Lukas Pauer is a licensed architect, urbanist, educator and the Founding Director of the Vertical Geopolitics Lab, an investigative practice and think-tank dedicated to exposing intangible systems and hidden agendas within the built environment. At the University of Toronto, Lukas is the Assistant Professor of Architecture, Inaugural 2022–24 Emerging Architect Fellow. At the Architectural Association in London, Lukas pursued a PhD on political imaginaries in architectural and urban design history with a focus on how imperial-colonial expansion has been performed architecturally throughout history. He holds a MAUD from Harvard University and an MSc Arch from ETH Zürich. Among numerous international recognitions, Lukas has been selected as Ambassadorial Scholar by the Rotary Foundation, Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and Emerging Leader by the European Forum Alpbach – leadership programs committed to change-making within local communities.