IFLA EAA SAws WG - Student Awards Working Group
Established in the early 2000s, the IFLA Student Competition in Landscape Architecture was created to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their work before an international panel and alongside peers from around the globe. For years, it has been a cornerstone of the annual IFLA World Congress. The Student Competition Working Group used to oversee all the competition's organizational aspects alongside the yearly IFLA World Congress organizer and ensures operations transparency together with high academic assessment standards during the competition process.
In response to profound global changes over the past two decades, a new initiative has been launched to reimagine the Student Competition. Starting in 2026, instead of introducing yet another student contest, IFLA convenes a platform within the framework of the World Congress to unite and critically assess winners from the most significant regional competitions, including those organized by IFLA regional charters and other bodies. The IFLA EAA SAws - Student Awards Working Group oversees this platform, which includes convening the winning projects, assembling a jury of prominent academics and professionals, and disseminating evaluation outcomes, thus serving as an observatory for disciplinary developments and the evolving excellence in the field.
- Main activity: IFLA Student Awards overview
Student awards Working group Members
Yin-Lun Chan
IFLA Student Awards Working Group Chair
Yin-Lun Chan, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design and Architecture at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. Trained in architectural history, landscape architecture, geography, and civil engineering, he teaches landscape design studio, urban history, and cultural landscapes. A registered landscape architect in Hong Kong and a professional member of HKILA and ASLA, he previously worked at HKU, Aedas Landscape, L&A Urban Planning and Landscape Design, the City of Vancouver, and Golder Associates. His research examines cinema and the city, modern Asian cities, and entertainment landscapes, with publications on Hong Kong’s plant symbolism, cultural landscapes, and the history of the landscape profession in Hong Kong
Mahdi Khansefid
IFLA Student Awards Working Group member
Mahdi Khansefid, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tehran with degrees in landscape engineering and environmental design from the University of Tehran and the University of Melbourne. Mahdi has published papers in Urban Ecosystems, the International Journal of Environmental Research, the Landscape Record of Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, as well as in magazines, journals, and bulletins but also a number international, regional, and national conferences proceedings. Since 2001, he has been an active member of the ISLAP - Iranian Society of Landscape Professions and joined the editorial board of Green Message, the Society's magazine. Based on his experience at Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, he currently serves as a member of the steering council and secretary of the cultural and educational committee on green management of the University of Tehran, with commitments to further extending sustainability considerations to every aspect of the academic environment. Also, Mahdi has recently been commissioned to work on the new City of Tehran Green Space Plan with a multi-disciplinary team of experts.
Ying Li
Chargée d'affaires for Students Awards Networking
Ying Li, Ph.D., holds degrees in Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Landscape Urbanism, and International Business Management, specializing in World Trade Organization-related business. Ying’s professional career began at Martha Schwartz Partners. She later founded SAM Landscape Design, a London-based consultancy focused on creating innovative landscapes that enhance public health and well-being. As a dedicated educator, Ying was lecturer at the University of Greenwich and Birmingham City University, later becoming Associate Professor and Head of Landscape Architecture at the University of Gloucestershire. Her excellence in teaching and research has been recognized with the Educators Excellence Award for Creativity and Innovation in the UK. She has also served as a visiting professor at universities in Brazil and Hong Kong. In 2024, Ying joined Tianjin University as a Professor in the School of Architecture, where she currently serves as Assistant Director of the Education Quality Management Division. Ying is a Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy, an Academic Member of the Landscape Institute , and a Member of the China Association of Higher Education.