The nomination of Irene Lille was unanimously endorsed by the Institute's Board at its meeting on 19 June, where Professor Kurnitski summarised his activities as Director and the future of the Institute was discussed. The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Fjodor Sergejev, highlighted that the Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture has made significant progress in the last development plan period (2022-2025), increasing the number of staff and doctoral students, as well as the budget. However, new challenges lie ahead, including the launch of professorships and the enhancement of doctoral supervision.

"I believe that Irene Lill is ready to take over the leadership of the Institute, she has a strong mandate from the Institute's Board and is pragmatic in her approach. She will be able to implement the objectives of the current Action Plan and shape the objectives for the period of the new development plan," said Dean Sergejev.

Professor Irene Lill confessed that the offer to take up the position of Director came unexpectedly: “I didn't have a vision in my pocket. Jarek Kurnitski has been very successful in taking our Institute uphill - I'm not just stepping into big shoes, but into fisherman's boots."

According to Lill, the Institute is in a strong position at the moment, and the curriculum in structural engineering and construction management is the most popular at the university. There is also strong interest in the curricula for building and infrastructure enigineering, road construction and geodesy, and indoor climate and water engineering. “My job is to keep us at the top, to avoid rolling down the sinkhole and not to break what is working well,” Lill added.

Her immediate plans as Director of the Institute include:

• Launching new majors: by 2026, the launch of the digital building and other disciplines is planned.
• Securing succession: strengthening the doctorate and creating new professorships, particularly in the fields of concrete structures and building materials.
• Temporary relocation of the institute: in 2026, the institute will move to a replacement site for renovation, to return a year later to a modern and energy-efficient building.

Professor Irene Lill has led the Building Lifecycle Research Group and developed the curricula in Construction Technology and Management. She has led several research projects focusing on construction economics, workforce management and digital construction. In addition, he has published numerous research articles and has contributed to the editorial board of international scientific journals.