Keynote Speakers

 

Young-Cheol Chang | Muroran Institute of Technology, Japan

 

He was born in South Korea and earned his Ph.D. from Gifu University in Japan. Currently, he works at the Muroran Institute of Technology. He also completed his administrative responsibilities as a Research Fellow at the University of Central Florida, USA.
His research focuses on the biodegradation of pollutants, including petroleum, chlorinated inorganic compounds (such as PCE, TCE, and PCBs), and endocrine disruptors like Bisphenol A and 4-tert-butylphenol. Recently, he has been concentrating on biopolymer production (bioplastics) using biomass and CO2.
His contributions to research and his fellowship training have garnered several awards, including honors from the Secretary of Korea's Ministry of Construction & Transportation and the Secretary of Korea's Ministry of Science & Technology.
In addition to his research, he serves on the editorial boards of several esteemed journals, including the Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering Technology (Editor-in-Chief), Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Assistant Editor), Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Associate Editor), and Processes and Water-Energy Nexus.
He is also an expert reviewer for a range of journals, including Green Chemistry, RSC Advances, Bioresource Technology, and many others. Additionally, he reviews projects for the National Science Centre in Poland and the National Research and Development Agency (NEDO) in Japan.

 

Speech title "Developing alternative plastics for the transition to a circular economy"

Abstract-Upcycling technology is emerging as a pivotal strategy for achieving a sustainable society. One promising approach involves converting organic compounds into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a biodegradable plastic that helps reduce environmental impact. However, existing PHA production methods are neither cost-effective nor sustainable. Developing innovative, low-cost technologies is crucial to overcome these challenges. Successful implementation could significantly advance the transition to a decarbonized society and help realize zero-carbon cities. This study proposes an electrolysis method to convert aromatic organic chlorinated compounds into phenol, a key precursor for PHA production. The process operates under ambient temperature and pressure, avoiding high energy consumption. Additionally, we aim to utilize CO2 from manufacturing and recycling processes as a resource to produce PHA more efficiently and affordably. The research will proceed in two stages. The first stage focuses on optimizing the electrolysis reaction, while the second establishes a two-step system using CO2 and reaction products to produce PHA. These efforts not only address environmental concerns but also align with carbon neutrality goals for 2050. Most research on biodegradable plastics has focused on downstream environments, such as seawater and rivers. However, upstream environments like cold regions receive less attention. Recent studies show that biodegradable plastics may exhibit ecological toxicity similar to conventional plastics. This highlights the need for biodegradable plastics to degrade more rapidly in natural environments. This study also explores the degradation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in cold environments. Furthermore, we examine the health benefits of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate ((R)-3-HB), a compound produced during PHB microbial degradation. Research in mice suggests that (R)-3-HB serves as an energy source and may help prevent conditions like Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and atherosclerosis.
By converting harmful substances into PHB and repurposing used PHB to produce (R)-3-HB for health applications, this research integrates environmental and health benefits. It contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through an economic circulation model, fostering a sustainable and resilient society.

 

 

 

 

Hyunook Kim | University of Seoul, Korea

 

Dr. Hyunook Kim is Professor at Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Korea, and Director of R&D Center of Core Technologies for Water Treatment. Professor Kim earned his B.S. degree in Environmental Science from Yonsei University, Korea in 1994, and an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1997, and a Ph.D. from University of Maryland at College Park in 2000. Before he joined the faculty member at University of Seoul in 2002, he worked as Environmental Engineer for US Dept. of Agriculture, MD, USA.
Professor Kim’s research in the area of water pollution control includes a number of projects on process control and operation of water and wastewater treatment plants. Especially he is interested in monitoring and control of contaminants of emerging concern. He has published numerous journal papers and made conference presentations. He has been received a few awards for his academic and research achievements.

 

 

 

 

Tanakorn Wongwuttanasatian | Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand

 

Prof. Dr. Tanakorn Wongwuttanasatian has been employed in the Mechanical Engineering Division of Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand. In 1994, he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from KKU and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK, in 2000. He has authored over 80 publications, including those in international journals and conferences, and has made significant contributions to the field of energy engineering research. He has been conducting research in the field of energy, with a particular emphasis on energy conversion and management. Biomass and solar energy, which are the primary energy sources in the vicinity of his workplace, are of particular interest. He has also acted as a conference committee member and as a reviewer for numerous renowned international journals. He has recently served as a guest editor for a research topic in the Frontier in Energy research journal. At present, he is engaged in the implementation of a biomass and waste management project, as well as solar PV cooling to facilitate efficient conversion.

 

 

 

 

Nur Islami | Universitas Riau, Indonesia

 

Nur Islami received his B.Sc. from Universitas Riau and his M.Eng from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, and Ph.D. degrees from University of Malaya, Malaysia. He worked in Caltex Pacific Indonesia (an Oil Company) in 1997-2000. He joined Universitas Riau, Indonesia as Lecturer from 2000 until now. He was as Visiting Senior Lecturer in University of Malaya (70 QS World Ranking), Malaysia from 2006 to 2015. During this period (2006-2015) he also was an instructor and consultant for the environment and exploration company that was related to the geophysics. He received the Professor since 2020 in the field of Geophysics from Universitas Riau, Indonesia. Now, Prof Nur Islami, Ph.D is the Vice President of Physics Society of Indonesia Riau. He is a reviewer in several Scopus-Indexed Journals and also associate editor of Arabian Journal of Geoscience. His research is correlated with the geophysical method for the environment and earth resources exploration. Prof Nur Islami has many publications in the reputed Scopus-indexed journals.