Contribution · Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
Hisham Mohamad is Institute Director at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS in Malaysia and researches fibre-optic sensing and infrastructure monitoring. He connects engineering fundamentals with field measurements and real performance, and sees the engineer's responsibility as turning knowledge into solutions that benefit society.
In Hisham Mohamad's own words.
"New tools, sensing technologies and numerical models can greatly improve what engineers are able to see and predict, but they should strengthen engineering judgement, not replace it."
A sophisticated analysis or advanced technology has little value if it does not represent the actual behaviour of the ground, structure or infrastructure we are trying to protect. Throughout my career, I have tried to connect engineering fundamentals with field measurements and real performance. I enjoy bringing together engineering judgement, field evidence and new technologies to solve practical problems, particularly where infrastructure safety and resilience are concerned.
Ultimately, I believe our responsibility is to turn knowledge into solutions that are reliable, practical and beneficial to society.
One of the most rewarding parts of my career has been seeing students and younger engineers grow through applied engineering work.
In my research on fibre-optic sensing and infrastructure monitoring, I have always tried not only to teach the technology, but also to explain the engineering judgement behind it: why we measure something, what the data really means, and how it should influence a real engineering decision. Through research supervision and industry projects, students and young engineers are exposed to the full process, from understanding the physical problem and designing the monitoring system to field installation, data interpretation and communicating the results to industry.
What I value most is seeing them challenge assumptions and make sound engineering decisions independently. That, to me, is one of the most meaningful forms of contribution.
I have tried to share what we learn through professional talks, technical collaborations, industry projects and international engagement. Often, these exchanges lead to new ideas, new research questions and new collaborations.
For me, contribution is not simply about passing on information. It is about helping others develop the confidence and judgement to solve problems for themselves, and in doing so, strengthening the engineering profession as a whole.
Q. You tell your students not to treat software as a black box. Where does MIDAS fit into that?
I encourage my students not to treat software as a black box, but to combine analytical tools with engineering fundamentals, field observations and professional judgement. MIDAS has helped bridge engineering analysis with the way we communicate and share engineering knowledge, and that is what has stayed with me most.
Over the years, I have become increasingly convinced that good engineering is not only about obtaining a technically correct result. It is also about understanding what the result means physically, explaining it clearly, and using it to support a sound engineering decision. Technology is most valuable when it helps engineers think better, communicate better and ultimately make better decisions.
The students and young engineers Hisham Mohamad has supervised are now making engineering decisions of their own, from designing monitoring systems to explaining what the data means to industry. The judgement that teaching was built to grow now goes with them into every project