Roles

Dr. Adnan Ali Husnein has 20+ years of multicultural experience and extensive knowledge of the principles, practices and objectives of urban planning and leadership. His current duties in the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Tripoli include participating in the development of both undergrad and graduate programs in architecture and urban design, and providing student counseling, in addition to supervising capstone projects and master's theses. He also coordinates the graduate studies and planning modules within the department. His contributions include developing and teaching history and theory courses including modern architecture, urban design and planning, as well as urban design studios. He is an active member of standing and ad hoc committees at the department level, which includes the scientific committee, e-learning, and community outreach, environment and continuing education. He also contributed to the research strategic plan. At the level of the college of engineering, he participated in the e-learning and self-study committees. In recent years, he successfully launched the "Planning Lecture Series", which welcomes planning, architectural and design leaders—nationally and internationally—to the University of Tripoli to illuminate new ideas and inspire purpose-driven planning and design practice. He also contributes to the initiation and preparation of MOUs between the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning and public institutions such as the Municipality of Tripoli Center and the Authority for the Management of the Old City.

Careers

Dr. Adnan Hussain is currently an Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism and serves as the Graduate Studies Coordinator. He has researched, taught, and lectured in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East, where he served as founding chair of the first bachelor’s program of urban planning in the UAE.

Research Interests

Dr. Adnan Husnein’s research have been published and presented at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. It focuses on the local urban and architectural heritage as well as colonial legacy in North Africa. His studies also covered the phenomenon of instant cities in the Middle East, and he recently directed his efforts towards community development and empowerment, especially in post-conflict settings. His latest research contributions have also explored topics such as resilience and livability including post-COVID-19 realities, and the role of modernist urban heritage in shaping quality public space. Some of the themes of his research revolved around “producing the public" in Arab societies.

External Activities

Dr. Adnan Husnein has contributed in founding several professional and community organizations. His activities outside the university also included serving on the editorial board and reviewer in several scientific journals such as University of Tripoli's Journal of Engineering Research; International Review for Spatial Planning; University of Sharjah Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences and Sustainable Development; Alhosn University Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

He also provides consulting services to international organizations and public institutions, employing his ability to develop and communicate goals in support of an organization’s strategic mission. He is driven by engaging integrative approach to innovative projects and research that deliver results. In this context, he worked with the Crown Agents, through its "Taziz" program, to develop and conduct training modules in the field of municipal planning and support campaigns to enhance public participation and engage stakeholders in the planning process (the municipalities of Souq Al-Juma'a and Tajoura). He collaborated with Development Alternatives International (DAI) to developed u training modules in urban planning for a group of municipalities (Zliten, Al-Bayda, Batin Al-Jabal, Zuwara, Misrata, etc.) and to raise awareness about disaster risk reduction and management of emergency operations centers. He recently joined a task force appointed by the National Council for Economic and Social Development to develop and update the urban planning system at state and municipal levels.

As far as community service, he periodically brief pubic agencies, such as the municipality of Tripoli Central, to share student work produced in urban design studios. This is being done in order to create opportunities for collaboration inspired by course learning outcomes in such initiatives as the yearly "Mezran Street Fair" since 2023, and community design charrettes ("Mezran Park" and "Al Knoms VIsion 2050). Dr. Husnein often participates as a speaker and panelist in urban forums, organized by public and the private sectors, such as the Urban Planning Authority and others. His membership in professional organizations include the American Planning Association (APA), the International Network on Traditional Building, Architecture, and Urbanism (INTBAU), the American Institute for Maghreb Studies (AIMS), the International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS), and the Libyan Society for Remote Sensing and GIS (LSRSGIS).