Associate Professor Dr. Anan Tongraar is currently the Rector of Suranaree University of Technology (SUT). Regarding his administrative experiences in research, for example, he was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Research and Development, SUT, for 8 years, and as the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Technology Development, SUT, for 4 years. As the Rector of SUT, Associate Professor Dr. Anan Tongraar has proposed a so-called SUT 2025 policy to drive SUT to become an Entrepreneurial University, to become the university with excellences in all dimensions, including academics excellence, research excellence and excellence in entrepreneurship.
Category: 2018 Delegate
Dr Perry Share
Dr Perry Share is the Project Manager for the Connacht Ulster Alliance [CUA]. The CUA is an alliance of three Institutes of Technology located on the Atlantic coast of Ireland: Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny, that have amongst them 16,000+ students from apprentice to doctoral level across engineering, science, business, social and health professions and the creative arts and humanities. Dr Share is a widely-published sociologist with interests in the sociology of food and eating; language; and the social professions. His current focus is on the intersection of social robotics, social care and the work of social professionals. Dr Share has over 20 years experience of management within higher education, and is also the Chair of Ireland’s Social Work Registration Board.
Professor Peter Scharff
Peter Scharff is the former president of TU Ilmenau, Germany since 2004 and is currently a Professor of Chemistry. Before he was the Director of Physical Institute and Head of the Department of Chemistry. Peter received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the Technical University Clausthal, Germany and his Habilitation (venia legendi) in Inorganic Chemistry from the same institution. Before joining the TU Ilmenau in 1998, he served as a Visiting Professor at Nicolas Copernicus University, Torun, Poland. His research interests consist of preparative carbon chemistry and electrochemistry. He has published nearly 300 papers in international journals. He is member of head of German Exchange Service (DAAD) and fellow of the Academy of Useful Sciences in Erfurt. Peter was awarded several Dres h.c., as well as several Prof. h.c. He was awarded honorary member of senate of TU Ilmenau in 2021.
Prof Scharff is the former Chair of the World Technology Network (2020-2023).
Professor Geoff Rodgers
Professor Rodgers was appointed to Brunel University in 1989 as a lecturer in Physics, becoming a Reader in Mathematical Physics in 2001 and Professor of Theoretical Physics in 2003. In 2004 he joined the Brunel Graduate School and was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research in 2008. He was promoted to Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research in 2014. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Higher Education Academy. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Havana, Cuba. Between 2010 and 2014 he chaired the Research Excellence Group of London Higher, made up of the PVCs for Research of the universities in London. Professor Rodgers is currently leading the Science and Innovation Audit on Sustainable Airports on behalf of BEIS.
Professor José Daniel Melo
Professor Melo has been Rector of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte since May 2019. Before that, he held the positions of Vice Rector (2015-2019) and Dean of the School of Engineering and Architecture (2011-2015). Prof. Melo received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University (2002), M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine (1993), and B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering (1990) and in Civil Engineering (1997) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. He was Visiting Scholar at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Stanford University from 2008 to 2019. Prof. Melo has worked in the field of Composite Materials for over 30 years. His main research interests and contributions are in design and mechanical characterization of polymer composites. In this area, he advised many graduate students, published three books and numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conference proceedings. Prof. Melo is also Associate Editor of the Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites.
Dr Robert Haché
Dr. Robert Haché is Vice-President Research and Innovation at York University, where he is responsible for promoting and overseeing the strategic development of research. Haché has been instrumental in building research collaborations and partnerships with international universities. He also oversees institutional supports for research, such as Innovation York, which provides services to York researchers, government and industry partners within five service streams including: commercialization, industry liaison, agreements, entrepreneurship and the internationally award-winning Knowledge Mobilization stream, which has been increasingly recognized for its leadership in social innovation.
Dr. Haché has driven the institutional strategic research priorities forward with the development and implementation of the University’s Strategic Research Plan, Building on Strength 2013-2018, and the University’s Plan for the Intensification and Enhancement of Research, while working to strengthen the University’s research profile both nationally and internationally
Prior to York, he served as the Associate Vice-President Research at the University of Calgary. He has also served as Vice-Dean Research for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
A molecular and cellular biologist and biochemist with a substantial record of publications, Dr. Haché has made invaluable contributions to the understanding of how steroid hormone signaling takes place in cells and how cells respond to DNA damaging agents. He has received research grants and awards from the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC), National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and other organizations.
Dr. Haché holds a BSc (biochemistry) from McGill University and a PhD (biochemistry) from Queen’s University.
Dr Ilavazhagan Govindasamy
Dr.G. Ilavazhagan is Director – International Affairs and before this he was Director -Research, Hindustan University. He was formerly Outstanding Scientist & Director, Life Sciences in Defence Research & Development Organisation, Ministry Of Defence, Govt. of India. Dr. Ilavazhagan has more than forty years of experience in teaching, research, technical coordination and management. Dr. Ilavazhagan has six Indian patents, two US and two EPO patents for the processes of isolation of bioactive principles from Neem. Dr. Ilavazhagan has more than 85 publications in referreed International Journals. His interest in research is High Altitude Stress. He was involved in establishing the Centre for Research in Physiology in Kyrghystan and the DRDO-Bharathiyar Univ, Centre for Life Sciences in Bharathiar University Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Dr.Ilavazhagan also was involved in International Research Projects with erstwhile USSR, Kyrghystan Republic and US Airforce Research Centre in Dayton, USA.
Professor Zahir Irani
Professor Zahir Irani studied Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Salford before working as a Project Engineer in industry. He then secured a full scholarship from Brunel University London, where he completed a PhD in Investment Decision Making. His professional development has seen him complete his leadership and financial management training at Harvard Business School (HBS) and University of Cambridge, respectively. He started his academic career in the Department of Computer Science at Brunel University London. Five years later becoming the youngest Professor in the UK, followed by a period as Head of Department, where he championed industry-academia partnerships.
A move to a more senior management position, saw him lead the Brunel Business School. After completing a 7-year tenure as Head of the Brunel Business School, where he won the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Business School of the Year award. He accepted an invitation to work in Central Government, where he was seconded to Whitehall as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Cabinet Office during the UK coalition Government. On completion, he returned to academia, as Founding Dean, of the newly established College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences at Brunel University London; an amalgamation of four previous Schools – Business, Law, Social Sciences and Education.
In 2016 the University of Bradford appointed Professor Irani as Dean of Faculty (Management and Law), where he led a successful merger with the Faculty of Social Sciences before assuming the role of a Founding Dean of the new Faculty.
As a senior academic leader, Professor Irani expanded his portfolio when appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bradford, with responsibility for Academic, Innovation and Quality, where he is accountable for:
• Four academic faculty’s.
• Directorate of Outreach, Recruitment and Marketing (DORM)
• Directorate of Student & Academic Services (including registry, library, career services, counselling, etc),
• Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Quality Enhancement, and,
Professor Irani also leads the transformation and growth of the University’s undergraduate, postgraduate (taught and research) educational portfolio through Faculty and Professional services, where he leads on innovation and enhancing the quality of the student experience, teaching practice, curriculum development and support for student learning and success.
The West Yorkshire Lord Lieutenancy formally recognized Professor Irani for his outstanding service to the community. He continues to support charities such as Age UK (Bradford and District) and the Volunteering Interfaith Partnerships (VIP) that help vulnerable communities.
He has also received the district governor’s award from Rotary International for services to the community.
He is also leading social, economic and cultural value creation, having been appointed by the Bradford Metropolitan District Council as the Chair of the Bradford Covid-19 Economic Recovery Board that developed a 5-year economic recovery plan for the district; approved in 2021 by the council executive and elected officials. At a national level, appointed by the NHS (Health Education England), to Chair a Blended Learning Advisory Group that will revision the future of medical and health clinical placements. He is also a Higher Education representative on a Cyber Security Steering Group for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Professor Irani was named by the Sunday Times as a leading Bradford influencer. He tweets at: @ZahirIrani1
Professor Kevin Hall
Professor Kevin Hall has had a distinguished academic career holding senior academic leadership roles in universities in Australia and Canada. Professor Hall studied a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at Queen’s University in Canada and completed his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Professor Hall has spearheaded UON’s entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives, leading the establishment of the Integrated Innovation Network (I2N) of five innovation incubators across the Hunter region. He was also instrumental in state funding for the Hunter Innovation Project, including UON’s new Innovation Hub. A highly respected leader in the Australian higher education sector, Professor Hall has been appointed to the Australia Research Council Advisory Council. He has also taken on a national role in developing industry and innovation policy, serving as an invited member of the Australian Research Council’s steering committee for Industry Engagement and Impact Metrics. He is also a founding board member of the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship and a member of the NSW Minister for Health’s China Advisory Committee. Professor Hall has been a board member on 18 state and national corporations and not-for-profit entities.
Professor Anne Graham
Anne Graham is professor of biochemistry at University of Bradford and she leads the Faculty Research & Knowledge Transfer agenda. She was appointed to her current role in 2016 after completing the role of Director of Postgraduate Research for 5 years. In addition to her role as an active researcher into mechanisms of inflammation in cardiovascular disease, she is passionate about development and success of early career researchers (postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers). In 2018 Anne set up a Faculty Early Career Forum for networking between early career researchers and academics. She leads the institutional working group developing our action plan to demonstrate how we meet the obligations of the Researcher Development Concordat, after the institution became a signatory in spring 2020.