prof. Ing. Jiří Drahoš, DrSc., dr. h. c.

(born in 1949 Český Těšín)

Jiří Drahoš completed the study of physical chemistry at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCTP) in 1972. He then began a study stay at the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS), now the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), where in 1977 he received the degree of CSc. (candidate of sciences). He has worked at this Institute since 1977, holding various positions, such as research scientist, senior research scientist, Department Head, Deputy Director (1992-1995), and Director (1996-2003). In 2005-2008 he served as the Vice-President of the CAS and since 2009 he has been appointed as the President of the CAS.

In 1994, he qualified as Associate Professor in chemical engineering at the UCTP. In 1999, he defended a thesis for the DrSc. degree in chemical engineering at the UCTP, and in 2003 he was appointed Full Professor. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. From 1985-1986, he worked as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the University of Hannover.

Principal research interest of Professor Drahoš is focused on multiphase chemical reactors. He has published more than 70 original papers in impacted international journals, is the co-inventor of 10 international and 10 Czech patents. According to Science Citation Index (SCI) and other sources, his scientific papers have been cited more than 1000 times.

He is a Fellow of the Learned Society CR, Fellow of the Engineering Academy CR, Senator of the Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea, Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers UK, President of the Czech Society of Chemical Engineering, and member of the Board of Directors of the Czech Association of Chemical Industry.

He is a member of the Executive Board of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering, and served as its President in 2006-2009. Since 2002 he has chaired the series of International Congresses of Chemical and Process Engineering CHISA in Prague. He is a subject editor of the international journal Chemical Engineering Research and Design.

In 2012, Prof. Drahoš was awarded by the State Medal of Merit of the First Grade for service in the area of science.