1. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste lifecycle management;

2. Circular economy strategies for C&D waste management;

3. Digitalization-enabled circular construction;

4. Low-carbon solutions in the construction industry. 

Zhikang holds a BEng degree in Civil Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Liverpool and a PhD in Construction Project Management from The University of Hong Kong. Professionally, he is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), UK, and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB) in the UK. Before joining Heriot-Watt University as an Assistant Professor, Zhikang served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at City University of Hong Kong.

His primary research interests focus on the circular built environment and construction waste management, where he has established an impressive record of scholarly achievements. To date, Zhikang has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious, high-impact journals, including Resources, Conservation & Recycling (IF=10.9), Sustainable Production and Consumption (IF=9.6), Environmental Impact Assessment Review (IF=11.2), Sustainable Cities and Society (IF=12.0), Journal of Cleaner Production (IF=10.0), Developments in the Built Environment (IF=8.2), Advanced Engineering Informatics (IF=9.9).

As of 1 October 2025, Zhikang’s research work has garnered over 3,000 citations on Google Scholar, with an H-index exceeding 28. Additionally, he has achieved recognition with 10 "ESI Highly Cited Papers," placing his research in the top 1% globally by citations for both field and publication year, as indexed by Web of Science.

Zhikang’s research has gained significant international recognition. In 2024, he was listed among the Stanford World’s Top 2% Most-Cited Scientists and recognized as a World Top 0.5% Scholar by ScholarGPS. He also received the Most Cited Paper Award from the Editorial Board of Architectural Engineering and Design Management. In 2025, he was further recognised with the EGIS Early Career Impact Award at Heriot-Watt University, highlighting the strong impact of his research.

His research has also been funded by prestigious funding bodies, such as Horizon Europe, the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Zhikang is an active reviewer for over 80 internationally influential journals. He also serves as the Associate Editor for Alexandria Engineering Journal (Q1, IF=6.8), Associate Editor for Environment, Development and Sustainability (Q2, IF=4.2), a Youth Editor for The Innovation (Q1, IF=25.7) as well as a Special Corresponding Expert for Frontiers of Engineering Management (Q1, IF=7.7).

Zhikang is eager to engage in research collaborations and industry consultations. He invites applications and is available to supervise prospective PhD students in his areas of research as well as broader topics within the built environment.