Internationally renowned scholar academician Michael Batty delivers lecture at CityU, sharing how digital twin technology reshapes smart city research
Academician Michael Batty, foreign academican of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society, professor at University College London, and honorary doctor of City University of Macau (CityU), delivered a lecture in the Ho Yin Conference Centre in Taipa Campus today titled “Building Digital Twins for Systems of Cities”. The Doctor honoris causa lecture, attended by faculty, students, scholars, and researchers, presented groundbreaking applications and achievements in urban science. Distinguished guests included Aurélio de Jesus Chiconela, representative of the Consulate General of Mozambique in Macao; Chui Sai Peng, president of The Association for Promotion of Science and Technology of Macau and the Macao Urban Planning Institute; Academician Shi Wen-zhong, professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Lao Kuok Hei, department head of the Academy of Public Security Forces; Pun Chi Meng, honorary doctor of CityU and director-general of Caritas Macau; and Leng Weng San, vice principal of the local school, Escola Oficial da Flora.
During the event, Rector Jun Liu presented a letter to Academician Michael Batty, officially appointing him as a distinguished chair professor at the Institute of Urban and Sustainable Development.
In his speech, Rector Liu extended a warm welcome to Academician Batty and expressed gratitude for his contributions to contemporary urban science. He looked forward to his insights which would broaden the horizons of the faculty and students and provide new perspectives for Macao’s urban planning and development.
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During the lecture, Academician Michael Batty defined digital twins as abstract models of real-world systems, emphasizing that their “essence” and key features, therefore, variations depending on the designer’s purposes. He highlighted that cities, as dynamic social systems, required digital twin models to be continuously updated, making mix models better suited to capture urban complexity and uncertainty. Using the UK as an example, Prof. Batty introduced the Quantitative Urban Analytics Forecasting (QUANT) model, which processed multi-dimensional data to rapidly generate urban mobility predictions under different scenarios.
Additionally, Prof. Batty discussed the concept of digital twin cities and their role in smart city development. Through case studies, he noted that digital twin cities compelled people to rethink the nature of cities, the diversity of models, and how to integrate multiple models and theories to understand urban systems. He stressed that the core value of digital twins lied in their instrumental and heuristic nature, urging urban science to embrace complexity and the coexistence of diverse theories.
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During the Q&A session, Chui Sai Peng, president of The Association for Promotion of Science and Technology of Macau and the Macao Urban Planning Institute, engaged in a discussion with Academician Batty on topics such as access permissions of the models and the future integration of AI with traditional urban modeling. The Q&A session saw active participation from faculty and students, who raised questions about the application scenarios of digital twin technology. This lecture provided a valuable academic exchange platform and opportunity for the faculty and students to engage in direct dialogue with a world-leading scholar in urban planning. This lecture deepened their understanding of digital twin technology and urban science while broadening their academic perspectives and inspiring innovative thinking for future urban research.
