Professor Saurabh Sinha, a University of Pretoria (UP) alumnus from the faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology was recently named an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow. This was in recognition of his leading micro/nanoelectronics research and education in Africa.

“I like to see microelectronics as the heart of any electronic engineering system as they comprise of integrated circuits. Being at a university and working with a number of industrial partners, I was privileged to find external funding support, which furthered the work of our research group. Being at a university is also about the commitment to knowledge transfer and innovation.

“In terms of the technical achievement leading to the Fellow recognition – mm-Wave integrated circuits is a key technology area for telecommunication platforms such as 5G. Our research group contribution has been human-capacity development in this highly specialised technical area and knowledge outputs. The knowledge outputs have leveraged the thinking of high-speed device-level enablers, using SiGe (silicon germanium), and another aspect of thinking – that parasitic components can be understood, can be modelled, and thereafter used to conduct design. Ultimately when you think about the high-speed 5G capability – mm-Wave is one key underlying technology.”

Prof Sinha says it was an honour to be named an IEEE Fellow because it is a global and prestigious organisation with 400 000-plus members. IEEE, through a complex peer-review process, takes in new Fellows every year. The criteria cannot exceed 0.1% of the total higher-grade membership worldwide. “Very few members are selected, that is why I am grateful to Prof Moshe Kam who, I understand, led this international nomination process.”

According to www.ieee.org, founded in 1884, IEEE is the world’s leading professional organisation for advancing technology for humanity. Through its 400 000 members in more than 160 countries, the organisation is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas, ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics.

Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world’s literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed more than 900 active industry standards. The institute also sponsors or co-sponsors more than 1900 conferences in over 100 countries.

From UP, Prof Sinha has a BEng (Electronic Engineering) cum laude; MEng (Microelectronic Engineering) cum laude; and a PhD in Electronic Engineering. He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Johannesburg. He says he is proud that many students who started with him at UP, at undergraduate level, serve in key roles globally and in South Africa. To this day, their friendship, professional network and collaboration remain a strong emotional support for him. In 2010, Prof Sinha was a recipient to the UP Alumni Laureate award. This recognition from the UP Alumni office further encouraged to remain in contact with former students that he supervised.

Prof Sinha volunteered for the IEEE back in the day and he says this accelerated his professional development and global network. “I have held a number of IEEE positions since 2002. These include being Chair, South Africa Section; Vice-Chair, Technical Activities for IEEE Region 8 (Europe, Middle East and Africa); IEEE Board of Director and Vice-President, Educational Activities; and I also served in over 50 IEEE committees.” Aside from his organisational roles, he also serves in technical roles such as Associate Editor of the IEEE Systems Journal.

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