The Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A), the Asia Pacific peak professional body for mobility engineering, has appointed Professor Mohammad Fard of RMIT University as Technical Chair for its APAC21 conference.

APAC21, the 21st biennial Asia Pacific Automotive Engineering Conference, will be staged in Melbourne over three days, 3-5 October 2022, on the theme of Harmonising the Future of Mobility.

SAE-A is hosting this international conference under the auspices of FISITA, the world body for automotive engineers.

SAE-A President and CEO Adrian Feeney welcomed Prof Fard, who has also joined the Board of SAE-A as part of his APAC21 role.

"Mohammad has a deeply impressive record as an engineer in the automotive industry and as an academic researcher, and he is a truly inspirational teacher and leader," he said.

"With his wide interest in autonomous vehicle systems, and his global collaborations in industry and academia, he is the ideal person to create a vibrant, compelling conference.

"The fact that he received his PhD in Japan, and worked at Nissan as a vehicle body designer, gives him the industrial and international perspective this conference needs."

Prof Fard earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Tehran, and his PhD from the Tohoku University in Japan.

He then spent five years as a vehicle body CAE engineer at the Nissan Technical Centre before moving to Australia to pursue his research and teaching interests at RMIT University.

"The conference theme of Harmonising the Future of Mobility will attract global attention from students and young engineers, as well as established engineers," he said.

"I think the digital components are coming more into classical mechanical engineering, but smart digital components, because this is needed in connected and autonomous cars."

APAC21 will run from 3-5 October at the Hyatt Place at Essendon Fields, Melbourne.

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