Adam Torok | Social awareness | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Adam Torok | Social awareness | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ádám Török is a distinguished research professor with extensive expertise in transport sciences, transport economics, and sustainability. Holding two PhDs—one in Business and Management and the other in Transport Sciences—Dr. Török has dedicated his career to advancing transportation systems, policy, and engineering education. As a full professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and research professor at the Institute for Transport Science (KTI), he has been pivotal in shaping academic discourse and policy directions in Hungary and across Europe. With over 25 years of progressive academic and research experience, he has delivered keynote speeches at international conferences and participated in numerous EU and nationally funded projects. His scholarly contributions include over 150 reviewed publications and leadership roles in prestigious journals. Recognized for his scholarly excellence and leadership, Dr. Török continues to influence both academia and policy-making in transportation and sustainable mobility.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Ádám Török’s academic journey reflects his profound interdisciplinary foundation in transport and economics. He holds two master’s degrees: an MSc in Transport Engineering (1999–2004) and an MSc in Economic Engineering (2004–2007) from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He pursued parallel doctoral studies, earning his PhD in Transport Sciences in 2008 and a second PhD in Business and Management in 2016. His academic rigor and research contributions were later honored with the Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) title by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2021. He also completed his habilitation at BME in 2019. Dr. Török complemented his formal education with international research training under the ERASMUS LLP across institutions in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Greece, specializing in areas such as transport modelling, environmental economics, and alternative fuels. These academic experiences have shaped his multidisciplinary perspective on transport policy and engineering.

🧪 Experience

Dr. Ádám Török has built a prolific career in academia and research since 2004, holding progressive positions at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Institute for Transport Science (KTI). Currently serving as full professor at BME and research professor at KTI, he previously held roles ranging from assistant research fellow to vice-dean responsible for international cooperation and research. His leadership extends to project coordination, including several EU Framework and national projects related to transport sustainability, safety, and policy. Dr. Török has served as chairman, speaker, and committee member at international conferences across Europe and Asia. His research spans traffic systems, mobility behavior, energy-efficient transportation, and urban logistics. He has mentored doctoral students, coordinated summer schools, and contributed to academic mobility through guest lectures in more than 10 countries. His experience uniquely combines academic scholarship, practical research application, and policy consultation.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Ádám Török’s contributions to transport science have been widely recognized. He has twice received the prestigious Bólyai János Research Fellowship from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2011–2014 and 2016–2019), acknowledging his research excellence. His early academic achievements include winning first prizes for both his PhD dissertation (Harsányi István Scholarship, 2008) and MSc thesis (Association for Transport Sciences, 2005). He was elected Chairman of the Scientific Committee on Transport and Vehicles of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2021–2023, 2024–present), demonstrating his leadership and peer recognition. In addition to national accolades, he has served as editor-in-chief and managing editor for top journals like Periodica Polytechnica Transport Engineering and Cognitive Sustainability. His international reputation is further evidenced by editorial board memberships of journals such as Promet, Transport, and IJTTE. Dr. Török’s awards and appointments collectively underscore his prominence and lasting influence in the field.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Ádám Török’s research focuses on transport economics, mobility behavior, cost-benefit analysis, environmental sustainability, and intelligent transport systems (ITS). He has contributed to the development of national and international transport strategies, examining user preferences, urban logistics, and sustainable infrastructure. His EU and UN-financed research projects include HEATCO, GRACE, ForFITS, and RAIL4SEE, reflecting his engagement in policymaking, transport modeling, and green mobility. A recurrent theme in his work is the economic evaluation of transport systems—ranging from road safety auditing to alternative fuels and logistics optimization. Dr. Török is committed to multidisciplinary approaches, integrating engineering, economics, and policy to enhance transport systems’ social and environmental impact. As a key speaker at global conferences and editor of leading journals, he also drives academic discussions on cognitive mobility and innovation. His leadership in Hungarian and European transport research communities positions him at the forefront of sustainable transport and systems thinking.

Conclusion

Dr. Ádám Török is a globally recognized scholar and research leader in transport science, whose interdisciplinary work bridges engineering, economics, and sustainability to shape smarter and greener mobility systems.

Publications
  • Potential autonomous vehicle ownership growth in Hungary using the Gompertz model

    Production Engineering Archives
    2023-06-01 | Journal article
    CONTRIBUTORS: Anas Alatawneh; Adam Torok
  • A data-driven decision support tool for public transport service analysis and provision

    Transport Policy
    2023-05 | Journal article
    CONTRIBUTORS: Mohammad Maghrour Zefreh; Muhammad Atiullah Saif; Domokos Esztergár-Kiss; Adam Torok
  • Prediction of Vehicle Ownership Growth Using Gompertz Model, Case Study of Hungary

    System Safety: Human – Technical Facility – Environment
    2022-12-01 | Journal article
    CONTRIBUTORS: Adam Torok
  • Határ- és életciklusköltségek a közúti közlekedésben

    Közlekedés és Mobilitás
    2022-10-24 | Journal article
    CONTRIBUTORS: Ádám Török; Tibor Sipos
  • How PTV Vissim Has Been Calibrated for the Simulation of Automated Vehicles in Literature?

    Advances in Civil Engineering
    2022-01 | Journal article
    CONTRIBUTORS: Abebe Dress Beza; Mohammad Maghrour Zefreh; Adam Torok; Anteneh Afework Mekonnen; Gabriella Mazzulla

Virginia Lam | Student diversity and development| Excellence in Research

Dr. Virginia Lam | Student diversity and development| Excellence in Research

Dr. Virginia L. Lam is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Roehampton, London, where she also leads the MSc Psychology programme. With a PhD in Psychology from Goldsmiths University of London, her research spans bilingual identity, ethnic development, intergenerational adaptation, and child psychology. Her academic journey includes over two decades of teaching and leadership roles at the University of East London and Open University. Dr. Lam has led several externally funded projects focusing on multilingualism, emotional wellbeing, and cultural identity in educational settings. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Social Development journal and plays a key role in curriculum development, student mentoring, and ethical oversight. Her work blends psychological theory with social impact, promoting inclusive education and cultural understanding. A highly regarded supervisor and examiner, Dr. Lam continues to inspire through scholarship, teaching innovation, and impactful research in developmental and social psychology.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Lam holds a PhD in Psychology from Goldsmiths University of London (2003), with a thesis on ethnic identity development in middle childhood. She earned a Master of Science (MRes) in Psychological Research Methods with Distinction from Exeter University in 1999 and a BA (Hons) in Psychology from Cardiff University in 1998, graduating with Upper Second Class Honours. In addition to her core academic qualifications, she completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at the University of East London in 2004, enhancing her pedagogical proficiency. This combination of high-level training in both psychological research and education forms the foundation of her interdisciplinary approach, integrating rigorous methodology with applied practice in developmental, social, and bilingual psychology. Her educational background underpins her role as a researcher-practitioner, enabling her to navigate and contribute to complex psychological and educational environments with expertise and innovation.

🧪 Experience

Dr. Lam’s academic career spans over two decades, including her current role as Senior Lecturer at Roehampton University (2021–present), where she also leads the MSc Psychology and MSc Developmental Psychology programmes. She coordinates research initiatives, ethics review, and curriculum development. Previously, she served at the University of East London from 2004 to 2021 in various capacities, including Programme Leader for BSc Child Psychology and Senior Lecturer, overseeing curriculum design, accreditations, and change management. Earlier roles include associate lectureships at the Open University and a research assistant post at Goldsmiths. Her expertise includes teaching developmental psychology, lifespan development, and self & identity, with strong administrative leadership, student engagement strategies, and cross-institutional collaboration. Dr. Lam also serves as Associate Editor of the Social Development journal, engaging in peer review, editorial decisions, and academic convening. Her sustained excellence in teaching, supervision, research, and programme management reflects a dynamic and impactful career in higher education.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Lam has earned recognition through multiple competitive research grants and leadership roles that reflect her academic distinction. She has secured funding from prestigious institutions such as the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the British Psychological Society (BPS), the Methodist Trust, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). These awards supported projects on bilingual development, emotional wellbeing in multilingual families, and cross-sector educational adaptation. Her successful RKE bids highlight her ability to lead interdisciplinary, collaborative research with practical societal impact. In 2025, she assumed the role of Associate Editor of Social Development, an honor that underscores her research credibility and scholarly influence. She has also been an invited viva chair and examiner for numerous PhD theses across institutions. Additionally, her consistent involvement in ethics committees, curriculum validation panels, and student progression frameworks reflects peer recognition of her commitment to academic excellence and institutional development.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Virginia Lam’s research focuses on identity development in multilingual and multicultural contexts, particularly among children and adolescents. Her work investigates how language, culture, and ethnicity shape self-concepts and psychological wellbeing, especially within educational systems. She leads interdisciplinary projects on emotional wellbeing among adult ESOL learners, the cultural adaptation of complementary language schools, and bilingual identity formation among diasporic populations. Methodologically, her studies integrate qualitative and mixed-method approaches, often engaging community partners and schools to bridge academic research with real-world practice. Her earlier longitudinal studies explored executive function, attention control, and cognition in bilingual children, contributing to the understanding of developmental advantages in diverse learning environments. Dr. Lam also supervises PhD projects on intersectionality, trauma, minority mental health, and self-esteem, fostering emerging research in identity, culture, and social equity. Her scholarly contributions are grounded in psychological theory yet extend to civic engagement and inclusive pedagogical innovations in higher education.

Conclusion

Dr. Virginia L. Lam exemplifies academic excellence through her leadership in multilingual identity research, curriculum innovation, and impactful psychological education, making her a valuable scholar in developmental and social psychology.

Publications
  • Academic Behavioural Confidence: The Role of Demographic, Institutional, Psychosocial, and Behavioural Factors Across Diverse University Students in England

    Psychology International
    2025-05-20 | Journal article
    Part ofISSN: 2813-9844
    CONTRIBUTORS: Virginia L. Lam; Paulina Taylor
  • Growing up bilingual through a pandemic: Children’s language exposure, proficiency, social identities, and competences pre- and post-lockdowns

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BILINGUALISM
    2024-08-06 | Journal article | Author

    SOURCE-WORK-ID:

    34db72df-a7e8-4e8c-b0a3-961e86ef563c

    2-s2.0-85201010050

    CONTRIBUTORS: Layal Husain; Virginia Lam; Martin Pinder
  • Depth of emotional experiencing and outcome in therapy with young people

    Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
    2024-06-12 | Journal article
    Part ofISSN: 1476-0835
    Part ofISSN: 2044-8341
    CONTRIBUTORS: Darcy Geyer; Virginia Lam; Hannah Gilbert; Mick Cooper
  • On return to school: disorder symptoms, stress at home and evaluations of school COVID-19 measures

    Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health
    2024-04-18 | Journal article | Author
    Part of ISSN: 1728-0583
    Part of ISSN: 1728-0591
    CONTRIBUTORS: Virginia Lam; Mandy F. O’Driscoll