STAMEQ-ULSE Conference on Standards
Supporting International Trade and Climate Change Adaptation
Supporting International Trade and Climate Change Adaptation
21 March 2025, Pan Pacific Hotel, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam (STAMEQ)
Dr. Tran Hau Ngoc
Deputy Director-General
Commission for
Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam (STAMEQ)
Since November 2024, Dr. Tran Hau Ngoc is Deputy Director-General of Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam (STAMEQ), previously known as Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, Ministry of Science and Technology. Before assuming his current position, Dr. Ngoc accumulated several years of experience in leadership roles within various units under the Ministry of Science and Technology. His noteworthy positions include First Secretary at the Embassy of Vietnam in China (2005 – 2009), Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Science and Technology (2009 – 2011), and Director of the Vietnam Centre for Science and Technology Evaluation – VISTEC (2011- 11/2024).
Dr. Tran Hau Ngoc got Doctor of Water Resources and System Control in China, as well as a Master's degree in Water Resources and two Bachelor's degrees in Water Resources and Information Technology in Vietnam. Dr. Ngoc has authored numerous scientific and technological works that have been published in international journals and national periodicals.
International Code Council
Commission of Standards, Metrology and Quality
Institute for Building Science and Technology
Pham Anh Tuan
Head of Earthquake Engineering Department
Institute for Building Science and Technology
Dr. Pham has joined the Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology for over 19 years. His expertise is structural behavior under extreme loading conditions such as seismic, blast, and fire. His research interests include Progressive collapse for reinforced concrete structures under blast incidents, Fire resistance of steel structures, Smoke and fire simulation etc. He has been participating in preparing the new structural design standards system for buildings in Vietnam, in charge of drafting the aluminum structure design standard, as well as the falsework design standard. He also participated in compiling and reviewing the National Technical Regulation on Fire safety of Buildings and Constructions QCVN 06.
Dr. Pham has several years of experience investigating and assessing existing structures, including historical buildings, post-fire structures, and bamboo structures.
Dr. Pham completed his PhD in Civil Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Dr. Nischal Pradhan
Head of Base Innovation Centre
Base
Bahay Foundation, Philippines
Dr. Nischal is the Director of the Base Innovation Centre of the Base Bahay Foundation in Philippines, overseeing research and development, codes and standards development, structural design, and external partnerships. He is involved in the technical drafting of the Philippine national guideline for structural design using round bamboo poles. As the participating member of ISO/TC 165 WG12 representing Nepal, he is also involved in the revision of the current bamboo ISO standards. Additionally, he is also a member of the bamboo and bamboo products sub-committee under Ministry of Trade Fiji, working towards adoption of current bamboo ISO standards as Fiji Standards. He has led the technical drafting of Nepal national guideline for design of bamboo structures, piloted experimental characterization of Nepalese bamboo species, and contributed to the adoption of the bamboo ISO standards as Nepal standards.
Dr. Nischal completed his PhD in Civil Engineering with a focus on bamboo connections at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Bui Ngoc Bich
Head of Department, Vietnam Standards and Quality
Institute
Commission of Standards, Metrology and Quality
Bui Ngoc Bich is currently the Head of Department at the Vietnam National Standards and Quality Institute (STAMEQ - MOST), responsible for education, training, and international cooperation in the field of standards and quality.
With nearly 30 years of dedication to standardization, Mrs Bich has been deeply committed to promoting, educating, and training stakeholders in standards development and implementation. She has tirelessly worked to raise awareness about the significance of standards in various aspects of life and society – ranging from ensuring consumer safety and public health to facilitating knowledge dissemination, technology transfer, and climate change adaptation.
She has been actively involved in international and regional collaborations to bring Vietnam’s national standards in line with global practices, advancing the harmonization of regulatory procedures and best practices such as Good Regulatory Practices (GRP) and Good Standardization Practices (GSP). Driven by a strong vision, she aspires to develop a new generation of standardization experts who will strengthen the national standards body and contribute to Vietnam’s long-term growth and sustainable development.
Luu Thi Hong
Vice Director
Vietnam Institute of Building
Materials
Dr. Luu is the Vice Director of the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM). Her main research and technology development focus is on specialty cements and recycles raw materials for building materials. She manages the institute’s science and technology projects, as well as international cooperation efforts. Additionally, she advises the Ministry of Construction on national building strategies, plans for the development of building materials, and building materials management policies and standards.
She studied chemistry at Hanoi University of Technology, Vietnam, and received her Doctoral degree in 2010. She has worked at Vietnam Institute for building Materials (VIBM) for 27 years and became its Vice Director in 2014.
Kolin Low Kolin Low is the Regional Director of UL Standards & Engagement
(ULSE), a
not-for-profit standards development organization dedicated to creating a safer world. Based
in
Singapore, he leads a team responsible for ASEAN, Japan, Korea, and Australasia, working
closely
with regional stakeholders to promote standardization as a platform for global
collaboration.
His work supports emerging technologies by addressing unintended hazards and fostering
regulatory alignment. Mr. Low was inducted into the UL William Henry Merrill Society as a
Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, recognizing his expertise and contributions to the
field.
Regional Director
UL Standards &
Engagement
Previously, he served as Regional Manager at the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), where he established the ISO Regional Engagement Initiative (REI) office
in Singapore and led the development of the ISO regional engagement strategy for Asia-Pacific.
Before joining ISO, Mr. Low held various roles at Enterprise Singapore (formerly
SPRING Singapore), focusing on international policy for standards and quality, accreditation,
and metrology.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics) from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Sonya Bird
Vice President, International Standards
UL Standards &
Engagement
Sonya Bird is the Vice President of the International Standards Department at
UL
Standards & Engagement (ULSE). At ULSE, she guides the organization’s international
standards strategy as it deepens it focus on global impact and harmonization.
With more than 30 years of standardization management experience, Bird is a
longtime leader in regional and international standards initiatives on numerous fronts. She
currently convenes the IEC Board Task Force addressing the U.N. sustainable development
goals
and serves on several American National Standards Institute (ANSI) advisory and working
groups.
Bird also has served as vice president for the U.S. National Committee (USNC) of the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), as the U.S. delegate to the IEC Standards
Management Board, and as president, vice president, and membership director of The Society
for
Standards Professionals.
Bird holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and a certificate in business management from the Yale School of Management. Among many professional honors throughout the years, Bird received the IEC Thomas Edison Award and the ANSI Howard Coonley Medal in 2022.
Devin McDaniels
Counsellor, Trade and Environment
World Trade
Organization
Devin McDaniels is a Counsellor in the Trade and Environment Division of the World Trade Organization, and has served in this capacity since 2011. He is the Deputy-Secretary of the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Committee. He advises WTO Member Governments on issues at the intersection of standards, regulation, climate change, and trade. He holds degrees in economics, international relations and environmental policy from the University of British Columbia and the University of Oxford.
Judy Zakreski
Senior Vice President, Global Operations & Solutions
International Code Council
Judy Zakreski is a Certified Global Business Professional responsible for developing and executing ICC’s global strategy, including oversight of ICC’s two regional offices in Dubai and Australia.
In this role, she collaborates with stakeholders around the world to improve their building safety ecosystems, in many cases through use of the ICC family of building safety solutions, including building codes and standards, conformity assessment and TIC services, training, credentialing, and consulting.
In addition, she engages with the US Government and other associations on matters of services exports and trade policy related to standards and technical barriers to trade.
She leads ICC’s involvement in relevant global dialogues including the Inter-Jurisdictional Regional Collaboration Committee (IRCC), International Building Quality Centre (IBQC), Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), and the Global Resiliency Dialogue.
She serves as the Executive Director of the IBQC and as the Vice Chair of the Virginia/DC District Export Council.
Suresh Shanmugam
Head of Business Management, Built Environment
UL
Solutions
Suresh Shanmugam is an experienced Engineering Leader with more than 20 years’
experience in the fire products, building and life safety technology, and TIC industry. He
is a
strong engineering professional, skilled in Certification, Standards Compliance, Product
Safety,
Engineering Management and Business Operations. He has demonstrated his skills at UL since
2008,
currently serving as the Head of Business Management for the Built Environment Division. In
this
role, he is responsible for the business in the South Asia, ANZ and Southeast Asia regions.
He has previously held various Engineering leadership roles within UL, including as the Asia Pacific Engineering Manager for Built Environment. He has expert knowledge in the testing operations and certification of building materials in fire suppression, fire containment and resistance, fire detection, and signaling products.
Er. Victor Ho
Council Member
Institution of Fire Engineers, Singapore
Er. Victor Ho is a council member of The Institution of Fire Engineers, Singapore, and a director of HiLT Pte Ltd, a fire safety engineering consultancy. He has been involved in fire safety/mechanical design for 29 years. He holds a double Master’s in Mechanical and Fire Safety Engineering, reflecting his intense interest and expertise in the Fire Safety Engineering field. He practices as a Professional Engineer, Registered Inspector and a Registered Fire Safety Engineer in Singapore. He is also an associate lecturer with Ngee Ann Polytechnic and a lecturer/ trainer at Temasek Polytechnic. He has served on various code committees and is currently serving on the Singapore Master Fire Code Review Committee. He is involved with UL Standards & Engagement as a technical committee member of TC 2849 Electrical Systems for E-Bikes, and a stakeholder in TC 9540 Energy Storage Systems And Equipment.
Pongpitch Jongsukangparat
APAC Sustainable Building Design Manager
Knauf Gypsum Thailand
Pongpitch Jongsupangkarat is a seasoned sustainable consultant with over 12 years of experience in sustainability building certification. Currently serving as the Sustainable Building Design Manager at Knauf Gypsum Thailand Limited, Pongpitch specializes in LEED, WELL, EDGE, and TREES certifications for a diverse range of projects, including commercial buildings, mixed-use developments, hotels, hospitals, and educational campuses.
With a strong focus on enhancing building energy performance, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality, Pongpitch is dedicated to reducing environmental impact through innovative design and construction practices. He has successfully managed more than 30 projects, guiding them through the complexities of sustainable building certification.
Pongpitch holds several credentials, including LEED-AP, WELL-AP, EDGE Expert, TREES-A, DGNB-RP, and BEC Auditor & Lecturer. He earned his Master’s Degree in Building Technology for Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability from the Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University.
Passionate about the decarbonization transition in real estate and the NetZero pathway for multinational companies, Pongpitch is committed to driving sustainable practices within the industry and fostering a greener future.
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