The people who make WSSET work.
From the Executive committee and Research chairs to our staff and student ambassadors, every person behind WSSET is committed to supporting the researchers and academics who make up our global community.
Executive committee
Responsible for the operational management and key decisions of WSSET, the Executive committee comprises the President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General.
Professor Saffa Riffat
President
Saffa holds a DPhil and DSc from Keble College, University of Oxford, and is Emeritus Professor at the University of Nottingham. He has secured over £120 million in research grants, authored more than 650 refereed papers, and holds 30 international patents. He is recognised as one of the top 1% most highly cited researchers globally, and received the Research.com Engineering and Technology in United Kingdom Leader Award in both 2024 and 2025. He serves as President of WSSET, Chairman of the SET Conference and Editor-in-Chief of several high-impact academic journals. His honours include the Euro Solar Prize, Energy Globe Award and the CIBSE Baker Silver Medal.
Professor James Riffat
Chief Executive Officer
James is a British engineer and academic with expertise in sustainable energy systems, building technologies and climate-focused innovation. As CEO, he provides strategic leadership across all areas of WSSET, from research dissemination and academic publishing to membership and society development. He is founder and director of Caravel Press, a British open access academic publisher. His research has been supported by EPSRC, Innovate UK, SBRI and the European Union, spanning air purification, renewable energy systems and energy storage.
Dr Ziwei Chen
Secretary General
Ziwei is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham. As Secretary General, she coordinates WSSET's global membership, oversees communications and supports the Society's strategic initiatives. Her research focuses on low-carbon building technology, encompassing thermochemical energy storage, phase change materials and advanced sustainable building systems. She has led projects supported by Horizon Europe, EPSRC and Innovate UK, and serves as Associate Editor of Future Cities and Environment and the Journal of Climate Change.
Research chairs
Our Research chairs lead research direction and academic oversight across WSSET's key focus areas.
Associate Professor Dr Mardiana Idayu Ahmad
Chair, Renewable Energy
Mardiana works on renewable energy and energy recovery at Universiti Sains Malaysia, from heat recovery in buildings to bio-based materials and waste valorisation.
Professor Qiliang Wang
Chair, Energy Storage & Conversion
Qiliang works on solar thermal and photovoltaic-thermal systems at the University of Science and Technology of China, from solar hydrogen production to thermal management and heat recovery.
Dr Mahmoud Shatat
Chair, Water, Waste & Pollution Control
Mahmoud works on water, sanitation and solar energy, from solar-powered water supply to the design and monitoring of sanitation programmes in humanitarian settings.
Associate Professor Dr Yi Fan
Chair, Artificial Intelligence & Innovation
Yi Fan works on research of renewable distributed energy systems at the Shanghai University of Electric Power, from the AI-related system operation and control optimisation to the R&D of heat pumps and refrigeration devices.
Dr John Calautit
Chair, Architecture & the Built Environment
John works on sustainable and low-carbon building technologies at University College London, from airflow and heat transfer modelling in buildings to building-integrated renewables and artificial intelligence applied to building performance.
Staff and ambassadors
Our staff run the Society's day-to-day work for its members. Our student ambassadors support its outreach, communications and conferences from their own universities.
Staff
Ms Livia Ardelia
Marketing & Communications Manager
Livia handles the Society's media and communications, from its news and online presence to how WSSET reaches its members and the wider research community.
Ms Safira A. Putri
Administrative Assistant
Safira looks after the Society's internal administration and coordination, keeping the day-to-day work behind WSSET running smoothly for its members.
Student ambassadors
Ms Jialu Xu
Research Outreach Ambassador
A biotechnology student at Northeast Forestry University, China, Jialu connects researchers in life sciences, environmental biology and sustainability with open access publishing opportunities.
Ms Xingting Chen
Media & Communications Ambassador
An English Language student at Ningxia University, China, Xingting brings experience in campus news editing, student interviews and digital media, supporting WSSET's communications and outreach.
Ms Ziyao Yan
Media & Communications Ambassador
A polymer materials and engineering student at Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, China, Ziyao brings experience in writing, editing and photo and video content, supporting WSSET's communications and outreach.
Mr Zhengyi Lu
Conference Ambassador
A materials student at Hefei University of Technology, China, Zhengyi brings organisational experience from student leadership and event coordination, supporting WSSET's conference activities.