Dr Syed Saad

Engineer, educator and researcher.

An engineering lecturer and construction professional with a PhD in Construction Project Management. He teaches engineering apprentices, publishes on AI in construction and builds the software his own classrooms need, including the tools behind Makevise, the EdTech company he founded.

See his career Connect on LinkedIn
  • PhD
  • MCIOB
  • RICS
  • PMI Future 50
  • Based in Nottingham, UK
Illustrated portrait of Dr Syed Saad in Makevise navy and teal
Explore his 103 publications as a galaxy
Interactive

The galaxy of his work

One light for each of his 103 publications and one ring for each year. Every speck swarming a light is a citation of that paper: 2,274 on Google Scholar.

103 of 103 publications | 2018 to 2026

Arrange by

Showing all 103

  • Drag to spin
  • Point at a light to read it
  • Click a light to fly to it

Scroll to build his galaxy

103 publications are about to arrive

The record, in numbers

Six years of teaching across the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Pakistan, with research and software that left the lecture room and went into industry.

103Publications: 3 books, 25 journal papers, 35 conference papers and 40 book chapters
2,274Citations on Google Scholar, rising every year since 2020. h-index 26, i10-index 59
243Engineering apprentices taught across 12 cohorts and four BTEC units
94%Less marking time per script with his AI assessment pipeline, 25 minutes down to 1.5
5,000+Assignments assessed by that pipeline so far
97%Student satisfaction at CECOS University, 2022 to 2024
£22MResearch grant collaborations with Total Energies and CIDB Malaysia
15+MSc researchers mentored to publication, PhD study and industry leadership
How he teaches

In his words

"Theory earns its place only when a student can trace it to a decision a practitioner would actually make."

"My research and my teaching are the same project. I do not teach about AI and BIM; I deploy them inside the classroom itself, so that students develop the professional instinct to reach for them on site."

"I measure my teaching not by pass rates but by what students become: two Gold Medalists, PhD researchers progressing in China, a construction firm founder, and a project manager delivering infrastructure in the Maldives, all emerging from a single research cluster I built from the ground up."

Dr Syed SaadTeaching philosophy

Built from the classroom

Each of these started as friction a real learner or tutor faced. Each one now has a measured result.

AI assessment pipeline

The problem
Assessing one BTEC engineering assignment properly took about 25 minutes, criterion by criterion.
What he built
A Python pipeline that reads each submission, assesses it against every Pass, Merit and Distinction criterion, writes the feedback and fills the centre's own grading template. This became the Makevise Assessor.

1.5 minutesper submission, across more than 5,000 assignments

Tutor, by hand0:00
Makevise pipeline0 scripts

Press race to watch 25 minutes of marking, sped up.

Tensile Testing Lab

The problem
Apprentices rarely get enough time on a real 100 kN test frame.
What he built
A physics-accurate simulator of BS EN ISO 6892-1 with eight engineering materials, live stress-strain curves from the Hollomon power law, fracture surfaces and a batch QA module.

6 universitiesvalidated it; about 40% higher engagement across two live cohorts

New curriculum

The problem
The engineering programme had no units on sustainability, digital manufacturing or AI leadership.
What he built
Unit 30, Environmental Engineering and Sustainability, and Unit 108, Industry 4.0. Then an AI leadership unit for the Skills England framework: 29 criteria mapped across four occupational standards, 35 guided learning hours.

Submittedfor national accreditation

Carbon decision support

The problem
Designers of modular buildings had no quick way to see the carbon cost of their choices.
What he built
His PhD: a generative AI carbon management system that works with offsite modular BIM components.

National tooladopted by CIDB Malaysia; 70% better design decision accuracy

The journey

From Peshawar to the Midlands

2012 to 2017

Peshawar, Pakistan

Where it started

  • B.Eng Civil Engineering, UET Peshawar
  • Site engineer on the Lady Reading Hospital extension
  • Assistant Commercial Manager at Karcon: 35% fewer estimating errors

2017 to 2018

Liverpool, United Kingdom

First time in the UK

  • M.Eng Construction Management, Liverpool John Moores University
  • BIM, PRINCE2, lean and sustainable construction
  • Dissertation on bringing BIM to developing countries

2019 to 2022

Perak and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The doctorate that became national policy

  • PhD at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
  • His carbon software adopted by CIDB Malaysia as a national tool
  • Programme Delivery Manager at CIDB, £22M in grant collaborations

2022 to 2024

Peshawar, Pakistan

Home, to build a research cluster

  • Head of Research Cluster at CECOS University
  • First AI-focused book published in Pakistan
  • 97% student satisfaction and a PMI Future 50 honour

2024 to today

The Midlands, United Kingdom

Teaching engineers, building Makevise

  • Sandwell College, University of Derby, University College Birmingham
  • Engineering apprenticeship lecturer in Birmingham, 243 apprentices
  • Founded Makevise Technologies Limited

Three countries, one thread

From a hospital site in Peshawar to a doctorate in Malaysia to lecturing and building software in the English Midlands. Filter by country, open any role for the detail.

  1. 2026May 2026 to present

    Founder and Director

    Makevise Technologies Limited

    Turns the tools he built for his own teaching into products for colleges and training providers: AI marking for BTEC and apprenticeship work, the Learner Data Cleaner, and a library of 3D engineering labs.

    United Kingdom

  2. 2025August 2025 to present

    Engineering Lecturer, further education

    Engineering apprenticeship training provider, Birmingham

    Delivers BTEC Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering to apprentices from UK manufacturers, and builds the tools that support it.

    Highlights
    • Taught 243 apprentices across 12 cohorts in four units: Properties and Applications of Materials, Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis, Environmental Engineering and Sustainability, and Industry 4.0.
    • Created and delivered two new units, Unit 30 and Unit 108, embedding his own research on circular economy, carbon management and Industry 4.0 into the assignments.
    • Wrote a flagship AI leadership unit for the Skills England framework, now submitted for formal accreditation.
    • Built the Tensile Testing Lab simulator, validated by six international universities with 35+ recommendations implemented, and deployed it to two live cohorts of 50+ learners.
    • Built the AI assessment pipeline and Smart Standardiser: drop a file in, the work is assessed, the template is filled and the graded document is saved, 5,000+ times so far.
    • Led a Pearson specification compliance audit of a materials unit, rated Largely Compliant across all 14 criteria.
    United KingdomBirmingham

  3. 2025March 2025 to August 2025

    Engineering Lecturer, higher education

    University College Birmingham

    Taught calculus to 80+ engineering students through quantitative construction modelling and green building performance. Manager review recorded satisfaction above 90%.

    United KingdomBirmingham

  4. 2025March 2025 to May 2025

    Visiting Engineering Lecturer

    University of Derby

    Taught thermodynamics to 50+ engineering students, built around sustainable energy systems and the eco-efficient manufacturing practice of Rolls-Royce. Satisfaction above 90%.

    United KingdomDerby

  5. 2024November 2024 to December 2024

    Visiting Engineering Lecturer, further education

    Sandwell College

    Trained 25+ engineering students in BREEAM compliance workflows, the Autodesk sustainability tools and construction health and safety.

    United KingdomWest Bromwich

  6. 2022October 2022 to June 2024

    Head of Research Cluster and Assistant Professor

    CECOS University of IT and Emerging Sciences

    Taught BSc, MSc and PhD civil engineering, founded a multi-tier research cluster and wrote the first AI-focused book published in Pakistan.

    Highlights
    • Taught and mentored 200+ students in risk analysis, engineering statistics, research methods, BIM, and remote sensing and GIS.
    • Supervised 10+ MS research projects on sustainable construction, urban development and Industry 4.0.
    • Graduates of his cluster include two Gold Medalists, two PhD researchers in China, a construction firm founder and a project manager in the Maldives.
    • Authored AI in Material Science (CRC Press), endorsed internationally, including by the EU Ambassador to Pakistan and the Ambassador of Tunisia.
    • Developed five accredited digital construction courses with TEVTA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
    • Recognised as Outstanding Faculty; 97% student satisfaction.
    PakistanPeshawar

  7. 2019January 2019 to September 2022

    PhD Research Fellow and Teaching Associate

    Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

    Developed a generative AI carbon management decision support system for modular construction, adopted by CIDB Malaysia as a national industry tool.

    Highlights
    • 70% improvement in design decision accuracy for participating projects.
    • Taught construction management to 300+ undergraduates.
    • A new thermodynamics curriculum raised engagement by 30%; outcome-based education lifted student outcomes by 15%.
    • Full PhD scholarship, Graduate Assistant Merit Award and Graduate on Time award.
    MalaysiaSeri Iskandar

  8. 20192019 to 2022, alongside the PhD

    Programme Delivery Manager

    Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia

    Led a team of five on multidisciplinary programme delivery under PRINCE2, with live KPI tracking in a Power BI dashboard.

    Highlights
    • Coordinated £22M in multi-institutional research grant collaborations with Total Energies and CIDB Malaysia.
    • Directed the bidding process for two major works contracts.
    • Ran budgets, change control, cost reporting and the health and safety risk registers; mentored junior project managers.
    MalaysiaKuala Lumpur

  9. 2016September 2016 to September 2017

    Assistant Commercial Manager

    Karcon (Pvt) Ltd

    Automated quantity estimation for infrastructure projects: 35% fewer manual errors and 28% more accurate cost forecasts.

    Highlights
    • Sustainable material selection cut embodied carbon by 22% across three pilot projects.
    • Built the master programme in Primavera P6 and supported FIDIC contract drafting.
    PakistanPeshawar

  10. 2016March 2016 to September 2016

    Site Engineering Intern

    Communication and Works Department, Peshawar

    Supervised daily execution on the Lady Reading Hospital extension: 50,000+ sq ft of clinical space, 150+ field measurements audited and 120+ daily progress reports.

    PakistanPeshawar
Research

103 papers, one search box

His work sits where construction meets computing: AI, digital twins, carbon and the circular economy. Search every paper below, or explore them as a galaxy.

  • AI and generative AI in construction
  • BIM
  • Digital twins and robotics
  • Circular economy
  • Carbon management
  • Industry 4.0 and 5.0
  • Offsite modular construction
  • Progress monitoring and point clouds
  • Risk, cost and life cycle analysis
CRC Press

Artificial Intelligence in Material Science

Syed Saad et al.

AI in Material Science2024. Revolutionising construction in the age of Industry 4.0. The first AI-focused book published in Pakistan.
CRC Press

Applications of Digital Twins and Robotics in the Construction Sector

Syed Saad et al.

Digital Twins and Robotics2025. From data capture to robots on site, and the ethics of both.
Emerald

AGI and Circular Manufacturing in Industry 5.0

Syed Saad et al.

AGI and Circular Manufacturing2026. Transforming sustainable industrial practice.

Every publication

Sort

Showing all 103

    Peer reviewer for Elsevier, Emerald, MDPI, Springer and IEEE titles, including Ain Shams Engineering Journal, Engineering Construction and Architectural Management, Sensors and Buildings.

    Google Scholar profileORCID

    Education

    Civil engineering in Peshawar, construction management in Liverpool, and a doctorate in Malaysia that ended as national policy.

    PhD

    Civil Engineering

    Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. 2019 to 2022.

    Gen-AI Carbon Management Software for Modular Construction. Adopted by CIDB Malaysia.

    M.Eng

    Construction Management

    Liverpool John Moores University, UK. 2017 to 2018. BIM, PRINCE2, lean and sustainable construction.

    Challenges to implementing BIM technology in developing countries.

    B.Eng

    Civil Engineering

    University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar. 2012 to 2016.

    Non-destructive analysis of the historic Attock Railway Bridge using SAP2000.

    Earlier: F.Sc Pre-Engineering, Islamia College Peshawar; Edwards College School, Peshawar.

    Standing and partners

    Professional memberships, certifications, workshops and the organisations his work has served.

    Professional standing

    • Member, Chartered Institute of BuildingMCIOB
    • Royal Institution of Chartered SurveyorsRICS professional member
    • Registered Civil EngineerPakistan Engineering Council

    Selected certifications

    • Design Coding for Sustainable DevelopmentUniversity of Oxford, CPD, 2024
    • Leading the Way to a Technologically Advanced FutureThe CIOB Academy, 2024
    • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Generative AI ProfessionalOracle, 2024
    • Bentley iTwin Platform Associate DeveloperBentley Systems, 2023
    • Predictive, Agile and Waterfall Project ManagementProject Management Institute, 2022 to 2023

    Workshops he has led

    • Make Your First GIS PluginCECOS University, 2023
    • Visual Abstracts with Elsevier expertsCECOS University, 2023
    • LinkedIn for Civil Engineers100+ students and faculty, 2023
    • Mendeley and EndNote hands-on trainingUniversities in Pakistan and Malaysia, 2020 to 2023
    CIDB MalaysiaPhD software adopted as a national construction tool, informing policy on modular and offsite building.
    Total EnergiesResearch grant collaboration on BIM integration and sustainable construction.
    PearsonSpecification compliance audit of a BTEC engineering unit, rated Largely Compliant.
    TEVTA KPFive accredited digital construction courses for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
    Rolls-Royce contextThermodynamics curriculum built around eco-efficient manufacturing at the University of Derby.

    Tools he works in

    • Python
    • C#
    • VBA
    • Grasshopper
    • Dynamo
    • Revit
    • AutoCAD
    • SAP2000
    • Primavera P6
    • MS Project
    • Power BI
    • Smart PLS
    • SPSS
    • MATLAB
    • R
    • ArcGIS and QGIS
    • VOSviewer
    • NVivo
    • LaTeX
    • Moodle
    • Adobe Creative Cloud

    Get in touch

    For a role, a talk, a research collaboration or a Makevise pilot, these are the best places to reach him.

    Message on LinkedInVisit Makevise
    syedsaad.civil@outlook.comPersonal email, for roles and collaborations
    hello@makevise.comMakevise enquiries and pilots
    LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/doctorsyedsaad Google Scholar2,274 citations | h-index 26 ORCID0000-0003-2059-7927 All linkslinktr.ee/Drsyedsaad