Prof. Sabu Thomas is a Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering and the Director of the School of Energy Materials at Mahatma Gandhi University, India. Additionally, he is the Chairman of the Trivandrum Engineering Science & Technology Research Park (TrEST Research Park) in Thiruvananthapuram, India. He is the founder director of the International and Inter-university Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Mahatma Gandhi University and the former Vice-Chancellor of the same institution. Prof. Thomas is internationally recognized for his contributions to polymer science and engineering, with his research interests encompassing polymer nanocomposites, elastomers, polymer blends, interpenetrating polymer networks, polymer membranes, green composites, nanocomposites, nanomedicine, and green nanotechnology. His groundbreaking inventions in polymer nanocomposites, polymer blends, green bionanotechnology, and nano-biomedical sciences have significantly advanced the development of new materials for the automotive, space, housing, and biomedical fields. Dr. Thomas has been conferred with Honoris Causa (DSc) by the University of South Brittany, France.
Professor Yves Grohens is the Director of the LIMATB (Material Engineering) Laboratory of Université de Bretagne Sud, France. His master's and PhD degrees were from Besançon University, France. After finishing his studies, he worked as assistant professor and later professor in various reputed universities in France. He is an invited professor to many universities in different parts of the world as well. His areas of interest include physicochemical studies of polymer surfaces and interfaces, phase transitions in thin films confinement, nano and bio composites design and characterization, and biodegradation of polymers and biomaterials. He has written several book chapters, monographs, and scientific reviews and has published 130 international publications. He is the chairman and member of advisory committees of many international conferences.
Dr. Yasir Beeran Pottathara received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Calicut (India). He received an M.Phil. in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (Physics) from the University of Kerala (India). In 2017, he earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the laboratory of IRDL-UMR, CNRS 6027, University of South Brittany, Lorient, France, under the supervision of Prof. Yves Grohens with a project on the Energy Storage performance of Cellulose-graphene composites. During his Ph.D., he was awarded the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship in the 2013-2540/001-001-EMA2. Dr. Yasir did his postdoctoral research at the International and Inter-University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India, and served as a Visiting Scientist at the Institute for Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Management, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia (2018-2019). From 2019 to 2022, Dr. Yasir worked on an independent research project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Republic of Slovenia, through Early Research Careers 2.1 (contract No. C3330-19-952036-2019-2022) with a total funding of 171.684,00 euros for the development of a module for 3D printing of bio-based complex structures. He has published over 30 publications, including original research articles, reviews, and book chapters. Dr. Yasir is a Scientific Associate at the University of Maribor and Rudolfovo-Science and Technology Center Novomesto in Slovenia