Professor Yusuf Chisti of the Institute of Technology and Engineering, Massey University, Palmerston North, received a honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Iasi (TUI), Romania, during a ceremony held on September 23, 2006.

A honorary doctorate is an exceedingly rare award, with universities typically considering a few outstanding individuals from around the world for such awards each year. Nominees are assessed by multiple committees and only a few actually receive an award.

Professor Chisti was nominated for this award by TUI’s Faculty of Industrial Chemistry in recognition of his extensive contributions to chemical and biological engineering. The nine-member commission that was established by Technical University of Iasi to consider Professor Chisti’s nomination included professors from the Technical University of Denmark, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, Lund University, Sweden, and Claude Bernard Universite, France.

Professor Chisti received his doctorate in chemical engineering in 1988 from University of Waterloo, Canada. He is the author or co-author of nearly 200 research articles and book chapters, serves as editor and editorial board member of seven international research journals and encyclopedias, is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK, and member of six other professional societies.

He has worked in seven countries and held visiting professorships and industry appointments in Spain, Canada, Thailand, and Nigeria. He is an internationally known biotechnology engineer and a highly sought consultant and has assisted companies and governments in 12 countries.

Pictured: Professor Yusuf Chisti (second from left) was awarded a honorary doctorate by the Technical University of Iasi, Romania.

October 2006