Category: 2021 Delegate

Dr.Warinthorn Songkasiri currently holds a position of Vice President for Research Strategy of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand. She is a principal researcher and a lab head at the Excellent Center of Waste Utilization and Management (ECoWaste), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC). She received the Royal Thai Government to pursue her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1997, M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in 1998, and Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University in 2003 from the US. She has been working in the environmental and renewable energy areas. Her research interests include agro- and food-process optimization. She was a co-founder of the program called Starch Engineering and Process Optimization (SEPO) program, which incorporate the university-public-private partnership program. Further, she works on anaerobic digestion for biogas production as renewable energy especially in the cassava starch industry. She was participating in several EU projects on knowledge and technology transfer.

Professor Mansoor Alaali has served as the President of Ahlia University since 2015. He holds a BSc from the University of Teesside (UK), an MSc in Computer Science, and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge-Based Systems from Aston University in Birmingham (UK).

His research interests span applied computer science, data mining, algorithms, artificial intelligence, university governance and ethics. Among his recent publications are two books: “Artificial Minds and Digital Souls: AI and the Future of Humanity” and “Success Through the Soul: Building Confidence”.

Professor Mansoor is an editor and reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals and a regular keynote speaker at global conferences. He holds memberships in multiple professional bodies and has delivered numerous workshops and seminars in both technical and non-technical areas, including strategic planning and information technology.

Previously, he has developed innovative technical solutions and provided consultancy services to various international and local organisations.

Professor Mansoor advocates for a renewed perspective on higher education in the Arab world, believing that reform is essential to empower future generations and uplift societies.

Under his leadership, Ahlia University has achieved significant milestones in local and international accreditation, advancing both research and educational excellence.

His recent intellectual pursuits focus on human philosophy and expanding the frontiers of knowledge.

Dieter Bryniok graduated as a micro-biologist. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Tuebingen, Germany with a doctoral thesis on the immuno-enzymatic detection of methanogens in biogas producing microbial consortia. Between 1985 and 2017, he worked for the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), Stuttgart, Germany as a scientist, research group leader and vice department leader, initially in the chemical microbiology (CMB) department. He has been vice department leader of the institute’s environmental biotechnology and biochemical engineering department (UBT) since 2001. Previously, he worked as senior project manager in the fields of biodegradation of hazardous substances, water management, bio-energy, sustainable development, industrial biotechnology and bio-economy. Byniok headed the Fraunhofer Demonstration Center for Process Integrated Environmental Technology for six years (1995-2001) He was also responsible for establishing the Fraunhofer Center for Energy and the Environment in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, between the years of 1998 and 2001. Furthermore, he was managing director of the Fraunhofer Water Systems Alliance – a network of up to 13 Fraunhofer Institutes working in the field of water supply and wastewater management – for ten years from 2007 onwards. Bryniok held a professorship in environmental biotechnology from 2010 to 2022 at the newly founded Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL) in Hamm, Germany, where he worked full-time from November 2017. He headed two research fields for bioenergy and bio-economy. Since 2018, he was Vice President for Research and Transfer, before he retired in August 2022.

A senior leader with a background in strategy development, collaborative working and knowledge management. At Coventry University Jo is the institutional lead on national and international policy engagement. She is responsible for coordinating our engagement with relevant bodies, national regulatory bodies and HE networks such as University Alliance and the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). Through her work she has a wide network of HE, industry and policy contacts. Jo has led on a number of organisational change programmes within the university, the two most significant involved (i) establishing two new professional services departments to support our growing research aspirations, as well as our continued engagement with industry and (ii) the launch of a formal Location Independent Working programme. She is a CMI accredited coach and supports colleagues with their personal development through our university’s coaching and mentoring academy. Jo strongly believes that collaborative working is key to economic and societal growth and that the Higher Education sector has a key role as a catalyst for collaboration. Experience: HE policy in the UK; developing business cases for investment; chairing and facilitation of large and small groups; public speaking; networking and building influence; project management; public funding bid writing and development; flexible working practices; business-university collaboration; public funded research and enterprise programmes; business and enterprise support; managing complex budgets; information and knowledge management.

Prof. Smile Dzisi is the former Vice-Chancellor/Rector of Koforidua Technical University. She was the first female to be appointed a Rector of a Polytechnic in Ghana. She ably led the transition of her Polytechnic into a Technical University. Prof. Dzisi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; a Master of Public Administration degree from University of Ghana and a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia where she also received an award for the most distinguished Ph.D. thesis. Prof. Dzisi is the first female to serve as chair of the Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana. She has provided consultancy to the DAAD, UNFPA, Commonwealth of Learning and the World Bank. She champions entrepreneurship education, women empowerment, as well as technical vocational education and training (TVET) and was recently selected as a model for TVET by COTVET/GIZ.

Prof. Dzisi served on the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa Board as West Africa Coordinator of Women in Technical Education and Development. For her outstanding competency, innovativeness, commitment and passion for excellence, Prof. Dzisi received the Name in Science and Education Award from the Academic Union and the Club of Rectors of Europe, United Kingdom in 2019, Ghana Women of Excellence Award in 2019 and the Daasebre Silver Jubilee Award of Excellence in 2017. She is currently the President of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology, a private university college in Tema, Ghana.

Professor Zeppenfeld was born in Werl/Germany. After having passed the Abitur (higher education entrance qualification in Germany), he studied computer sciences with mathematics as a minor subject at the University of Paderborn. Afterwards, he was employed as scientific assistant at Osnabrück University, where he also earned his doctorate. Subsequently working as a senior consultant for Capgemini (formerly: sd&m – software design & management AG), Professor Zeppenfeld was in various projects responsible for the holistic development of individual software solutions for key account customers.

In 1997, he accepted the position as a professor of computer sciences at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund/Germany, where he was appointed vice dean of the department in 1999, before being dean from 2005 to 2009. In this function, he helped to determine the orientation of the computer science department. In 2009, the Ministry of Science in North Rhine-Westphalia appointed Professor Zeppenfeld as founding president of Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. His second term as university president lasts until 2021. Since 2021 he is back as a teaching and research professor in the fields of practical computer science and software engineering at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund/Germany.

Besides his activities as a university professor, he also acted as a scientific director and as a chairman of the supervisory board in different companies and has written several scientific textbooks. He is also a member of an international jury panel for the annual Hamdan Bin Mohammad Award for Smart Government in Dubai since 2014.

Since October 2021, Professor Zeppenfeld was awarded as a Lifetime Fellow in the WTUN (World Technology Universities Network).

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).

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.