Professor Ghaffarian’s leadership record is cumulative rather than episodic. Each appointment added a layer of accountability that the next one depended on: course and programme leadership in Malaysia, where he led accreditation work with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency; programme direction at AUT, where he carried the Architectural Engineering major through its first Engineering New Zealand accreditation; departmental headship of Built Environment Engineering from 2020, which added staffing, budget and a multi degree portfolio; and, from January 2026, headship of the School of Future Environments, which places those responsibilities within the University’s senior academic governance.
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Leadership Appointments
2026 to present Current
Head of School, School of Future Environments (Huri te Ao)
Head of School; member of the Faculty Executive Committee
Leads a School of more than 100 academic and professional staff with full responsibility for an annual operating budget above NZD $10 million, organised as the departments of Architecture and Built Environment Engineering and the School office. Leads the realignment of the School’s academic portfolio to architecture and built environment engineering following the discontinuation of the Creative Technology programmes (BCT, MCT and PGCertCT), including the redevelopment of the Creative Technology minor for the Architecture department.
Portfolio: financial, resource and facilities planning, estimation, tracking and forecasting; recruitment of academic and professional staff; contracting and human resources; new programme development and CUAP submissions; alignment of national academic audit and quality assurance requirements with School operations; planning and delivery of University Open Days
Professional services: four teams of 13 staff (School management, registrar, technical, and external partnerships and engagement); established a Professional Services Excellence Recognition event with named team awards, first held in October 2026
Led the department that delivers AUT’s architectural and construction engineering, construction management and engineering project management degrees. Led the department’s Engineering New Zealand accreditation working group (2021), chaired the external examination of its undergraduate courses (2021), and was head of the host department for IGLC32 (2024), the first International Group for Lean Construction conference held in New Zealand.
Portfolio: academic recruitment and mentoring of academics and team leaders; departmental budget, CapEx and OpEx planning; workload allocation; programme review and industry advisory engagement
Research leadership: Leader of the Smart Cities and Infrastructure Research Cluster, relinquished on appointment as Head of School
Programme Director, BE (Hons) Architectural Engineering
Programme Director; Industry Engagement Coordinator, Architectural and Construction Engineering
Directed the Architectural Engineering major through its first Engineering New Zealand accreditation and led the programme’s accreditation working group (2018). Engineering New Zealand lists Architectural Engineering and Construction Engineering at AUT as accredited from 2018, with the next review in 2028; the accreditation is recognised internationally under the Washington Accord.
Coordinated industry engagement for both majors, including the industrial projects (ENBU89X) and the Engineering New Zealand work placement (ENBU777)
Academic Principal Senior Lecturer and R&D Coordinator
Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment
Coordinated research and development for the Faculty, led its accreditation working group with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (2013), developed five programmes from foundation to master’s level, and moderated LUCT programmes and the Curtin University (Australia) programme delivered at LUCT.
InstitutionLimkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), Malaysia
Quality bodyMalaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
2006 to 2011
Researcher and Lecturer
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Taught research methodology to PhD and MSc candidates and architecture courses to BSc students; academic moderator from 2010 for the MSc and PhD programmes in Architectural Studies and Integrated Design Studies.
Design consultant (architect) to the University (2010); Chair, PhD, MSc and MLA Postgraduate Club (2008)
Practised as an architect before entering academia: Junior Architect with the Civil Organisation of the Medical University of Mashhad (2002), then Architect with Arjan Tarh Architectural Consultancy (2003), The Designers Architectural Consultancy (2004) and Atrium Architectural Consultancy (2004).
The University’s senior academic body, chaired by the Vice Chancellor
2025 to present Current
DCT Executive Committee
Member
Senior leadership and executive committee of the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies
Current Current
DCT Faculty Rankings Committee
Member
Faculty strategy and data for international rankings
Current Current
DCT Academic Promotions Panels
Member
Assessment of academic promotion cases in the Faculty
2023 to present Current
Te Kāhui Rangahau o Te Rōpū Taki Māori
School representative
Research subcommittee of Te Rōpū Taki Māori, the DCT Māori Staff Caucus
2021 to present Current
PhD Examinations
Convenor, chair and chair mentor
Convening doctoral oral examinations at AUT; 17 chair and chair mentor roles to date
2020 to present Current
School of Future Environments boards
Member or chair
Strategic Planning Team; Research Committee; Doctoral Scholarship Board; Board of Studies; Board of Assessment; Learning and Teaching Committee; Staff Student Consultative Board; Scholarships Working Group; Leadership Group; Leaders Forum