Please tell us about your role at PNDC
I joined PNDC in August 2022 as a Hydrogen Specialist. I am an R&D Engineer with a PhD in mechanical design engineering. I help PNDC to enrich their portfolio in whole energy systems, especially hydrogen technologies for the decarbonisation of heating and transport, as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry innovation and infrastructure), and 13 (climate action).
What was your background before joining PNDC?
Previously, I performed as a Postdoctoral Scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the first government-funded research institute in South Korea. After obtaining my BEng in Mechanical Engineering-Thermofluidics in Iran, I moved to South Korea in 2015 to pursue my MEng and PhD in Mechanical Design Engineering. In August 2021, I completed my PhD before the age of 30.
During my research, I have been involved in numerous projects sponsored by globally renowned companies such as Hyundai Motor Group. I have been a crucial member of several key laboratories in South Korea, namely Ammonia Research Group (ARG), Hydrogen Research Lab (HRL), Multifunctional Carbon Materials Lab (MCM), and Energy and Materials Circulation System Lab (EMCSL).
I have numerous peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals and hold 4 patents pending and 1 registered in hydrogen technologies. My research ability has been recognised by two prestigious awards in Research Excellence from the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) and the 2022 Outstanding Dissertation Award by the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers (KSME). In February 2022, together with my international and intersectoral collaborators, we launched a Special Issue on ammonia as an energy vector in the journal of Energies (MDPI).
I am a visionary scientist with over 7.5 years of combined R&D experience in alternative fuels, energy engineering, thermal engineering, and composite materials. My work continues to contribute to realising a sustainable social and industrial ecosystem.
What do you enjoy most about working at PNDC?
PNDC is an industry-faced innovation centre within the University of Strathclyde, and working here creates an opportunity for getting involved in both the academia and industry sectors. Since my joining, I have learned more about the higher technology readiness level (TRL) innovations and the logistics with commercialisation and market deployment. In other words, it has been an interesting educational journey at PNDC, and I am certain that my learnings here will be a great asset in my career. Oh, and being able to work from home has been a considerable perk as well!
What can we find you doing in your spare time?
I am a huge psychology and movie enthusiast. I like to collect information on the human psyche via research articles, my own experiences, or movies. I know lots of movies like the Matrix trilogy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes duology by heart. I am also a big music lover, and I think my noise-cancelling earphones are one of the best investments I have ever made.
Connect with Arash on LinkedIn and please check out his portfolio.