A graduate of the Catalysis and Processes Master's program (class of 2019)
1. Can you introduce yourself and tells us about your background as well?
Sabah EL MOHAMMAD, I was a student in process engineering with a major in petrochemistry at the Engineering Department of the Lebanese University. Thanks to a collaboration agreement between the École Centrale de Lille and my university, I was able to pursue my fifth year of studies (academic year 2018-2019) while joining the research Master’s program "Catalysis and Processes" to complete both my engineering degree and obtain my Master’s degree.
2. Why did you choose to pursue the Catalysis and Processes Master’s program?
Considering the important sometimes crucial role of the catalyst in a chemical process, I found the curriculum offered in this Master’s program to be complementary to the knowledge I already had acquired during my engineering studies. The training covered many of the topics that a process engineer will need during his/her professional career. For instance, advanced thermodynamics and reaction kinetics as well as simulation projects using process simulation software (ASPE N HYSYS).
3. Did you intend to pursue a PhD after completing the Master’s program? If yes, which skills acquired during the Master’s degree helped you to choose your thesis topic?
Yes, because the goal of my thesis is to study the reaction mechanism of the transformation of biomass by homogeneous catalysts and to succeed in assigning an appropriate kinetic model to the corresponding reaction network. The course on Advanced Kinetics taught by an IFPEN lecturer is at the heart of the skills I need. Furthermore, the homogeneous catalysis course helped me to understand the coordination aspects between organic molecules and metal precursors. These acquired skills were a good asset to discuss with recruiters during job interviews.
