOC, NZGS, MBIE and NHC.

The visit is funded by the Northern Frozen Sea Area project (fund number: 405628) led by Ge Xiao, with a total budget of about NZ$30,000. The public notice period runs from 26 October to 1 November 2026; any objections can be raised by calling 60436457.

Commentary

The New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE), a professional body with about 1,100 members, has technical guidelines and post-earthquake reconnaissance findings deeply embedded in New Zealand building codes, such as TS 1170 and low-damage seismic design. The participation of Chinese scholars reflects shared Pacific Rim demand for infrastructure disaster prevention and mitigation. For NZ SMEs, China's experience in infrastructure projects in northern frozen sea areas could bring technical cooperation opportunities, particularly in seismic retrofit and assessment of existing buildings.

At the same time, New Zealand's local construction and insurance industries already widely apply NZSEE standards, and SMEs involved in related engineering work need to monitor its latest technical developments. Chinese academic participation may promote bilateral knowledge-sharing in niche areas such as resilient cities and base isolation technology, but commercial translation will depend on specific projects materialising.

Keywords: Hebei University of Technology, Ge Xiao, NZSEE, Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Christchurch, academic exchange, visit public notice, disaster prevention and mitigation

Photo by EclipseChasers on Pixabay

Source: School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology