About
Dr. Abdulsalam Ibrahim Shema is a distinguished academic and professional in the field of Architecture and Engineering Education. With a solid background in both teaching and academic leadership, Dr. Shema has made significant contributions to curriculum development, international collaborations, and multidisciplinary research in architecture, engineering, and sustainable urban development. Dr. Shema earned his doctorate in Architecture and has over a decade of experience in higher education. From 2016 to 2019, he served as an Instructor at Cyprus International University (CIU), where he was involved in undergraduate and postgraduate architectural education, studio coordination, and course development. This foundational teaching experience helped shape his pedagogical approach and commitment to academic excellence.
He later joined Girne American University (GAU) in Cyprus, where he served as an Assistant Professor from 2020 to 2023 and as Chair of the Interior Architecture Department between 2022 and 2023. During his time at GAU, he played a vital role in enhancing academic standards, mentoring students, and contributing to program growth. Dr. Shema also served as a Visiting Professor at Kirirom Institute of Technology (KIT) in Cambodia from 2022 to date, where he taught courses in sustainability and passive solar design strategies, guiding students in the development of climate-responsive architectural solutions. His research interests lie at the intersection of design, technology, and society, with a focus on social sustainability, urbanism, and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning in architecture and urban planning. He is particularly passionate about how emerging technologies can enable data-driven design and foster more inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable cities. At IUEA, he has led institutional initiatives to enhance academic quality, promote research culture, and build strategic partnerships. He has supervised numerous student research projects addressing real-world challenges, such as inclusive school design for the blind, refugee settlement planning, and environmental rehabilitation. He currently served as the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) since 2024 to date, where he also heads the Department of Architecture from 2023 to date and is Deputy Dean from 2023 to date.
Through his leadership, Dr. Shema continues to promote innovation, critical inquiry, and community engagement in both academic and professional contexts.
Qualifications
B.Sc. Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 2006 - 2011
MA. Architecture, Cyprus International University, Nicosia. 2014 - 2016
PhD. Architecture, Cyprus International University, Nicosia. 2016 - 2020
Higher Education Teaching Certificate, Near East University, Nicosia. 2022
Publications
1- Saad Alotaibi, B., Ibrahim Shema, A., Umar Ibrahim, A., Awad Abuhussain, M., Abdulmalik, H., Aminu Dodo, Y., & Atakara, C. (2024). Assimilation of 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for the Construction of eco-friendly intelligent homes: An explorative review. Heliyon, 10(17), e36846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36846
2- Yaser K. Al-Sakkaf, Samuel Moveh, Abdulsalam I. Shema, Murtala M. Salihu Muhammad K. Balarabe. (2024). Harnessing AI for Critical Thinking: An Empirical Review in Architectural Design Education. Proceedings of the 5th School of Environmental Technology International Conference (SETIC 2024). Volume 1. pp 478-486. ISBN 978-978-54580-8-4.n https://journals.gjbeacademia.com/index.php/met/index
3- Abdulsalam I. Shema, Paul O. Agboola, Aisha A. Aminu, Livingston D. Okpakhalu, Moses I. Ayoosu. (2024). Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency: The Integration of Smart Technologies in Built Environment Design. Proceedings of the 5th School of Environmental Technology International Conference (SETIC 2024). Volume 1. Pp 502-507. ISBN 978-978-54580-8-4. https://journals.gjbeacademia.com/index.php/met/index
4- Chrispus, O., & Shema, A. I. (2025). Urban formalities versus informalities: Case study of Katwe informal settlements, Kampala, Uganda. Building Engineering, 3(1), 1625. https://doi.org/10.59400/be1625
5- Akankwatsa, K. P., Kasozi, P., & Shema, A. I. (2025). Assessment of sense of coherence (salutogenesis in built environment) in mental health hospital spaces. A comparative assessment. Design for Health, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2025.2485524
6- Shema, A. I., Kiessel, M., & Atakara, C. (2023). Assessment of African Vernacular Built Environment and Power: The Case of the Walled City of Zaria, Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 60(3), 1687-1709. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231197742
7- Shema, A. I., & Abdulmalik, H. (2022). Urban Vertical Farming as a Path to Healthy and Sustainable Urban Built Environment. A+Arch Design International Journal of Architecture and Design, 8 (1), 67-88.
8- Aouadi, G., Shema, A. I., & Nafa, H. (2023). Biophilic Design as An Approach to Ecological Sustainability. New Design Ideas Vol 7 | Special Issue | ICCAUA2023.
9- Shema, A. I. (2019). Rethinking Architecture and Urban Form in the Context of Power Discourse: Case Study Nicosia, North Cyprus. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 54(8), 1227-1246. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909619865570
10-Abdulsalam I. Shema, Muhammad K. Balarabe, & Muhammed T. Alfa. (2018). Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings Using Nano-Wood Composite Materials. International Journal of Civil Engineering & Technology (IJCIET) - Scopus Indexed. Vol 9. No. 3. Pp 853-864 https://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=3
11- Mazadu, U. H., Ibrahim, M. M., Ibrahim, A. S., & Mansur, M. S. (2022). Examining the instructor management benefits of student information systems: An empirical investigation. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 6(1), 100322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2022.100322
12-Abdulsalam I. Shema, Muhmmad K. Balarabe, Jubril O. Atanda (2017). The Politics of Memory: Perception and Imageability of Kano City. International Congress of Architecture: Memory of Place in Architecture and Planning. Selçuk University Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center, Konya, Vol 1, No.1 pp271-281.
13-Abdulsalam I. Shema. (2018). A Morphological Practice: Conzenian and Canniggian Approach, Analysis of Zaria City. CyNUM 2018, Cyprus Network of Urban Morphology, Nicosia, Cyprus.
14-Abdulsalam I. Shema, Muhammad M. Mayaki & Halima Malik. (2019). A Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Confrontation of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Senate Building. Association of Architectural Educators in Nigeria, 2019 National Conference ‘Extending the Frontiers of Architecture’. Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
15- Muhammad K. Balarabe, Abdulsalam I. Shema & Maryam Ahmad. (2018). Changing the Narrative on Street Vending: Governance, Diversification and the Urban Image. The 7th international social and management science research conference of the faculty of social and management sciences Kaduna state university, Kaduna. Nigeria.
16-Balarabe, M. K., Ibrahim, A. S., & Ahmad, M. (2019). Economic Diversification and the Urban Image; Changing the Narrative on Street Vending. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 3(1), 52–61. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2018.4682
BOOK CHAPTER(S)
1. Shema, A. I., & Abdulmalik, H. (2024). Artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture and design. In H. R. Husain (Ed.), AI-driven architecture: Pioneering the digital frontier (pp. 145-186). Alanya University. https://doi.org/10.38027/AI-Driven-7. (Book Chapter).