Membrane technology was pioneered at AIT: alumnus

Membrane technology was pioneered at AIT: alumnus

Delivering a special lecture on “Application of a hybrid Membrane Bio
Reactor (MBR) system to treat priority pollutants from agricultural
runoffs,” Prof. Baskaran said the idea that a membrane could be
submerged in a Bio Reactor was conceptualized at AIT. Presenting
vintage photographs of the experiments, Prof. Baskaran, who graduated
with a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM) in
1988, said he was proud of being an alumnus of AIT.

“Coming to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) changed my life. It
opened a door to the future and I am proud to be an AIT alumnus,” he
said.

Prof. Baskaran, who delivered a special lecture at AIT on 21 June
2011, said that he applied for admission to AIT from Sri Lanka. “I was
not sure if I would be granted a scholarship,” he recalled. After
completing his Master’s, Prof. Baskaran moved to Australia. Currently,
he is the Chair of Civil Engineering at Deakin University, apart from
holding the position of Associate Dean (International). Introducing
Deakin University (DU), Prof. Baskaran said DU is a public university
which was established in 1974.

Earlier Prof. Chettiyappan Visvanathan of School of Environment,
Resources and Development (SERD) welcomed Prof. Baskaran and introduced
him to students of EEM.