Cultivating global research collaboration with University funding

Dr Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis

Reader in Chemical Engineering

The University’s International Collaboration Fund and a Santander Mobility Grant made it possible for a group of undergraduate chemical engineering students to gain valuable experience of presenting their research to leading experts at RWTH Aachen University, cited as being one of the world’s top 150 universities in the 2023 QS World University Rankings

THE University’s International Collaboration Fund has facilitated in cultivating further collaboration with one of Europe’s leading institutions for science and engineering after it enabled a 黑料社 academic to visit and deliver a workshop showcasing his research on circular water economy and wastewater treatment.

, a Reader in Chemical Engineering from the University’s Department of Chemical Sciences, has been conducting research for a major European wide project since 2020. The includes 29 partners from across Europe and aims to materialise circular water use in European Process Industries, foster awareness in resource-efficiency and deliver compact solutions for industrial applications. RWTH Aachen University is the project’s lead co-ordinator.

The workshop featured research conducted by Dr Angelis-Dimakis on the environmental impact and assessment of various AquaSPICE technologies as well as including presentations on life cycle assessment, wastewater treatment and industrial symbiosis.

As well as delivering the workshop, Dr Angelis-Dimakis was able to utilise a further funding opportunity, as a result of the University’s partnership with , in the form of a Santander Mobility Grant, making it possible for a group of undergraduate students to accompany him on the visit.

The students, all studying , were , , and . Individually, they presented their research theses on themes aligned with the AquaSPICE project and gained valuable experience showcasing their research to leading experts at one of , as cited by the .

RWTH Aachen University (left) and the group are pictured on their visit to the Aachen-Soers Wastewater Treatment Plant — Dr Angelis-Dimakis and the four students concluded their trip with a guided tour of the Aachen-Soers Wastewater Treatment Plant by hosts Laurence Palmoski and Thomas Wintgens, who had acquired funds from the AquaSPICE project to pay for the outing and cover the visitors’ sustenance.

Fostering further collaboration

Dr Angelis-Dimakis, an active member of the University’s , is now in the process of planning another visit to RWTH Aachen University, to take place by the end of 2023, using the second half of the funding.

“The University has established connections with RWTH Aachen University in a number of areas, such as metrology for example,” said Dr Angelis-Dimakis.

“Fostering further collaboration, with a trip planned for next year, will allow us to be able to work together on a paper that will showcase productive use of the International Collaboration Fund, demonstrate tangible knowledge exchange with a Top150 university, as well as being an excellent example of how we enhance the global student experience here at the 黑料社,” he added.

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