Dr Joe Akunna, Director of Postgraduate Environmental Education (Environmental Engineering) at the University of Abertay Dundee, has become the only UK member of the governing body of one of France’s most respected higher education institutions.
Dr Akunna has been appointed as a Membre de Conseil Scientifique of the Ecole Supérieure des Ingénieurs des Travaux et de la Construction (ESITC), located at Cachan near Paris. ESITC specialises in training top level civil and public works engineering graduates, and its governing body includes representatives of some of the largest civil and water engineering companies in France - which are among the largest in the world - alongside specialist education providers. The Conseil members are appointed on a four-year renewable term.
The Conseil’s main role is to guide ESITC in the development of an appropriate research policy, capable of addressing current and future challenges, such as climate change. Water and wastewater research are some of the areas in which ESITC intends to further develop its research. The institution has been working with Dr Akunna and his colleagues at Abertay's Urban Water Technology Centre (UWTC), a centre for excellence in the study of wastewater and environmental management, including creating energy from waste.
The UWTC research team are recognised leaders in the field, using pioneering research methods and combining academic skills with commercial expertise through strong relationships with industry.
Dr Akunna and his colleague Dr David Blackwood have been teaching environmental engineering at the institution for the past four years. Dr Akunna will continue in his role at Abertay whilst belonging to the Conseil and looks forward to welcoming students from the ESITC to undertake research placements at Abertay in the future.