Category: 2016 Delegate

Professor Tassou has a first degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in the area of design and control optimisation of heat pump systems. After completing his PhD he worked as a lecturer in thermofluids and energy at the Polytechnic of Central London, now the University of Westminster for 5 years, before joining Brunel University London in 1986. At Brunel he has had a number of roles and management responsibilities at departmental, faculty and university levels including directorship of postgraduate programmes in Built Environment Engineering and Energy, Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering for 3 years, Head of the School of Engineering and Design for 10 years, before becoming the Director of the Institute of Energy Futures in 2014.

The Institute involves 45 academic staff and the research is structured in four major research themes: energy efficient and sustainable technologies; future power networks-smart grids; resource efficient future cities; advanced power train and fuels. Prof Tassou leads the energy efficient and sustainable technologies theme and the Research Councils UK Centre for Sustainable Energy use in Food Chains (CSEF). His research interests include energy efficiency and demand reduction in heating, cooling and refrigeration processes, systems and applications in the built environment and industrial sectors. He has published extensively in the field and has received substantial funding from national and international funding bodies for his research. He is a member of a number of national and international steering groups and committees on energy demand reduction and decarbonisation.

Rovani Sigamoney is a chemical/environmental engineer from South Africa who started in the platinum refinery/mining sector and then moved on to researching bioenergy systems and biofuels for Africa.

She joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) HQ in Paris, France in 2007 in the Natural Sciences Sector and later ran the Chemistry programme and International Year of Chemistry 2011. She thereafter took over the UNESCO Engineering programme. The Engineering Programme is working with Member States (UNESCO has 195 Member States), international partners and program experts to strengthen engineering education through curricula development, hands-on training and capacity building. In line with UNESCO’s global priorities on Africa and Gender Equality, it focuses on women and Africa but also has activities around the world. Rovani is passionate about women in engineering and encouraging more youth to pursue careers in engineering.

She previously worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris on a biofuels strategy and also at the Wuppertal Institute of Climate Change in Germany on a policy document for the European Parliament on the security of energy supply.

Mamdouh Shoukri, C.M., O.Ont., PhD, FCAE, P.Eng, was appointed the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of York University on July 1, 2007.

Dr Shoukri began his career in academia at McMaster University, where he joined the faculty in 1984. He served in a number of leadership roles there, including Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Vice-President Research & International Affairs.

Dr Shoukri serves on the Ministry of Industry’s Space Advisory Board, the Boards of Directors of Universities Canada and the Loran Scholars Foundation, and is Chair of the Government and Community Relations Committee for the Council of Ontario Universities. He is a member of the Standing Advisory Committee on University Research (SACUR) for Universities Canada, and was a founding Board Member of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and a member of the Ontario Research and Innovation Council (ORIC).

For his contributions to the flourishing of Ontario’s academic institutions as an engineer and administrator, Dr Shoukri was named a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario in 2013, and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. He is a Senior Fellow of Massey College, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering. Dr Shoukri’s scholarly interests are in thermo-fluid science, and he is the author or co-author of more than 120 papers that have appeared in refereed journals and symposia.

Professor Arun Sharma is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

He has played a leadership role in development of Australian research capability in information and communication technology. He was co-founder of National ICT Australia Limited (NICTA), and was the inaugural Director of its largest research laboratory. Prior to NICTA, he was the Head of the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales where he helped establish the Cooperative Research Centre for Smart Internet Technology.

He has held a number of advisory roles both at the federal and state levels. He was a member of the inaugural Advisory Council of the Australian Research Council and served as a member of the Queensland Premier’s Smart State Council and as a member of the Premier’s Business Roundtable. He has also led the Australia India Business Council both at the state and national level. He was awarded the 2010 Premier’s Special Award for contribution to building the export profile of Queensland.

Prof. S. Ramachandran is currently serving as Vice Chancellor at Hindustan University, Chennai. Prior to this he has served as a Vice Chancellor in University of Madras (2006 – 2009) and Vels University (2009 – 2013). He served Anna University for 20 Years in various capacities such as Professor & Director. He earned his D.Sc. in the field of Coastal Studies from the University of Madras. Prof. Ramachandran has made more than 50 academic visits to various institutions in abroad during 1990 – 2010 especially to implement several international collaborations in the field of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), higher education and research. As a Course Director of the UK Department for International Development ICZM training and capacity building programme he has made tremendous contributions in implementing ICZM programmes in India. As an Expert Member in more than 45 National Committees he has made significant contributions in strengthening the implementation of ICZM for Indian coastal zone in all levels. He has initiated research in areas of every day application and has accorded priority to many modern disciplines such as Coastal Zone Management, Port and Harbour Management, Coastal Ocean Studies, Environmental Studies, Disaster Management etc. Prof. Ramachandran has published more than 285 research papers, edited 11 books; guided 28 Ph.D’s and completed 52 research projects. Dr. Ramachandran resuscitated the academic and research focus in the universities he served. He has more than 35 years of experience in higher education administration and research. He has established several research centres and academic departments in the universities he served. He has received more than 21 International fellowships, and 7 National and International awards including the Italian government’s highest civilian honour and medal, ‘Stella Della Solidarieta Italiana’, the Cavalliea’ award.

Wahid Omar is a Professor of Structural Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of UTM in September 2013. Wahid Omar obtained his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of Birmingham, his Master’s degree in Bridge Engineering from the University of Surrey, and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. He is a registered Professional Engineer with the Board of Engineers Malaysia and a member of various professional bodies including the Institution of Engineers Malaysia. He is also an Honorary Member of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization (AFEO).

His area of expertise includes structural assessment, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete and ductility of high strength concrete and project management. Prior to his present appointment, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) (2011-2013) and the Director of the Office of Asset and Development (2008-1011). In his capacity as the then Director of the Office of Asset and Development, he was entrusted with a major task to manage the UTM campus development projects worth RM1 billion.