Dr. Udochukwu B. Akuru
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Biography
Udochukwu Bola Akuru is a senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. He is a TWAS-DFG fellow and South Africa NRF C1-rated researcher, focusing on electrical power engineering, renewable energy, microgrid systems and intelligent-based processes. He holds a Ph.D. from Stellenbosch University and is a registered professional engineer (ECSA, South Africa and COREN, Nigeria), Senior Member of IEEE & SAIEE, Member of WFEO Committee on Energy and an Associate Editor for IEEE-IAS and IET-EPA journals. He has led and participated in national, regional, and international research and development projects with organisations such as UNIDO, UKRI, Mathematica, GET/DAAD, HEAT, NRF/DSTI, and REN 21, to mention a few. He has received several grants and awards numbering over 40. In terms of publications, he has 110+ peer-reviewed articles and 7 co-authored/co-edited books. He served as the General Conference Chair of SAUPEC 2025 and has contributed to IEEE ECCE conference as Topic Chair since 2020.
Affiliations
Tshwane University of Technology
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Honors and Awards
2010 Federal Government Scholarship Award for Postgraduate Studies
Federal Government of Nigeria
Award for postgraduate studies in Nigeria (MEng)
2012 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Local Scholarship Scheme - Master's Degree Level
Petroleum Technology Development Fund
Scholarship for postgraduate study (Master's Degree Level)
2014 Ebonyi State Government Overseas Scholarship Award
Government of Ebonyi State of Nigeria
Scholarship Award for PhD study in Stellenbosch University, South Africa
2015 Postgraduate Merit Bursary
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Bursary for full-time PhD study in Stellenbosch University (ZAR25000)
2015 Hunan University-Stellenbosch University PhD Student Research Visit
Stellenbosch University, South Africa & Hunan University, China
Two-week expense-paid research visit to Hunan University, China
2015 IEEE IAS-PELS travel grant
IEEE Industry Applications Society & IEEE Power Electronics Society
$500 honorarium for travel expenses to attend the 2015 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) held on September 20-24, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2015 PGIO Overseas Conference Grant (OCG)
PGIO, Stellenbosch University
R10000 towards overseas conference attendance.
2015 Vice Chancellor Reward for Published Paper with Impact Factor
Senate Research Grants Committee, University of Nigeria: Nsukka
Monetary reward for publishing in high impact factor journal
IEEE IAS CMD Conference Student Travel and Publication Grant
IEEE Industry Applications Society
$500 to attend ICEM 2016 which held in Lausanne – Switzerland, September 4-7, 2016
IEEE Region 8 Voluntary Contribution Fund (VCF) Travel Grant
IEEE Region 8
$500 to attend ICEM 2016 which held in Lausanne – Switzerland, September 4-7, 2016
2016 WindAC Africa Student Sponsorship
WindAC Africa
Sponsorship to attend conference which held October 30 to November 1, 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa
2016 Vice Chancellor Reward for Published Paper with Impact Factor
Senate Research Grants Committee, University of Nigeria: Nsukka
Monetary reward for publishing in high impact factor journal
2017 Global Engineering Teams Fellowship
Global Engineering Teams & Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Dienst (DAAD)
Sponsorship to participate in the Global Engineering Teams course which held September 2017 to March 2018 with two contact meetings in Berlin, Germany
2018 IEEE IAS Student Conference Publication and Travel Support Program
IEEE Industry Applications Society
$400 grant to attend 2018 IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference which held 26 to 29 June, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa
2018 IEEE IAS travel grant program (AMTGP)
IEEE Industry Applications Society
IEEE IAS travel support for the Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon September 23 - September 27, 2018
IEEE ECCE 2018 Student Travel Grant
ECCE 2018 organizing committee
Travel grant to attend The Tenth Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE 2018) will be held in Portland, Oregon, USA on September 23 – 27, 2018
REN21 Academy Travel Grant
REN21 Paris
Travel aid to attend The 2018 REN21 Academy took place in Berlin 19-21 November
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
Stellenbosch University
Grant for postdoctoral research fellowship from January 2018 to December 2019
Best PhD Dissertation Award
IEEE Power & Energy Society & IEEE Industry Applications Society
Best Phd Dissertation at 2018 IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference, 26-29 June 2018, Cape Town, South Africa
ICEM Jorma Luomi Student Forum Award
International Conference on Electrical Machines (ICEM'2018) Awards Committee
Award for the technical competence displayed in poster presentation at ICEM'2018 held in Alexandroupoli, Greece, September 3 to 6, 2018
2018 & 2019 Publons Peer Review Award
Publons Wellington, New Zealand
For placing in the top 1% of reviewers in Engineering
Elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member (2019)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Piscataway, New Jersey
An honor bestowed only to those who have made significant contributions to the electrical engineering profession
19th Global Development Conference Travel Grant
Global Development Network (New Delhi)
Travel support for poster presentation at the 19th Global Development Conference to be held in Bonn Germany: 23-25 October 2019
National Research Foundation Y2 category rating (2020)
National Research Foundation, South Africa
A researcher in this group is recognised by all or the overriding majority of reviewers as having the potential to establish him/herself as a researcher (demonstrated by recent research products).
Award of Senior Membership, South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) 2020
South African Institute of Electrical Engineers
Recognised as an engineer, scientist, educationalist, or technical executive in the field of electrical engineering, who have had at least 10 years experience after obtaining the level of qualification for the grade of Member and shall have demonstrated significant performance over a period of at least 5 of those years.
2020 EPPEI student project grant
EPPEI Renewable Energy Programme (Stellenbosch University)
R25000 research study cost
Start-up Funding for New Staff (2020)
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Tshwane University of Technology
Start-up/seed funds that can be used to aid the newly-appointed academics in launching their research efforts.
Best student paper in rotating machinery: Modelling and Simulation of a DC-excited Vernier Reluctanc
SAIEE Rotating Machines Section
Paper presentation at 2021 SAUPEC - which held 27 - 28 January 2021 in Potchefstroom, South Africa
Emerging Researcher of the Year (2019/2020)
Senate Committee for Research and Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology
Emerging Researcher of the Year (2019/2020), Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
NRF Incentive Funding for Rated Researchers (2021)
National Research Foundation, South Africa
R50000 in the Incentive Funding for Rated Researchers
TWAS-DFG Cooperation Visit (2020)
TWAS (Italy) and DFG (Germany)
Research cooperation visit to the Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics, Leibniz University Hannover (June to September 2022)
Award of Research Grant under the 2020 TETFUND NRF INTERVENTION
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Abuja, Nigeria
Project title: Design of Locally Manufactured Energy-Efficient Robust Electric Motors
Experience
University Lecturer
Tshwane University of Technology
01 Jan 2022 - present
University Lecturer
University of Nigeria
01 Jul 2011 - 01 Dec 2019
Research Interests
Socials
