Curtin Dubai hosted two Curtin Speaker Series Lectures featuring leading Physicist and Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin, Professor Arie van Riessen, and CEO of Fine Hygienic Holdings, Mr James Michael Lafferty. Professor Arie van Riessen spoke on ‘Geopolymers and its path to commercialisation’ while Mr Lafferty delivered an inspirational talk titled ‘Making the leap from being a winner to being a champion.’ Watch the highlights video (Link to video: click here).
Professor Arie van Riessen specialises in materials microstructural analysis; he is currently chair of the Radiation Safety Committee at Curtin University, and part of the Geopolymer Reasearch Group at the John de Laeter Centre. As a materials physicist, Professor Arie has researched Alumina-Zirconia Ceramics, minerals and Geopolymers. In 2017, he also engaged with Emirates Global Alumina (EGA) to research use of their potential by-products to manufacture Geopolymers that can result in low carbon footprint and enhance resistance to fire and acids.
James Michael Lafferty is often described as one of the most unique and diversified CEOs in the world today. He is among the leading global experts on business-building, marketing and branding particularly in emerging markets. James is not only a successful CEO– he is an Olympic Coach. James continues to coach professionally, having coached national level athletes in his native USA as well as Nigeria, and most recently as a Coach of the Philippines Olympic Athletics team at the 2016 Rio Games.
The Curtin Speaker Series aims to bridge the gap between classroom and industry by encouraging experts and gurus from different fields to share their knowledge with students, academic and industry. The event has featured personalities like PGA Golfer Shubankar Sharma; Emirati Author Daawy; Editor of Forbes Woman Africa, Renuka Methil; Manoj Kholi, Executive Chairman of SoftBank Energy; Curtin Professor and Material Physicist Professor Arie van Riessen; and James Michael Lafferty, CEO, Fine Hygienic Holding.