R Vasant Kumar is Professor and the Head of Materials Chemistry Group and a Fellow of the Institute of Energy and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Metallurgy. He has published over 370 papers, 20 patents, 12 Chapters in Handbooks and 1 edited book (High energy density Li batteries, Wiley-VCH 2010- also translated in Chinese, 2013, 2nd Edition in 2022). He has supervised 40+ PhD students, 40+ post-doctoral researchers, 20 visiting students and hosted over 15 visiting professors. He is Honorary/Guest Professor in 5 overseas Universities (2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021). Has received Honorary Engineering Degree in University of Malaysia (2011), Kroll Medal from IOM3; Armourers & Brasiers Enterprise Award for translating research into industrial applications (2014). He is the Editor-in-Chief of IOM3 journal, “Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy” from 2004, Editorial Board Member of (i) “Advances in Nanoparticles” of Scientific Research Publishing from 2012; (ii) “Materials Today Chemistry” of Elsevier Ltd from 2017; (iii) Materials Circular Economy, Singapore from Oct 2018, and a Board Member of IOM3’s Technical Division. He is Advisory Board Member of TECHMET Ltd, London (from 2019) and Korea National Lithium Research Centre (from 2020).
Many of his research has led to licenses and industrial practices and he has founded four start-up companies which are commercialising some of his inventions. Currently, Professor Kumar’s research group is working on several research projects underpinned by harnessing of chemical reactions in a variety of applications that range from energy devices such as batteries and fuel cells to environmental research in mineral carbonation, sensors, sustainability and recycling of materials and photocatalytic reactions.