Dr. Abolghasem Sadeghi-Niaraki is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the XR (eXtended Reality) Metaverse Research Center, Sejong University, Republic of Korea, where he has been a faculty member since 2017. From 2009 to 2017, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geo-Informatics Engineering at INHA University. He was honored as one of the top 100 international distinguished researchers by the Australian Government, receiving the prestigious Endeavour Fellowship Award in 2012, during which he was a visiting scholar at the University of Melbourne. He was recently appointed as a Fellow at the Spatial Data Lab (SDL) within the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University—one of the premier research institutions in the United States dedicated to spatial data analysis. In this role, he conducts collaborative research and development in spatiotemporal data analytics, visualization, and geo-AI-based platforms, contributing to innovative geographic data Environmental applications and natural hazards, especially floods and their impact on the topic of climate change in the USA. Dr. Abolghasem is listed among the Top 2% Scientists in the Stanford-Elsevier dataset for 2024 for his outstanding contributions to Geo-AI and Geospatial Engineering. He is also a member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), contributing to global discussions on geographic analysis, spatial data, and Geo-AI technologies.
With a strong academic foundation including a Ph.D. in Geo-Informatics Engineering from INHA University and degrees from K. N. Toosi University of Technology (KNTU), Dr. Sadeghi-Niaraki has established himself as a prolific researcher advancing the fields of Geo-AI, GIS, HCI, IoT, and Metaverse technologies. His groundbreaking research in Geo-AI, Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Extended Reality (XR) applications within GIS, supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, has pushed the boundaries of immersive technologies in spatial data systems.
His leadership in fostering international collaboration has resulted in significant initiatives, including:
Served as a Key Contributor in Establishing the Super-Realistic (Metaverse) XR Research Center
Contributed as a Core Team Member in Launching the Mobile Virtual Reality Research Center (MVR-RC):
Establishing international postgraduate programs in Culture Technology with KAIST
Securing Korea Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) projects with Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
Consulting for major Korean companies including HANCOM Group and KSIC.net
Implementing innovative solutions like the ubiquitous GIS project at Gimpo Airport