UTHM Expert: Professor Ir. Dr. Erwan Sulaiman

“He grants wisdom to whoever He wills. And whoever is granted wisdom is certainly blessed with a great privilege. But none will be mindful ‘of this’ except people of reason” [Al-Baqarah 2:269]

Ir. Dr. Erwan bin Sulaiman who was born in 1978 in Batu Pahat, Johor is a Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (FKEE), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). His academic journey began with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Universiti Malaya in 2001. He then pursued a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering at Kolej Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in 2004 before obtaining his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan in 2012. He was also appointed as Professional Engineer in 2016 and completed his Executive Diploma of Professional Imam in 2022 from UTHM.

Prof. Erwan started his career as an Electrical Engineer at Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Distribution, Batu Pahat from 2001 before he diverges his career to academic field by joining UTHM as a lecturer in 2004. Upon completing his PhD, he has become a renowned expert in the field of electrical machines, particularly in flux switching motors (FSMs) and generators. His contributions were recognised by the university, leading to his appointment as the main researcher at the Research Centre for Applied Electromagnetic (EMCenter) in 2012. In his role as researcher, he has fronted various research projects, particularly in design, development and optimisation of permanent magnet FSM, field excitation FSM and hybrid excitation FSM specifically for Electric Vehicles.

His career development reflects his deep commitment to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application while his dedication to both research and teaching is driven by his strong focus on practical applications that address real-world challenges. His passion in research is proven with more than 40 research grants, 235 publications, 3 patents, 8 industrial design and 24 copyrights which have fueled groundbreaking advancements in electric machine technologies.

Apart from his research achievements, he is a dedicated educator in which he supervised 31 master’s and 14 PhD students, guiding them through complex research challenges and contributing to the next generation of engineers that further expand his influence in the academic community. His teaching portfolio is diverse, covering courses such as Electrical Machines, Advanced Electric Drives, Power System, Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Electrical System Design, as well as Engineers and Society.

His extensive research achievements, publications and professional consultation, highlights his standing as a leading expert in his field, both in Malaysia and internationally.