WA-MS was pleased to be part of the 13th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS13) by holding a special session during the conference on 5th July 2022. The session was chaired by Prof Ranil Wickramasinghe (in-person) and Prof Mikel Duke (online), and featured a warm welcome by AMS President and AMS13 co-chair Prof Rong Wang (in-person) and an overview of WA-MS by President Prof Mikel Duke including a special welcome to the new WA-MS member the Czech Membrane Platform. AMS is one of the WA-MS founding members and the current host of WA-MS. The session then received an update from the other two WA-MS founding members from EMS by A/prof Marco Stoller (online) and from NAMS by Prof Ranil Wickramasinghe. An important feature of WA-MS is the Education Working Group which Prof Wickramasinghe gave a talk on the group membership, education courses, and gave news of the first WA-MS course held online on 1 November 2021 as part of the 3rd African Membrane Society International Congress where he gave a lecture to the student attendees.

 

The session then received a guest talk “Membrane Ecosystem” by Dr Adil Dhalla from SG MEM who gave an overview of the impressive industry and research partnerships in Singapore and offered advice on potential benefits of WA-MS to facilitate industry and research partnerships worldwide. The next guest talk was “WA-MS Success and Our Selected Membrane Research Advances” by Prof Dibakar Bhattacharyya (DB) who is also a WA-MS Steering Committee member representing NAMS. DB played a key role in the establishing WA-MS from 2016 acknowledging the hard work and dedication from Prof Bart van der Bruggen (first WA-MS President), Prof Hideto Matsuyama, Prof Alexey Volkov and Dr Uwe Beuscher. It was a great reminder of the original foundation of WA-MS as serving a role in bringing societies, people and partnerships together from all over the world. He then provided an interesting presentation on his research in catalytic membranes and photobacteria that provide environmental benefit in their operation as well as their original synthesis (green synthesis). An interesting new direction in enclosed air filtration was presented being critical in the post-COVID-19 world.

The session was then concluded with an open discussion facilitated by WA-MS Secretary, AMS Treasurer and AMS13 co-chair Prof Tzyy Haur Chong, where everyone participated in raising fresh thoughts and suggestions for the future of WA-MS and how WA-MS can further give value to its members and the community.