Dr. Yu Chen is Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University. Dr. Yu Chen has engaged in the research of several subject areas including tunnel engineering, subway engineering, underground engineering support, numerical simulation model calculation method development and theory, geotechnical multi-field multi-phase coupling, engineering toughness support mechanism, engineering testing. Rich in scientific research and practical experience, Dr Chen specializes in urban underground space development, rock mass engineering, mountain tunnels, and large cross-sea tunnels.

Dr. Andreas Benardos is a Professor at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). He is currently the Director of the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate studies program of “Design and Construction of Underground Works”, which is jointly co-organized by the School of Mining & Metallurgical Engineering, the School of Civil Engineering, and the School of Rural & Surveying Engineering of NTUA. He has worked as external consultant and technical advisor in various mining, construction and consulting companies (ICAP GROUP S.A., LTCP, Neorion Shipyards, S.A., TERNA S.A., S&B Industrial Minerals, GMM LARCO S.A., ECHMES Ltd, etc.). Furthermore, he is a reviewer for more than 15 scientific journals and has worked as an expert evaluator for the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GRST), the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), and the European Commission (EC).