On the morning of June 1, 2019, Professor P. A. Muhammed Basheer from the School of Civil Engineering of the University of Leeds, a fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering, and a fellow of Irish Academy of Engineering, visited the School of Material Science and Engineering, upon invitation. Professor P. A. Muhammed Basheer had discussion with teachers from the School and the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange at Conference Room 103, the School of Science and Engineering, Campus B, Chongqing University with respect to “Joint Cultivation of Doctoral Candidates and Postgraduates by Chongqing University and the University of Leeds”.
Wang Chong, head of the Department of Building Material of Chongqing University, gave a view of Chongqing University, the School and the Department of Building Materials. After that, Professor Basheer gave a brief introduction to the University of Leeds, the School of Civil Engineering and the efforts made by the University on cultivation of postgraduates. In addition to that, Professor Basheer had detailed discussion with teachers from the School and the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange with respect to joint cultivation of postgraduates and doctoral candidates by Chongqing University and the University of Leeds.
On the afternoon, Professor Basheer delivered an academic speech at the Academic Lecture Hall of the School of Science and Engineering, Campus B, Chongqing University, titled “Methods of assessing the durability and service life of concrete structures”. Before the lecture, Wang Chong, head of the Department of Building Materials, briefly introduced the purpose of the lecture and the lecturer, and extended his gratitude towards the honored guests invited to the event and the teachers and students present. Wang expressed his hope that the attendants could benefit from listening to the lecture and communicating with each other.
Professor Basheer greeted the teachers and students in English in an amiable manner. The audience applauded to show their welcome. Professor Basheer explained the permeability and chemical change need of the in situ monitoring of the concrete cover at first, and then elaborated on the development and use of electrical impedance sensors. After that, he talked about the development of optical fiber chemical sensor and the development of new-type in-situ permeability test technologies.
Students raised questions and expressed their ideas about the lecture actively. Professor Basheer replied to those questions in great details. After the session, Wang Chong of the Department of Building Materials delivered a conclusion speech and thanked the school officials, students and Professor Basheer again.
At 3:00pm, Professor Basheer and teachers and students from the Department of Building Materials had a postgraduate forum at Conference Room 103 of the School of Material Science and Engineering. At the forum, attendants made active speeches and raised questions, and had in-depth discussion and communication with respect to a number of issues encountered during the research projects. Prof. Basheer answered questions raised by students with unflagging patience.
Professor Basheer’s lecture was rich in content. The forum was an active and detailed one. Students from the Department of Building Materials kept concentrated and expressed ideas actively at the forum, and benefited a lot. In the last part, teachers and students from the Department of Building Materials extended their gratitude towards Prof. Basheer for his visit. Then they had group photos taken and expressed their hope that there would be more communication in the future and wish for stronger friendship.
Attachment: Profile of Prof. P. A. Muhammed Basheer
Professor P.A. Muhammed Basheer, PhD, DSc, FREng, FIAE, FICE, FACI, FICT, FIStructE, MIE(I), CEng.
Professor P.A. Muhammed Basheer, Chair in Structural Engineering and Head of School of Civil Engineering at University of Leeds, has been an educationalist and researcher in the field of civil (structural) engineering for 34 years. He has been a lecturer on analysis, design and durability of concrete structures at UG and PG levels and his research interests are primarily on the Science, Technology and Performance of Structural Materials, including non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring. His contributions to innovations in student education were recognized by Queen’s University Belfast by bestowing him with a University Teaching Prize in 2003. He was instrumental in developing a distance learning Masters Programme in Advanced Concrete Technology which is accredited by the Institute of Concrete Technology for their membership qualification. His research work includes the development of new test techniques for measuring transport properties of concrete, assessment of the effect of new materials and methods for improving the durability of concrete, prediction of service life of reinforced concrete structures by non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring, relationships between micro-structural properties and the durability of concrete and the use of industrial by-products and waste materials in concrete. He has received numerous awards/prizes for his contributions in research, including a life time achievement award from the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland and CANMET/ACI award for his sustained contributions to the field of concrete technology. He is a member of numerous international technical committees, grant review committees and professional institutions (including Council membership of three of them). He is a member of the editorial board of the International journal of Structural Engineering (IJStructE) since 2009 and served as an editor of the International Journal of Construction and Building Materials from 2012 to 2018. In 2012, he was elected to be a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering and in 2014 he was elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, American Concrete Institute, and the Institute of Concrete Technology.
