Water engineering scientist Dr. Eskandar Poorasgari, whose academic and research engagements span Canada, Denmark, Germany, and multiple international research institutions, has formally expressed his intent to collaborate with Cebu Technological University (CTU), potentially opening opportunities for advanced research initiatives in water and wastewater treatment technologies.
Currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, Dr. Eskandar spoke with CTU Internationalization and ASEAN Integration Director Dr. Rhodora G. Magan on Wednesday and conveyed his desire to work with CTU as a research collaborator, particularly in areas involving sustainable water technologies.
“I have a keen interest in using my knowledge and experience to develop innovative water and wastewater treatment technologies for developing countries.”
The scientist earned his second doctorate in Environmental Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where his research examined the effects of biological wastewater treatment processes on antibiotic resistance genes. Earlier, he completed his first PhD in Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at Aalborg University in Denmark, focusing on membrane fouling mechanisms in wastewater treatment systems. He also obtained his Master of Science in Water Science from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, where he specialized in membrane-based water treatment technologies.
At the University of Saskatchewan, his recent research includes enhancement of biogas production from wastewater sludge, biological nutrient removal systems, arsenic release from mine waste, sulfate reduction in agricultural water, and simultaneous removal of organic matter and sodium from water systems.
His earlier research experiences in Canada, Denmark, and Germany likewise involved membrane bioreactors, anaerobic and aerobic digestion of wastewater sludge, biological rapid sand filtration, electro-coagulation, adsorption technologies, and reverse osmosis membrane cleaning.
Beyond research, he has developed competencies in mathematical modelling, laboratory process design, computational fluid dynamics, experimental planning, and advanced analytical methodologies.
His laboratory expertise includes spectroscopy, membrane filtration systems, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, chromatography, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
He expressed positivity over the possibility of securing institutional funding support from the University of Saskatchewan that could enable him to travel to CTU and directly collaborate with faculty researchers and academic units on prospective scientific and engineering projects.
Dr. Magan looks forward to hosting him two months from now./IAI
