ICMIMT 2020 Keynote Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER IN ICMIMT

Prof. Udochukwu Bola Akuru, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa

Dr Udochukwu B. Akuru is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and an NRF C1-rated researcher with expertise in the design and optimisation of electrical machines for renewable energy technologies and sustainable energy systems. He received the B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2008 and 2013, respectively, and the PhD degree in electrical engineering from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, in 2017. He held a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship with Stellenbosch University from 2018 to 2019 and was a Lecturer with the University of Nigeria from 2011 to 2019. He has authored or coauthored numerous papers and serves as a reviewer for several journals and conferences. He was recently honoured with the TUT Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment Global Collaboration and Impact Recognition Merit Award and Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Merit Award for the Year 2026. His research has also been recognised through Best Paper Prizes at several international conferences. He served as the General Chair of the 33rd Southern African Universities Power Engineering Conference (SAUPEC 2025). He is currently a Professional Registered Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). He is a Senior Member of IEEE & SAIEE, as well as a volunteer with various societies and committees, including WFEO committee on energy, IEEE IAS EMC, IEEE IES EMTC and SAIEE RMS. He is a recipient of several grants and awards, including the prestigious Jorma Luomi Student Forum Award at the 2018 International Conference on Electrical Machines (ICEM) and the 2020 TWAS-DFG Research Fellowship. He is also an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications and IET Electric Power Applications, a Guest Editor for several MDPI volumes, including Mathematics, Wind and Machines, Country Lead for the UKRI-funded Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy Centre (CEPREC) project and Project Coordinator for TUT ENERGISE Centre funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within the DAAD-Programme Centres of African Excellence. Dr Akuru is currently the Chairperson of the IEEE South Africa Section.

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.