Prof. Shengqi Yang obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Mine Construction and Engineering Mechanics from Jiaozuo Institute of Technology (now Henan Polytechnique University), China, in 2000 and 2003, respec-tively, and his PhD degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Hohai University, China, in 2006. In 2007-2008, he undertook further post-doctoral research at the Ecole Polytechnique de Paris in France. Since December 2008, he has been employed as an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology. From January 2012 to July 2024, he held the position of Full-time Professor in the School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology. In July 2024, he joined the School of Civil Engineering and became the executive director of the Center of Rock Mechanics and Geohazards, Shaoxing University as a Full-time Professor. In 2014 and 2015, he was awarded an Endeavour Research Fellowship in Australia and commenced his research in the Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University as a visiting professor. Since 2016, he has engaged in a number of international collaborative research projects at Nanyang Technological University, (Singapore), The University of Nottingham (UK), Monash University (Australia), and Imperial College London (UK) as a visiting professor. In 2012, he was awarded the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, a grant provided by the Ministry of Education of China. In 2015, he was awarded financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province for Distinguished Young Scholars. His research interests cover deep rock mechanics and underground engineering. To date, he has published one Chinese and two English monographs. Additionally, he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and received seven provincial and ministerial-level scientific and technological achievement awards. He was also one of the 2019-2024 Chinese Most Cited Researchers in the field of civil engineering. He has applied for more than 40 national invention patents, of which 34 have been granted. He is an editorial board member of several journals, including "Engineering Geology", "Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering", "Computers and Geotechnics", "Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk" and he is also the associate editor of "Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources".