Prior to joining the school, he was a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow at the UNU Institute of Advanced Studies, with joint affiliation to the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He has widely published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Energy Policy, Urban Studies, Cities, and Habitat International, and is currently interested in socially inclusive and low-carbon spatial development. Ahmad received a Ph.D. in City Planning from Seoul National University and a Master’s Degree in Planning (with specialization in Urban Planning) from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. He was one of 25 scientists selected to receive the 2013 Green Talent Award from German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.