Rehan Sadiq
Provost
Prof. Sadiq is a world-renowned researcher and academic leader whose research in asset management of water supply systems, environmental risk analysis, and lifecycle assessment of the built environment has earned international acclaim.
His 800 publications, with approximately 29,000 citations, place him among the 100 top-cited civil engineering researchers worldwide. Prof. Sadiq is a Fellow of five major professional societies and engineering associations in Canada and has been honored with the prestigious CSCE Albert E. Berry Medal for his contributions to environmental engineering.
He joins NU from his role as Provost and Vice-President Academic (Okanagan campus), Professor of Civil Engineering, and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of British Columbia (UBC). As Provost and member of UBC Executive, he led or co-led key strategic initiatives to strengthen the University, including increasing the number of international students at UBC Okanagan campus, securing significant number of additional government funded student places in health and technology related areas, launching new programs (at Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral levels) in engineering, business, education, health and natural sciences, and consolidating UBC’s position among the world’s finest universities (41st in Times Higher Education ranking).
Bjorn Birgisson
Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
Professor Birgisson is a globally recognized researcher in sustainable infrastructure systems, pavements and transportation engineering, and sustainable construction materials. He is an international member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and theEngineering Mechanics Institute.
Throughout his career, Professor Birgisson has held senior academic and research leadership positions at leading universities worldwide. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of Engineering at Aston University (UK), he increased student enrollment by 45%. As Vice President for Research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), he led the university to the top national ranking in European Union Horizon 2020 grant funding, reinforcing its standing among Europe’s leading technical universities. As a Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University (USA), he founded and directed the Center for Infrastructure Renewal, which became a national hub for research in the field. Professor Birgisson holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
The Vice Provost for Research oversees the management, organization, and support of Nazarbayev University’s research activities. This role provides strategic leadership for key areas such as research policy and analysis, core facilities and HPC, engineering and technical services, research compliance and integrity, and research administration. Acting as a principal advisor to the Provost, the Vice Provost ensures effective coordination of policies, resources, and infrastructure to advance the University’s research mission and strategic goals.
Research Administration (NURA) serves as the University’s one-stop hub for research support. Its mission is to increase the number, value, and successful completion of research grants by providing responsive pre- and post-award services. This includes support in funding opportunity promotion, proposal preparation and submission, as well as finance, budgeting, procurement, HR, legal, visa, reporting, and project close-out.
Research Policy and Analysis at Nazarbayev University ensures effective management of research activities by developing and implementing research policy, coordinating sponsored and internal grant programs, and analyzing research data. It also oversees the allocation of research resources and supports the work of the Research Council, playing a central role in advancing the University’s strategic goals in science and innovation.
The Research Council is the University’s highest advisory and decision-making body on research matters. It sets rules, standards, and procedures for research activities, including ethics, intellectual property, and commercialization. The Council also oversees the allocation of research resources and shared facilities, reviews and approves major equipment purchases, and evaluates research strategies and staff development frameworks. Working closely with the Academic Council and other governing bodies, it ensures that NU’s research meets international standards of excellence, integrity, and innovation. The Research Council maintains the activities of the following subcommittees on an ongoing basis:
- Equipment Committee
- Bio and Chemical Safety Committee
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
- Intellectual Property Committee
- Institutional Research Ethics Committee
- Research Space Allocation Committee
- Research Outcomes and Nominations Advisory Committee
Research Compliance and Integrity ensures that all research activities at NU are conducted in line with the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and regulatory requirements. This direction covers areas such as human subjects research, animal welfare, biosafety, and responsible conduct of research. It provides training and guidance to researchers and students, ensures adherence to national and international regulations, and addresses issues of research misconduct, helping to safeguard the University’s reputation and promote a culture of responsible research.
