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Ammar Azzouz1

Visiting Scholar, University of Cambridge
Ammar Azzouz is an architect for Arup, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge, Department of Architecture at the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research.

His research paper 'architects at the time of war' has been shortlisted for the RIBA President's Awards for Research for 2018. It builds on a set of interviews with architects inside and outside Syria, to investigate the role of local communities, architects and charities in responses to destruction of the built environment.

Ammar studied Architecture at Al-Baath University, Homs, Syria before moving to the UK to complete his MSc in Project Management in Construction. Ammar joined the University of Bath, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering in 2013 to study his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Alexander Copping and Dr. Paul Shepherd.

His work has been published in different platforms including the Independent, the New Statesman and the Architects Journal.

Ammar research focuses on digitalisation in the built environment, as well as cities, conflicts and local responses to destruction.

Global Geopolitics Series

Domicide: the destruction of homes in Gaza reminds me of what happened to my city, Homs

Oct 27, 2023 14:56 pm UTC| Insights & Views

This article accompanies an episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast featuring an interview with the author, Ammar Azzouz. The Israeli bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 has...

How Syrian architects can start to rebuild – even in the devastation of war

Oct 20, 2018 15:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The war in Syria has turned many of its cities into battlegrounds. Places like Aleppo, Homs and Raqqa have been reshaped beyond recognition by the destruction of architecture and the mass displacement of...

Economy

EU and CPTPP Nations Push for Landmark Digital Trade Agreement

The European Union and member nations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have officially agreed to pursue a groundbreaking digital trade deal, marking a potentially...

Cybersecurity Stocks Tumble After Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI Leak Sparks Market Fears

Major cybersecurity stocks took a sharp hit Friday following reports that Anthropic accidentally exposed details about its next-generation AI model before its official launch. CrowdStrike fell 7%, Palo Alto Networks...

Gold Prices Rise Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Safe Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed on Friday, positioning the precious metal for a weekly gain as investors retreated from riskier assets and sought refuge in safe haven investments like bullion and the U.S. dollar. The move came amid...

Oil Prices Surge Past $100 as U.S.-Iran Peace Hopes Collapse

Global oil markets turned sharply higher on Friday as diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran appeared to unravel, pushing Brent crude above $100 per barrel for the first time in recent weeks. The escalation...

NASDAQ Tech Selloff: Correction or Collapse? What Analysts Are Saying

The NASDAQ Composite has officially entered correction territory, posting its sharpest valuation decline since the dotcom era as markets react to escalating U.S.-Iran military tensions. While the selloff has rattled...

Politics

Trump Warns "Cuba Is Next" Amid U.S. Military Posturing in the Region

Speaking at a Miami investment forum on Friday, President Donald Trump issued a striking warning toward Cuba, declaring Cuba is next while highlighting recent U.S. military operations against Venezuela and Iran. Though he...

Nepal's Ex-PM K.P. Sharma Oli Arrested Over Deadly 2024 Anti-Corruption Protests

Nepals former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli was arrested Saturday morning as authorities launched a formal investigation into his alleged negligence during violent anti-corruption protests that claimed 76 lives last...

U.S.-Iran War Update: Rubio Says Conflict Could End in Weeks as Strikes Escalate

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Friday that U.S. military operations against Iran are progressing ahead of schedule, with officials expecting the conflict to wrap up within weeks rather than months. Speaking after...

Trump Questions U.S. Commitment to NATO Amid European Tensions

President Donald Trump once again cast doubt on Americas dedication to NATO on Friday, declaring that the United States does not have to be there for the alliance remarks that have reignited global concerns about the...

Russia and Iran Explore Diplomatic Path Amid Middle East Conflict

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Friday, with both sides exploring the possibility of a political and diplomatic resolution to the ongoing military crisis in the...

Science

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Technology

Chinese Universities with PLA Ties Found Purchasing Restricted U.S. AI Chips Through Super Micro Servers

Procurement records reveal that four Chinese universities, two of which have direct ties to the Peoples Liberation Army, acquired Super Micro Computer servers loaded with restricted Nvidia AI chips over the past year. The...

Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon's Blacklisting of AI Company Anthropic

A federal judge has temporarily prevented the Pentagon from enforcing its designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk, dealing an early blow to the Trump administration in a growing dispute over...

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...