The Speakers
We have highly esteemed speakers from various countries who will share their excellent research in RAPS
Dr. Miklas Scholz
Miklas Scholz, cand ing, BEng (equiv), PgC, MSc, PhD, CWEM, CEnv, CSci, CEng, FHEA, FIEMA, FCIWEM, FICE, Fellow of IWA, is Prof. in Water Resources Engineering at Lund University, Sweden. He also holds the Chair in Civil Engineering at The University of Salford, UK. He is a Professor and the Head of the Civil Engineering Research Group in Salford. Moreover, Miklas is a Distinguished Professor at Johannesburg University. Prof. Scholz has shown individual excellence evidenced by world-leading publications, postgraduate supervision and research impact. His main research areas in terms of publication output are as follow: treatment wetlands, integrated constructed wetlands (ICW), sustainable flood retention basins (SFRB), permeable pavement systems, decision support systems, ponds and capillary suction time. About 48% and 47% of his research is in wastewater treatment and water resources management, respectively. The remaining 5% are in capillary processes and water treatment. He has published three books and220 journal articles. Since 2009, he tops the publication list in terms of numbers for all members of staff at The University of Salford. Prof. Scholz’s full journal article publications in recent years are as follows: 2009 (13), 2010 (19), 2011 (13), 2012 (21), 2013 (17), 2014 (15), 2015 (17), 2016 (13) and 2017 (14). He publishes regularly in the following journals with high impact factors: Bioresource Technology, Building and Environment, Construction and Building Materials, Desalination, Ecological Engineering, Environmental Modelling & Software, Environmental Pollution, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Journal of Environmental Management, Landscape and Urban Planning, Science of the Total Environment and Water Research. Prof. Scholz has total citations of more than4889 (above 3090 citations since 2013), resulting in anh-index of 35 and an i10-Index of 111 (19 June 2018). Prof. Scholz is an Editor, Sub-editor and Editorial Board member of 26, 8 and 81 journals, respectively. Miklas has a currently active income of usually SEK 4,000,000. His income over the past six years is typically SEK 15,000,000. This includes research and other grants, and consultancy. His work has particularly benefited the British Isles, and Central and Northern Europe. For example, ICW are now being constructed in Belgium, Germany, the United States of America and China.
Prof. Dr. Ömer KILIÇ
Dr. Omer Kilic is one of the active well renowned researchers in the field of Plant Sciences. Dr. Kilic is author of more than 150 research articles published in journal of well repute. He completed his Ph.D Degree from Firat University, Turkey. Currently working as Professor in the faculty of Pharmacy, Adiyaman University. Currently he is working on various aspects of Plant biodiversity with special focus on environmental issues of caused due to deforestation. His work also focuses on plant based essential oils; bee flora, economically important plants and their uses in rural communities. Some of the major interest include aromatherapy, phytotherapy, phytochemistry, plant anatomy and morphology, biodiversity and environmental literacy, Pilot University Projects and studies
Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota
Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota is currently working as a Director of Agriculture research station, Lakehead University, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Sahota, with a Ph.D. in Agronomy and an International Course for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture, Wageningen, The Netherlands, has over 30 years of experience in agricultural research, extension and development worldwide.
Dr. Sahota has made a significant impact on farms by introducing new crops/crop varieties and beneficial nutrient management practices. He has developed over 10,000 acres under contract mint farming for AM Todd Company USA and has managed large scale commercial farms, including a fresh produce export project. Dr. Sahota is an Ontario CCA since 2007, was nominated for the CCA Award of Excellence in 2013, is a member of the OFCC, and American Society of Agronomy, was twice an Eastern Director of the Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA), President Elect in 2014-15, President in 2015-16 and is Past President of the CSA since July 2016.
Dr. Sahota has been an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario since July 1, 2013. He was presented with an Award of Honour by the Alumni Association, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India in 2015, Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA) by the CSA in 2018 and the Distinguished Agronomist Award of the CSA by the CSA in 2021.
Dr. Shenggang Pan
Dr. Shenggang Pan did PhD in Agronomy from MOA Key Laboratory of Huazhong Crop Physiology, Ecology and Production; Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China. Currently he is working as Associate Professor, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University. His research is mainly about the effects of mechanized deep fertilization on grain yield, nutrition use efficiency and its physiological traits of rice. In recent years I was sponsored six province or national research funds. He has published more than 20 articles in the famous journals such as Field Crops Research, The Crop Journal, Agronomy Journal, Rice, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.
Nourou Soulemane Yorou
Prof. Nourou Soulemane Yorou completed Doctoral Degree in 2008 Germany Natural Science. His previous Postdoctoral Position 2008-2011 : Leader of the Junior Research Group: Tropical Mycology, Department Biology I and GeoBio Centre, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (Germany). His research interest includes Biodiversity, Molecular phylogeny and Distribution of tropical African Fungi, Plant-Fungi interactions, mycorrhizal symbiosis and controlled regeneration of tropical African forest trees, Natural production, Phenology and Sustainable exploitation of Wild Useful Fungi, Conservation of threatened fungi, partner plants and their habitats in tropical Africa.
Chang-Lin ZHAO
He is currently working as Professor in College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University. The main area of his research includes Systematics and phyloinformatics of Perenniporia, Taxonomy and phylogeny of Tyromyces and related genera, Molecular systematics of Phlebia, Phylogenetic trees for studying the genus Hyphoderma and Peniophorella. The identify, screening of white-rot fungi and the degradation mechanism on Dendrocalamus sinicus and study on the successive cropping obstacle Gastrodia elata. His professional service includes Councillor Chinese Society of Pathology 2019-2023: Committee member, Fungi Diversity and Systematics, Mycological Society of China 2020- Senior Editor, Studies in Fungi. He has published many research publications in reputed journals of the world. Apart from this, he has also published various book Book: Chang-Lin Zhao, Junjia Lu. 2020. Atlas of Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Haikou Forestry Farm of Yunnan Province. China Forestry Press, Beijing; Chang-Lin Zhao. 2021. The Diversity of Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Wuliangshan of Yunnan Province. China Forestry Press, Beijing; Chang-Lin Zhao. 2022; The Diversity of Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Wenshan of Yunnan Province; China Forestry Press, Beijing.
Faouzi Chokri
Expert in Agribusiness Project Managment/ Renewable Energy Expert /Consultant-Trainer He obtained Professional master degree in Engineering and management of the energy from Faculty of Science - Gafsa - Tunisia 2007. It been 26 years that he is associated with Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture. Currently, he is the Regional Director of the Agricultural Land Agency at the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the agriculture export value chain development, public investment projects related to market development and employment generation with a particular interest in Gender and Local Development issues and in evaluation of development projects / programs. He has over 15 years of experience in the field of monitoring and coordination of rural Development Programs (diagnosis and program formulation, use of the logical planning framework, preparation of planning budgets, implementation, monitoring and supervision of activities in the field). He has over 15 years of experience in the field of rural development as part of a development project funded by an international donor. Good experience in supporting the capacity building of farmers' organizations and local grassroots structures. He has good experience in implementing activities to support agricultural productivity, agricultural value chains, and rural employment, elaboration / definition, setting up of consultation framework, cross-sector dialogue platform linked to the rural development sector. He has worked as renewable energy expert/consultant for management of the renewable energies and of replacement projects related to dimensioning of electricity production projects (and cogeneration projects) from renewable energies (solar, elionne, biogas, geothermal), Fan and Pad greenhouse evaporative cooling system using the renewable energies (Solar Energy,Wind Energy, Geothermal Energy), Desalination of seawater or any brackish water using the renewable energies (Solar Energy,Wind Energy, Geothermal Energy), management and valorization of urban and agricultural wastes in various countries including Algeria, Oman,Syria, Congo-Brazaville, Madagascar, Benin, Senegal.
Prof. Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
He is currently working as Director Technology Science Park (QAU), Director QAU Botanical Garden and Herbarium (ISL), and Chairman Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i- Azam University, Islamabad. He has over 780 publications (citations ±14000, H-index 85, i10-index 245) in diverse fields of Plant Sciences published by Elsevier, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Wiley etc. He has successfully supervised/produced 36 PhD, 110 M.Phil., 55 M.Sc. and 15 BS research scholars in advanced areas of Plant Systematics & Biodiversity. He has also been awarded various national and international awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of science and technology including Top 2% influential scientist of the World (2020); Young Research Scholar Award by HEC (2019); Highly Cited Research Paper Award by Elsevier and Willey (2019); Young scientist award by CAS – PIFI – China (2018), Young membership award by Pakistan Academy of Sciences, (2016); Productive scientist awards by PCST (2009 to date); TTS Performance based Awards (2010 to date); Post Doc. Fellowship by TWAS-Malaysia (2012); Best book award by HEC (2013); Best research paper award by HEC (2011); Gold Medal award by Pakistan Academy of Sciences (2011). Prof. Ahmad has been awarded with many research grant projects funded by GBIF, BIFA (Japan-USA), NAS-USA, CAS-China, Mevlana-Turkey, PAS, HEC and TWAS. These research grants helped Prof. Ahmad to establish modern digital Herbarium (ISL), Botanical Garden, Technology Science Park, Melissopalynology, Aerobiology, Nutraceutical and Green Biofuel research laboratories.
Prof. Dr. Abdul Qayyum Rao
Dr. Abdul Qayyum Rao is currently working as a Professor in Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology University of the Punjab, Lahore. He is a botanist, plant molecular biologist and biotechnologist. His key achievements includes; development of insect and herbicide resistant cotton varieties, development of edible vaccine against NDV and establishment of CRISPR Cas Genome Editing Technology at CEMB. He has successfully obtained genome editing of potato vacuolar invertase gene and also obtained genome editing of CLCuV in cotton. He has developed international collaborations and equipped with advanced training. He has supervised 44 M.Phil and six PhD students and many are currently enrolled with him. He published 90 research articles with impact factor of more than 100. Besides this, he has also been granted two patents and won 10 national and international grants. He is also winner of ICRA Young Innovation Gold Medal and a number of other prestigious awards including Humboldt fellowship award of senior researcher. He is an editor and reviewer of several international journals as well.
Prof. Dr. Bushra Rashid
Dr. Bushra Rashid is a Professor in Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology. She is currently working and heading plant genomics group with main focus on identification and characterization of drought tolerant genes in cotton by using techniques such as microarray, differential display, gene homology and making wax-deficient mutants. She has collaborative and leading abilities in academics, research as well as academic administration. She has been PI of many projects including identification & isolation of wax genes from local cultivars of Gossypium arboreum to breed CLCuV tolerance/resistance in G. hirsutum by HEC 6.67 MRs; transformation of Bt cotton with transcription factor gene of Gossypium arboretum to enhance drought tolerance from HEC 3.037 Million Rs.) and co-PI of the projects as well. She has won several foreign fellowships including invited scientist to Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey, 17-24 March 2013, commonwealth visiting fellow, The University of Edinburgh, School of Biological Sciences, Scotland, UK, Sep-Dec. 2012, endeavour fellow by Endeavour Executive Award to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Canberra, Australia by Austraining International July-Nov. 2010. She has also been a visiting scientist, for development of genomic laboratory for gene discovery and plant pathogen interaction, to Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign USA, Jun-Dec. 2005. She has supervised a number of PhD and M. Phil students and published more than 50 research articles in well reputed journals along with many book chapters and books. She also has been a member of several committees.
Prof. Dr. Kafeel Ahmad
He is the Chairman at Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. He has produced 5 PhDs and 26 M.Phils. He has 193 research publications with h-index 16, more than 1200 citations and 150 impact factor. He did a research project worth 1 million funded by UOS and 3 hec funded projects worth more than 10 million PKR. He was HEC Post-Doc Merit fellow ship Recipient in 2008. He won Research Productivity Award from 2010-2012. His research interests include Species Composition Ecology, Environmental Management (Especially Endangered Plant Species) and Rehabilitation of Biological Resources, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Dr. Muhammad Aamer Mehmood
He did his post doc from SJTU, Shanghai. Currently, he is the Chairman at Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan. His research group has been working on process optimization for the sustainable utilization of bio-resources with a special focus on microalgae/cyanobacteria, wastewater recycling, and biomass-to-bioenergy conversion through pyrolysis and bioprocessing using yeast as microbial cell factories. He has received research fundings from Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (02 projects), International Foundation for Science, Sweden (01 project), The World Academy of Sciences, Italy (01 project), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (01 project).He has authored/co-authored seventy-six (76) research & review articles (with ~362 Impact Factor) in peer-reviewed journals and twelve (12) book chapters. He was awarded Research Productivity Award for the years 2011, 2012 and 2014 by Pakistan Council for Science & Technology, and Young Leaders Award 2017 by Positive Pakistan. Moreover, in 2019, he was honored with the highest province-level academic title “The Distinguished Expert” by Sichuan Government, China. He has also served as Guest Editor at Protein & Peptide Letters, at Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. Currently, he is serving as Editor at PLOS ONE, PeerJ, BMC Biotechnology, Environmental and Toxicology Management, and Asian Journal of Agriculture and Biology.
Prof. Dr. Mansoor Hameed
He is a Chairman of Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad Pakistan. His research interest includes the exploring the adaptive mechanisms in natural populations (mainly grasses and sedges) in relation to morpho-anatomy and physiology. Revision of the flora of the Faisalabad region. Comparative anatomy of native flora. Evaluation and explotation of germplasm resources of major and minor crop plants of Pakistan. Exploration of origin and diversity of dateplam in Pakistan. He has worked as Research Officer in PARC Board’s Project entitled “Germplasm Resources of some Major and Minor Crop Plants of Pakistan”, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan; as Subject Specialist in Punjab Education Department at Chakrala (Mianwali)-Pakistan and as botanist in Wildlife Research Institute, Gatwala, Faisalabad-Pakistan. He established an international standard Botanical Garden at Governor’s House, Lahore-Pakistan during 2003-04 as well as one at Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan. He has been active consultant for Detailed vegetation survey of Lehri-Jindi for biodiversity assessment, conservation and sustainable utilization of wildlife habitat at Lehri National Park sponsored by IUCN and “Audit Reporting of Kirthar National Park, Sindh for vegetation monitoring as affected by Gas and Oil Survey activities” organized by Halcrow Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. He did a project, “Establishment of Arboreta of Native Trees of Pakistan at Botanic Garden, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad”, funded by Higher Education Commission (HEC) as PI worth Rs. 1,940,379/-. He did two other projects funded by HEC as Co-PI worth Rs 3.3 and 3.2 million. He has published more than 150 research papers with about 3000 citations, h-index 31 and i10-index 84. He has written several books/book chapters/ monographs as an author and coauthor. He has supervised 8 doctoral theses, 70 M.Phil. theses and 65 M.Sc theses at Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Prof. Dr. Farah Khan
Prof. Dr. Farah Khan did her Ph. D in Botany from PU and Post Doc. from OSU, US in Molecular Genetics. She has an experience of more than 36 years of teaching and research in Higher Education. She has been on many administrative positions during her tenure. She has supervised many graduate and undergraduate students and published more than 100 research papers in well reputed journals, 5 books and 1 patent is also on her credit. She and her research group have worked and are still working on PSTVd genomics, genetic diversity of plants and development of secondary metabolites to cure different types of cancers and dementia.