Dear Colleagues and Students,

The State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City would like to invite you to join our “IOTSC Talk Series” on 15/06/2026 (Monday). We are pleased to invite Dr. Pengyuan LIU from University of Glasgow as the speaker.

Living up Networks: Graph Modelling and Spatially-Explicit GeoAI in Urban Analytics
Speaker: Dr. Pengyuan LIU
Date: 15/06/2026 (Monday)
Time: 10:00-11:00
Language: English
Venue: N21-5010

Abstract:
In the era of urban big data, the spatial structure and dynamics of cities are commonly understood as complex networks. This presentation highlights how graph modelling and spatially-explicit Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) can transform urban analytics by treating cities not only as maps but as interlinked systems of places, flows and interactions. Emphasising that “spatial is special”, it shows how geographic priors, such as contiguity, proximity and heterogeneity, can be encoded directly into Graph Neural Networks (GNNs). Representing urban data within graph structures that mirror the underlying spatial logic of cities enables more interpretable, scalable and policy-relevant analysis. The talk connects cutting-edge graph-based methods with real-world urban challenges, demonstrating how GNNs informed by geographic theory can deepen our understanding of urban systems, from socio-spatial inequality to infrastructure resilience.

Speaker’s Bio:
Dr. Pengyuan Liu is currently working as a Lecturer in Digital Planning at the University of Glasgow. His expertise lies in the field of quantitative urban geography, with a specialisation in GeoAI and urban digital twin research. He holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Leicester, UK. Before joining the University of Glasgow, he served as a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher and Module Coordinator at the Future Cities Laboratory, Singapore-ETH Centre. In 2023, he contributed as a Lecturer in Human Geography and Urban Planning at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. His academic journey also includes valuable postdoctoral research experiences at the Urban Analytics Lab, National University of Singapore and the University of Helsinki.

All are Welcome!

For enquiries: Tel: 8822 9976
Email: kennyfu@um.edu.mo

Best Regards,
State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City