McMaster Engineering Professor Hatem Zurob has been appointed a Knight of the Order of Academic Palms (Ordre des Palmes académiques) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to advancing academic culture in France.

The award was established by Napoleon in 1808 as a civil honour for exceptional academics who demonstrated service to France’s education, within the country as well as abroad.

Zurob’s appointment recognizes his leadership in further developing  research and exchange opportunities between McMaster University and Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA) for engineering students.

“I am very humbled by this recognition,” says Zurob.

“Spending time in France was a key part of my education and my career and playing a part in giving this opportunity to students in both countries has been amazing. To have this incredible recognition is more than I could imagine.”

Zurob’s award illustrates how McMaster’s internationalization strategy is rooted in the belief that knowledge knows no boundaries, says Bonny Ibhawoh, McMaster’s vice-provost (International).

“Our mission is to cultivate collaborations that transcend borders, uniting the brightest minds in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges,” Ibhawoh says.

“Dr. Zurob’s remarkable work exemplifies this vision. We are immensely proud of his accomplishments and trust that his success will inspire many colleagues across the McMaster community.”

Establishing an enduring partnership 

Zurob’s relationship with the Grenoble Institute of Technology (which eventually became part of the UGA system) began in 2001, when he visited France for the first time as a PhD student.

His two-week trip was to work with physics-based modelling expert Yves Brechet, an avid collaborator with McMaster, who went on to join the Faculty of Engineering as an adjunct professor in 2008.

Zurob returned to France from 2003 to 2005 as a postdoctoral fellow with Brechet. During that time, he was introduced to many researchers in Grenoble who spent time at McMaster, sparking an appreciation for the strong connections between the two institutions and the advantages of combining McMaster’s experimental research and Grenoble’s modelling expertise.

“My time in France made me realize the power of collaboration and bringing together different approaches for tackling a given problem,” he says.

Expanding McMaster’s presence in France

Zurob joined McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering in 2005 as an assistant professor.

It wasn’t long before the opportunity arose to further collaborate with Grenoble: In 2006, professor emeritus David Embury approached Zurob about establishing a new student exchange between McMaster and Grenoble.

Zurob enthusiastically agreed, and in 2007 an official agreement established the partnership, offering students a unique experience that included an academic term and a co-op term.

“Hatem really made a difference in our bilateral cooperation [and] his journey is a shining example of what academic excellence and dedication to the transmission of knowledge truly mean” says Bertrand Pous, consul general of France in Toronto.

The initial agreement was limited to materials, nuclear and biomedical engineering students, with two McMaster students and four Grenoble students taking part in its first year.

The program has been renewed, updated and expanded significantly over the last 17 years, in large part because of Zurob.

It now includes all engineering disciplines, and this year more than 12 students from McMaster and 20 students from Grenoble are participating. Over the lifetime of the exchange, more than 300 students have participated.

“The exchange was very successful because of the strong connections that already existed between McMaster and Grenoble, and we can’t wait to continue to watch this partnership grow in the coming years,” says Zurob.

Click here to learn more about exchange programs at McMaster.