August 27, 2025
Report: (UMSAEP)
This report outlines the University of Missouri South African Education Program (UMSAEP) collaboration with Prof. Salam Titinchi at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. Prof. Salam Titinchi's visit to the University of Missouri of Science and Technology took place during the summer of 2025, from 11-23 June 2025.
The visit aimed at participating in ongoing research activities on microwave-assisted synthesis of curcumin derivatives, to enhance chemical and biological properties, and provide preliminary data for future external funding. The participation in this new, collaborative research enabled us to initiate and extend our research to a critical area in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical applications.
This research collaboration managed to achieve the following:
- Establish a scientific research collaboration between the principal investigators (PIs) at the University of Missouri of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa.
- This collaboration included a visit of the UWC PI to Missouri S&T to discuss experimental results, exchange ideas about the development of our adopted synthetic approach and arrange for further screening and analysis for selected samples.
- We will also continue to conduct regular follow-up meetings through Zoom between the two PIs to guide the research teams on both sides, monitor the research progress, and exchange data.
- Prof. Salam has visited our campus and has taken a tour through the department, visited our research laboratory, and met with Mr. Jay Balasubramanian, a Ph.D. student working on this research project.
- A detailed explanation was provided on the lab capabilities for future collaboration and introduced samples prepared by our research team
- A significant part of the meeting focused on exploring future collaboration opportunities, particularly the possibility of joint PhD supervision. We discussed potential research topics, supervision structures, and the benefits of collaborative guidance for postgraduate students. This conversation opened the door for deeper academic partnerships and set the stage for future joint research initiatives.
- During Prof. Salam’s research visit, he had the opportunity to present his research projects in a joint meeting with Prof. Kwame Awuah-Offei and his research team, including Dr. Fatoba Olanrewaju.
- Prof. Kwame Awuah-Offei, who is currently the Union Pacific/Rocky Mountain Energy Professor in Mining Engineering and chair of the Department of Mining & Explosives Engineering at Missouri University of Science & Technology, presented an overview of his research projects. The meeting provided a platform to share new projects, discuss methodologies, and receive valuable feedback from both peers and faculty. The collaborative environment encouraged open dialogue, allowing for the exchange of ideas and fostering potential future partnerships.
- Finally, I would like to thank Prof. Salam for sharing his expertise with us to enhance our current results and apply for external funding.
Yours sincerely,
Hany El-Azab
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Missouri University of Science and Technology
110 Bertelsmeyer Hall | 1101 N State Street | Rolla, MO 65409 | 573-341-4854 | huyang@mst.edu
Reviewed 2025-08-27