1st Edition
From Smart Cities to the Metaverse Technology Clusters Driving Innovation and Sustainability
SECTION I: CORE TECHNOLOGIES FOR SMART CITIES AND THE METAVERSE
CHAPTER 1
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES AND CHALLENGES IN SMART CITIES AND THE METAVERSE
Adib Habbal, Norliza Katuk, and Noradila Nordin
CHAPTER 2
LEARNING IN METAVERSE: AI-ENHANCED IMMERSIVE EDUCATION ECOSYSTEMS FOR SMART AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Dipima Buragohain and Sushank Chaudhary
CHAPTER 3
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY FOR SMART CITIES AND THE METAVERSE: ENABLING TRUST, SECURITY, AND DECENTRALISATION
Fady Alkhateeb
CHAPTER 4
ISLAMIC FINTECH AND DIGITAL INHERITANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: BLOCKCHAIN, DIGITAL ASSETS AND PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY
Nur Syaedah Kamis and Norazlina Abd Wahab
CHAPTER 5
EDGE COMPUTING: POWERING THE FUTURE OF SMART CITIES AND THE METAVERSE
Harshad Pitkar
CHAPTER 6
THE CONVERGENCE OF SMART CITIES AND THE METAVERSE: A REVIEW OF IOT-DRIVEN NETWORKING AND FUTURE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
Farizan Salleh
SECTION II: IMMERSIVE SYSTEMS AND DIGITAL URBAN EXPERIENCES
CHAPTER 7
A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ON MUSEUM AUGMENTED REALITY STORYTELLING EXPERIENCES
Noradila Nordin, Mohamad Adri Nordin, and Nur Nabihah Mohamad Nizar
CHAPTER 8
IMMERSIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE METAVERSE
Azyan Yusra Kapi, Azrina Suhaimi, Mohamad Faizal Ab Jabal, and Harshida Hasmy
CHAPTER 9
DECARBONISING THE DIGITAL TWIN – MALAYSIA’S PATHWAY TO NET-ZERO DATA CENTERS
Anas Abdul Rahman
CHAPTER 10
PATHFINDING WITH DIGITAL TWINS FOR SMART CITIES
Ratna Zuarni Ramli, Azyan Yusra Kapi, Azrina Suhaimi, and Zeyad Abd Algfoor
SECTION III: SECURE, SUSTAINABLE, AND TRUSTED SMART FUTURES
CHAPTER 11
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION IN DIGITAL-BASED WATER SERVICE SYSTEMS
Muhammad Nazrul Abd Rani
CHAPTER 12
RESPONSIBLE CYBERSECURITY: ETHICAL CONDUCT AND SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE IN THE INFORMATION AGE
Mohd Hasbullah Omar and Athirah Rosli
CHAPTER 13
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY CLUSTERS FOR SECURITY, PRIVACY, AND TRUST IN SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMS
Norliza Katuk, Muhammad Ali Fauzi, and Mhd Furqan
CHAPTER 14
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY FOR COMBATING PLANT AND ORCHARD DISEASES
Elmurod Bozorov and Mirshod Abdullayev
Biography
Adib Habbal (Senior Member, IEEE) earned a PhD in computer science, specialising in networked computing, at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). He is an internationally recognized Associate Professor of Computer Engineering and holds multiple appointments at leading higher education institutions. He is the Founding Head of the Innovative Networked Systems (INETs) Research Group at Karabük University, Türkiye. Dr Habbal's research has garnered significant funding from various prestigious organisations. His prolific output includes over 100 refereed publications in top-tier journals and conference proceedings, particularly in the areas of future Internet technologies and cybersecurity. His current research interests include applied AI/ML, cybersecurity, IoT, blockchain technology, and digital trust.
Norliza Katuk is an Associate Professor of cybersecurity at the School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). She earned a bachelor's degree in information technology at Universiti Utara Malaysia in 2000, a master's degree in computer science at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2002, and a doctoral degree in information technology at Massey University, New Zealand, in 2012. In her current role as the Deputy Director for Global Engagement at the Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation (CIAC), she leads international partnerships and academic mobility initiatives that enhance the university's global presence. Her research interests include information security and privacy, cybersecurity awareness, internet technology, IoT, disaster management, e-learning, and human-computer interaction. As a prolific scholar, Dr Katuk has published widely in international journals and serves as a reviewer for several esteemed publications.
Noradila Nordin is a Senior Lecturer in Computing and Digital Technology at the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, University of East London, United Kingdom. She received a BEng (First Class Honours) in Computer Engineering in 2010 and an MSc (Distinction) in Telecommunications Engineering in 2011 from Queen Mary University of London. She was awarded the King’s Scholarship by the Government of Malaysia, and completed her PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London in 2017, where her research focused on multichannel cross-layer routing for sensor networks. She has held academic positions at INSANIAH University College, Universiti Utara Malaysia, and the University for the Creative Arts before joining the University of East London in 2026. Her research interests include artificial intelligence, augmented reality, human–computer interaction, and the application of emerging technologies to enhance learning, support wellbeing, and address societal and technological challenges.
