The current editor-in-chief of the journal Desalination, Dr Nidal Hilal, has been appointed professor in nano-membranology (sic) and water technologies at the Masdar Institute of Science & Technology.
Hilal, who has a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Wales in the UK, has been given the responsibility of working with the faculty to establish a Centre of Excellence for Water Technologies at Masdar Institute.
Hilal has been a leader in developing and applying the atomic force microscope (AFM) in the study of membrane separation and engineering processes at the nano-scale level. His research areas have included identification of innovative and cost-effective solutions to real-world process-engineering problems within the fields of chemical engineering, nano water membrane technology, water treatment including desalination, and colloid engineering.
Dr Marwan Khraisheh, Dean of Engineering at Masdar Institute, said: “Our faculty represents a cross-section of talented and proven individuals in clean energy and sustainable technologies. Dr Hilal is an internationally-renowned expert in water-treatment technologies who brings enormous additional value to Masdar Institute’s highly focused research activities.”
The Centre of Excellence for Water Technologies will be the GCC region’s first international-quality provider of localized solutions to water technology needs, focusing on membrane technologies. More specifically, the centre will aim to help reuse the UAE’s wastewater, reducing the need to create desalinated water from the Gulf and thus saving on carbon emissions.