On the morning of January 17, 2026, Tongji University's auditorium buzzed with excitement. As Professor Wu Jiang of Tongji University received the presidential chain from Saifuddin Ahmad, the outgoing 2024 - 2025 ARCASIA President, and officially took on the role of the 23rd ARCASIA President for 2026 - 2027, thunderous applause filled the room. This marked a historic moment as Wu Jiang became the first mainland Chinese president since ARCASIAs founding in 1979.

Wu Jiang addressed the audience, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in architecture amid rapid digital and intelligent tech advancement. Architecture is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges but also immense potential. ARCASIA must empower Asian architects to seize new opportunities in this evolving era, he said. As an educator, I feel responsible for promoting exchanges and enhancing architectural education quality in Asia during my term.

Wu Jiang holds multiple prestigious positions, including Executive Director of the Architectural Society of China, President of its Architectural Education Branch, Vice President of the China Urban Planning Society, President of the Shanghai Urban Planning Society, Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and Academician of the French Academy of Architecture. His research focuses on urban heritage conservation, urban renewal, and refined urban governance in China, earning international acclaim. In 2018, he was elected Vice President of ARCASIA, representing the Architectural Society of China.

ARCASIA is Asia's most representative and authoritative architects' organization, with members from 24 Asian countries and regions, fostering collaboration and professional development.

On this significant day, Tongji University also hosted the International Symposium on Challenges and Opportunities in Asian Architecture alongside the ARCASIA presidential handover. Architects and scholars from ARCASIA member countries and regions gathered for cross - regional, cross - disciplinary dialogues on Asian architecture's challenges, local - based innovations, and future paths.

Distinguished guests included Saifuddin Ahmad, Li Zhe (Deputy Director General of the Department of Planning, Finance and Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Housing and Urban - Rural Development of China), Xiu Long (President of the Architectural Society of China), Zheng Shiling (Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tongji University Professor), Wang Zhen (Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban - Rural Development and Management), Zhang Yuxin (Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Shanghai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau), Liu Qianwei (Chief Engineer of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban - Rural Development and Management), Li Cundong (Secretary General of the Architectural Society of China), Zhang Fan (President of the Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Research Institute), Lü Peiming (Executive Vice President of Tongji University), and national engineering survey and design masters Shen Di, Wang Xiao'an, Ding Jiemin, and Qian Feng.

Saifuddin Ahmad, Li Zhe, Xiu Long, Wang Zhen, Zhang Yuxin, and Lü Peiming delivered speeches, while Chang Qing (Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongji University Professor, and President of the Shanghai Architectural Society) sent a written address. They congratulated Wu Jiang on his appointment, emphasizing its significance for recognizing his contributions and the rising influence of Chinese architecture. Given global changes in architecture and planning, they hoped Wu Jiang would lead the Asian architectural community in innovation, cultural exchange, and contributing to Asian and global architectural prosperity.