Huaiyun Kou is an Associate Professor at Tongji University and a National Registered Urban Planner of China. She has a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture from Tongji University and a PhD in Cultural Heritage from Fudan University. She completed her postdoctoral research at Tongji University and also spent two years as a visiting scholar at the University of Washington in the USA.
Dr. Kou's research interests include urban and rural heritage conservation, especially the community's role in historic preservation. She was involved in the World Bank-loan project for cultural and natural heritage protection in Guizhou Province, and the post-earthquake reconstruction of Dujiangyan ancient town. Both projects adopted a community-based approach. Her relevant research has won the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Award for Outstanding Urban-Rural Planning & Design, and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation Program, among others.