ICMIMT 2020 Keynote Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER IN ICMIMT

Prof. Dawood Ahmed Desai, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa

Prof. Dawood Ahmed Desai was appointed Executive Chair: Automotive Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) whilst working on his doctoral degree. He was subsequently appointed Senior lecturer and thereafter Associate Professor, Section Head and Research Chair in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at TUT. Prof Desai’s main research interests span Finite Element Analysis in the areas of Biomechanics, structural dynamics, fatigue, vibro-acoustics, fluid-structure interaction, materials characterization and heat transfer.  He has published in many peer-reviewed scientific journals, conference proceedings, book chapters and was awarded many patents. Apart from many other awards, he was recently awarded the “Scientist Medal” by the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) in Stockholm, Sweden and the “Best research paper presentation” award at the International Conference on Mechanical, Aerospace and Electronic Systems in China. He is registered with the Engineering Council of SA, the SA Institute of Mechanical Engineering and is also a Member of the Aeronautical Society of SA, a division of Royal Aeronautical Society, UK.

Prof. Thorsten Becker, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Prof. Thorsten Becker is an Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, where he also serves as Director of the Centre for Materials Engineering. He holds a concurrent appointment as Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University, and Visiting Researcher at the Nelson Mandela University.His research addresses structural integrity, focusing on fatigue, fracture, and creep. Employing advanced methodologies such as digital image and volume correlation, high-resolution microscopy, and modelling approaches, his work extracts engineering-relevant parameters vital to structural integrity assessments. An avid proponent of additive manufacturing of metals, particularly for high-temperature applications, Prof. Becker explores intrinsic process attributes and their effects on structural performance. His work is conducted in partnership with local and international research institutions and industries. He regularly contributes to professional bodies, bringing an applied focus to his theoretical investigations. Prof. Becker’s research has yielded numerous publications—many in high-impact venues—and is well cited across the fields of structural integrity and additive manufacturing.