Ameera Mohammad

I am the first PhD graduate in the Dual degree PhD program from the Chemical Engineering Department at UAEU and KU Leuven. I was recently defended my thesis “MULTI STAGE MODIFIED SOLVAY PROCESS FOR CO₂ CAPTURE AND REJECT BRINE DESALINATION” and considered as the first dual PhD graduate from this program.  In August 2021, I had a wonderful resrech visit to KU Leuven, where I conducted several experimental analyses and CFD simulation runs with the help and guidance of my colleagues and my second advisor Prof. Bart Van der Bruggen. The Dual PhD Degree between KUL and UAEU was an incredible opportunity for me, where I got a wonderful international experience that helped me in broaden my knowledge and enhancing my research skills. It is my wish to see more and more students enrolled in the Dual PhD program between UAEU and KUL since the benefits are extraordinary and amazing.

I have had the unique honour of obtaining my doctorate in Chemical Engineering from not one but two world-renowned universities under the auspices of Professor Ali Al Marzouqi from United Arab Emirates University and Professor Bart Van der Bruggen from KU Leuven, world-class professors who are experts in their field.  The opportunity to gain my dual PhD from the UAEU and KU Leuven has been a life-changing experience allowing me to utilise the best research facilities and collaborate with my colleagues in order to achieve the historic privilege of gaining the first dual doctorate degree awarded from this university.  Defending my thesis ‘MULTI STAGE MODIFIED SOLVAY PROCESS FOR CO₂ CAPTURE AND REJECT BRINE DESALINATION’ after having the unique research opportunity to gain international research experience has been an invaluable step in my research journey, one that I hope will be the start of many future students embarking on their way to earn a dual doctorate.  My sincere wish is to see this program continue to be successfully implemented in order to give students this transformative experience in their research.