Vineet S. Sikarwar is a scientist at the Department of Plasma Chemical Technologies, Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and a researcher in the Department of Power Engineering at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, Czech Republic. His work spans experimental and theoretical studies in thermal plasma–assisted waste valorization, methane pyrolysis for clean hydrogen production, and the development of value-added carbon materials. Before moving to the Czech Republic, he conducted research on conventional gasification and biofuel synthesis at the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China.
Dr. Sikarwar’s broader scientific interests include integrating CCUS with thermal plasma systems, biofuel synthesis, climate and sustainability studies, and solar desalination technologies. He has authored more than sixty-five publications indexed in Scopus, with over 4,400 citations and an h-index of 25. He serves as a regular reviewer for leading journals across major publishers, including ACS, RSC, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and MDPI.
A recipient of several distinguished fellowships and scholarships, he began his professional journey as a project engineer in a major heat-exchanger manufacturing company in India.
Apoorva M. Ranjekar
is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering at the University of Kansas, working on a project related to PET recycling. A skilled researcher specializing in sustainable energy technologies, Apoorva holds a Ph.D. in Green Technology, focusing on optimizing hydrogen production through catalyst development. He has extensive experience in characterization techniques and a strong foundation in materials science, including molten salts and conducting polymers. Apoorva is also well-versed in intellectual property rights. His two years of postdoctoral research experience include a year at the Archer Daniels Midland - University of Kansas research (ADM-KU) lab, where he contributed to catalysis advancements, and work at the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC) on a cutting-edge electrochemistry project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DoD).
Guido Van Oost for many years led the research unit Nuclear Fusion. He is the founder of the EU Erasmus Mundus “European Master in Nuclear Fusion and Engineering Physics” (FUSION-EP) and of the Erasmus Mundus “International Doctoral College in Fusion Science and Engineering” (FUSION-DC). As an emeritus professor, he still maintains a strong link with the research unit, both in research and education.
As a researcher in the field of controlled magnetic fusion within the framework of the EU fusion programme, Guido worked at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, the Research Centre Jülich (Germany), Ghent University and the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IPP.CR), resulting in more than 650 publications. He is also active in the field of plasma treatment of waste, in collaboration with IPP.CR. In addition, from 2015 to 2019 he was a guest professor at the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” (Moscow, Russia) and from 2018 to 2020 also at the National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” (Moscow, Russia).
Guido obtained various scientific distinctions: Honorary Professor of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Silver Commemorative Medal of Charles University in Prague, Ernst Mach Honorary Medal for Merit in the Physical Sciences (Czech Academy of Sciences) and a Medal of the Czech Technical University in Prague for outstanding contributions to the development of the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering.
