Faisal Hai

Professor Faisal Hai is the Head of the School of Civil, Mining, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wollongong (UOW). He holds a BSc (1st Class Honours) in Civil Engineering from BUET, Bangladesh, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Prior to his current role, he served as Head of Postgraduate Studies and held various leadership positions within UOW's Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences (EIS). His research focuses on membrane bioreactor technology for wastewater treatment, microplastics, and water resource management. He leads the Strategic Water Infrastructure Lab (SWIL) and coordinates the Environmental Engineering and Water Resources powerhouse, contributing to UOW's Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) ratings.

Prof Hai's work has earned him awards, including the UOW Vice-Chancellor’s Research Supervision Award (2022) and the Japan Society on Water Environment’s Outstanding Lecture Award (2010). He supervises HDR students and collaborates internationally on projects addressing water sustainability and pollution control. His research has been supported by grants from organizations like the Australian Research Council and industry partners such as Sydney Water.

Recent research trends include microplastic fragmentation dynamics, nanoplastics in wastewater, and wastewater-based epidemiology for public health surveillance. He has pioneered studies on membrane technology applications and circular economy strategies for plastic waste. Prof Hai also chairs the Membrane Society of Australasia and contributes to editorial roles in journals like npj Clean Water.

• Key Awards: Vice-Chancellor’s Award (2022), OCTAL (2015), Japan Water Environment Award (2010)
• Grants: Over 25 collaborative grants addressing water treatment, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability
• Labs/Teams: Strategic Water Infrastructure Lab (SWIL), Environmental Engineering & Water Resources powerhouse