Iqbal Mujtaba

Biography

Iqbal M. Mujtaba is a Professor of Computational Process Engineering and is the Associate Dean (Learning, Teaching & Quality). He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng),  Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE) and a Chartered Chemical Engineer. He is currently an honorary professor at the (a) East China University of Science & Technology (ECUST), (b) University of Jordan (c) Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (Professor Naser Chair). He was an executive member of IChemE Computer Aided Process Engineering Subject Group (Secretary 2000-2010; Chair 2015 - 2019 ). He is currently (a) an executive member of the European Committee for Computers in Chemical Engineering Education (Secretary 2007-2010; Chair 2010-2013) and (b) Chair of BUET Chemical Engineering Forum, Bangladesh (2016-). He was the Head of the School of Engineering from 2016-2018. Professor Mujtaba was the member of the University Senate from 2002-2010, then 2018- and was members of a number of committees including University Equality & Diversity committee, University Research Degree committee (Deputy Chair), School Board and School Executive Committee, School HR committee (Chair). He is currently the Associate Editor for South African Journal for Chemical Engineering, Editorial Board Member for Processes (Open access journal), Energies (Open access journal), Desalination Journal,  Asia Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, Discover Chemical Engineering (open access).

Research

Professor Mujtaba is a world leader in batch distillation, wastewater treatment and desalination. He has developed process models for a range of processes that have delivered impact for many companies internationally, for example in oil separation, industrial scale desalination, fluid catalytic cracking, naphtha isomerisation, crude oil hydrotreating, along with chlorination reactor and process for titanium dioxide production which radically improved production and reduced CO2 emissions. Professor Mujtaba leads research into dynamic modelling, simulation, optimisation and control of batch and continuous chemical processes with specific interests in distillation, industrial reactors, refinery processes, desalination, wastewater treatment and crude oil hydrotreating focusing on food, energy and water (three of the four key challenge areas for future chemical engineers as identified by IChemE). He received funding from the British Council, Texas A&M University, Royal Society and DST (India) to organise a UK-Qatar workshop on Water & Energy Security in Qatar (2015), UK-India workshop on Food, Water & Energy Nexus in India (2015) and UK-Egypt-South Africa workshop on Water Management in South Africa (2016). Professor Mujtaba has managed several research collaborations and consultancy projects with industry and academic institutions in the UK, Italy, Hungary, Malaysia, Iraq, China, Libya, Qatar, India, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Algeria, Jordan, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. He has published over 420 technical papers in major Engineering Journals, International Conference Proceedings and Books and has supervised 43 PhD students since 1997 and is currently supervising 9 PhD projects. He has given over 80 invited lectures home and abroad and several keynotes and plenaries in international conferences.

Books

Professor Mujtaba is a co-editor of the books (1) Application of Neural Networks and Other Learning Technologies in Process Engineering, Imperial College Press, London, 2001 (http://www.icpress.co.uk/books/compsci/p225.html); (2) Composite Materials Technology CRC Press, 2009, https://www.crcpress.com/Composite-Materials-Technology-Neural-Network-Applications/Sapuan-Mujtaba/p...; (3) The Water-Food-Energy Nexus, CRC Press, 2017,https://www.crcpress.com/The-Water-Food-Energy-Nexus-Processes-Technologies-and-Challenges/Mujtaba-S... (4) Water Management: Social & Technological Perspective, CRC Press 2018, https://www.crcpress.com/Water-Management-Social-and-Technological-Perspectives/Mujtaba-Majozi-Amosa...  Professor Mujtaba is the author of Batch Distillation: Design & Operation published by the Imperial College Press, London in 2004 (http://www.icpress.co.uk/books/engineering/p319.html) which included his 18 years of research in batch distillation. He is also a co-author of the book (a) 'Wastewater Treatment by Reverse Osmosis Process, CRC Press, 2020. https://www.routledge.com/Wastewater-Treatment-by-Reverse-Osmosis-Process/Al-Obaidi-Kara-Zaitri-Mujt...(b) 'Desalination Technologies: Design and Operation', Elsevier, 2022. https://www.elsevier.com/books/desalination-technologies/mujtaba/978-0-12-813790-1 . More than 50% materials of these books are from his own research. 

Administrative and managerial duties and responsibilities

Professor Mujtaba has led the re-launch of UG and PG Chemical Engineering programme at Bradford in 2008 and is currently the External Examiner for MSc Advanced Process Integration at the University of Manchester (UK). He was the External Examiner for BEng & MEng Chemical Engineering programmes at the University of Malaya (Malaysia), for BEng & MEng BioChemical Engineering programmes at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. and for BEng & MEng Chemical Engineering programmes at the University of Hull (2012-2016); for MSc programme at the University of Cranfield (UK, 2009-2012), External assessor for UG Chemical Engineering Curriculum at the University of Hull (2012), External assessor for MSc in Oil and Gas Management at Wolverhampton University (2013). Professor Mujtaba has been External Assessor and Appointment Panel Member for professorial appoint for several institutions home and abroad (Imperial College London, Swansea University, Surrey University, Newcastle University, University of Malaya, Khartoum University, International Islamic University Malaysia, King Saud University, Khalifa University, Curtin University, New York University of Abu Dhabi).

Education

Professor Mujtaba obtained his BSc in 1983 and MSc in 1984 all in Chemical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET). He studied at Imperial College, London with the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship and received his PhD and DIC in 1989. He worked as a Lecturer and Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at BUET (1984-1990) and as Research Fellow at the Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College, London from 1990-1994. He joined University of Bradford as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering in 1995.

Knowledge Transfer (KTP)

1. CPD training on Concepts and skills of diversity in multi-national businesses, CRISTAL Global, Saudi Arabia, 2008, Co-ordinator. 

2. CPD training on Integrated Product and Process Design, BUET, Bangladesh, December 2008. 

3. CPD training on Seawater to Freshwater: Optimal Design and Operation of Thermal Desalination Process, Summer School, Technical University Berlin, Germany, 2009, 2010. 

4. Feasibility study for generating electricity for domestic solid wastes, Waddington Ltd., 2011

5. Heat Transfer modelling of Autoclaves, Autoclaves Ltd., 2012 

6. Chemical Engineering Lab training for Nigerian engineers, Heaton Education, 2012

7. CPD training on Synthesis of batch distillation, Summer School, Technical University Berlin, Germany, 2012

8. CPD training on Breaking the Tradition - Whole Crude Oil Fractionation then Hydrotreating or Whole Crude Oil Hydrotreating then Fractionation, Summer School, Technical University Berlin, Germany, 2013.

9. Workshop on Energy and Water in Qatar, Funded by the British Council and the Texas A&M University, 2014 

10. Workshop on Food, Water & Energy Nexus in India, funded by the Royal Society and Department of Science & Technology (India), 2015.

11. UK-Egypt-South Africa workshop on Water Management, South Africa, funded by the British Council, 2016. 12. Knowledge Transfer Partnership with James Mae Group (now Apscold) - recovery of chemicals from wastewater sludge and use of dried sludge in construction industries, 2020 and 2024.

Research

Professor Mujtaba is actively involved in many research areas like: dynamic modelling, simulation, optimisation and control of batch and continuous chemical processes with specific interests in distillation, industrial reactors, refinery processes, desalination and wastewater treatment. His current research focus is in the area of energy and water (two of the four key challenge areas for future chemical engineers as identified by IChemE). He received funding from the British Council, Texas A&M University, Royal Society and DST (India) to organise a UK-Qatar workshop on Water & Energy Security in Qatar (2015), UK-India workshop on Food, Water & Energy Nexus in India (2015) and UK-Egypt-South Africa workshop on Water Management in South Africa (2016). Professor Mujtaba has managed several research collaborations and consultancy projects with industry and academic institutions in the UK, Italy, Hungary, Malaysia, Iraq, China, Libya, Qatar, India, Bahrain, Algeria, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. He has published over 300 technical papers in major Engineering Journals, International Conference Proceedings and Books and has supervised 31 PhD students since 1997 and is currently supervising 10 PhD projects. He has given over 70 invited lectures home and abroad and several keynotes in international conferences. 

Books

Professor Mujtaba is a co-editor of the books (1) Application of Neural Networks and Other Learning Technologies in Process Engineering, Imperial College Press, London, 2001 (http://www.icpress.co.uk/books/compsci/p225.html); (2) Composite Materials Technology CRC Press, 2009, https://www.crcpress.com/Composite-Materials-Technology-Neural-Network-Applications/Sapuan-Mujtaba/p...; (3) The Water-Food-Energy Nexus, CRC Press, 2017,https://www.crcpress.com/The-Water-Food-Energy-Nexus-Processes-Technologies-and-Challenges/Mujtaba-S... (4) Water Management: Social & Technological Perspective, CRC Press 2018, https://www.crcpress.com/Water-Management-Social-and-Technological-Perspectives/Mujtaba-Majozi-Amosa...Professor Mujtaba is the author of Batch Distillation: Design & Operation published by the Imperial College Press, London in 2004 (http://www.icpress.co.uk/books/engineering/p319.html) which included his 18 years of research in batch distillation. 

Research projects

Teaching

1. Process Design
2. Desalination Technology
3. Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering
4. Water and Wastewater Treatment

Professional activities

Publications