Civil Engineering Research Seminar - November part 2
Knowledge sharing in sustainable development between Asian sib-continent and Africa through CESSAF
- When?
- Thursday 29 November 2012, 14:00 to 15:00
- Where?
- University of Surrey Room 40, block AA, floor 03
- Open to:
- Students, Staff
- Speaker:
- Prof. Mukesh Khare
Abstract:
Planet Earth Institute (PEI) is an international NGO dedicated to building local scientific capacity and excellence in Africa and across the global South with centres in USA, UK, Switzerland, Brazil, Angola and India. It has been developed on a clear vision of scientific independence for Africa in one generation by bringing together expert global scientific leaders, international institutions, governments, NGO’s, civil society and the private sector to enable the creation of platforms to influence future international development policy. The main focus is on Africa through South-South collaboration since Africa will be at the forefront of the great challenges of our time i.e. population growth; sustainable agriculture; natural resource use. The South-South knowledge sharing may halp Africa to grow in a more systematic and customized manner. The Centre of Excellence in Science for Sustainability in Africa (CESSAF) is a working example of a major PEI project working with Newcastle University, Agostinho Neto University, Angolan Government, and UNESCO. CESSAF will link South-South academic institutions, governments and the private sectors to train a new generation of scientific leaders in Africa. CESSAF being an initiative in knowledge sharing for sustainable development in Africa through South-South collaborations works on the principle of building trustworthy partnership for efficient dissemination of knowledge and techniques to enable the technical advancement of professionals. This capacity building will be done through exchange of staff and faculties, workshops involving industrial and local participation. Besides it will also enable to fulfil the need for efficient resource management for sustainable urbanisation in the developing world through South-South collaborations with inputs from North particularly under the aegis of policy formulation and governance.
Bio:
Prof. Khare’s research has focused on local scale urban air quality modelling targeting the predictions of episodesat urban roads/intersections, mainly arising out from undefined low-level/line sources sources. Current research areas include formulation of air quality models and their validation; indoor air quality modelling in air-conditioned and naturally ventilated buildings and exposure assessment of related pollutants on indoor occupants. He has been actively involved in research areas related to particulate pollution to ambient environment due to coal mining activities and sustainable cities analyzing the Urban Genome affecting the sustainable growth of the cities. He has also worked extensively in the area of industrial wastewater treatment particularly application of Rotating Biological Contactor Systems to treat industrial and sewage wastes. Prof. Khare and his research group have carried out a number of on site assessments of air pollutants and designed a number of effluent treatment plants to treat the corresponding wastes from various types of industries in and around Delhi.