Aulia Imania Sukma: Bridging Behavioural Modelling and Heat Adaptation

Aulia Imania Sukma is a behavioural modelling researcher in the UrbanAIR project and part of the 28% of women among researchers pursuing a PhD in the technology field in the Netherlands. The title of her ongoing PhD research is "Community-Based Adaptation for Climate Justice: Addressing Urban Heat Stress through Greening in Antwerp.” We spoke with her about her motivation to work at the intersection of social and technical sciences, her role in understanding household heat adaptation, and her advice for young women pursuing careers in STEM. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in behavioural modelling?  

The first time I worked with stakeholders, I felt an excitement that made me so sure this is what I want to do for my life. Combining both technical and social fields has always been my go-to path, which is the reason why I chose to pursue my PhD in behavioural modelling. 

Could you describe your specific role and contribution to the UrbanAIR digital twin project? How does your work with behavioural modelling help cities like Antwerp, Barcelona or Paris become more resilient?  

My part in the UrbanAIR project is specifically looking into the behavioural factors of households towards their personal heat adaptation, to see whether all households, regardless of their socio-economic status, have access to protect themselves during heat events. I will work closely with our consortium partners to reach this justice goal through distributive policy design.  

Aulia presenting her study on behavioural modelling at the UrbanAIR consortium meeting in London, in November 2025

The UrbanAIR project relies on a very diverse team of experts. How does the inclusion of diverse perspectives - within the team, in the decisions, data and behaviours we model, and in the citizens and stakeholders that we involve in our project - improve the quality and equity of the project’s outcomes?  

Having a diverse team of experts is very refreshing and a unique experience for me. I get a chance to see and learn how the differences among these experts create an amazing synergy and fruitful collaboration to bridge technical engineering and social science in the UrbanAIR project.   

Looking ahead, what is one key misconception about women in STEM that you wish to challenge?  

During the time when I did my bachelor’s degree in engineering, there was a misconception that engineering is a man’s field. At that time, it was rare to find a woman pursuing engineering. This continued into my first occupation as a field surveyor, where my field was dominated by men. However, I chose the pathway that I liked, which led me to meet amazing women supervisors throughout my career journey. 

As part of UrbanAIR, what advice would you give to young women considering a career in climate research or urban planning?

I can see the trend changing, as more women are not afraid to choose STEM for their life pathways because they love it. Also, our amazing UrbanAIR project is led by an amazing woman: Femke. I hope the young generation of women keeps pursuing what they like despite any stigma circulating, and I am sure they will also meet amazing women colleagues and supervisors along their journey.