Professor Hai is the interim  Head of the School of Engineering. As evidenced by the THE (Times Higher Education), QS World University ranking, and the Australian Government Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) rankings, UOW School of Engineering is one of the top Engineering Schools in Australia.

Previous governance roles:

Professor Hai brings extensive experience in academic governance and leadership across education, research, curriculum accreditation, and international engagement. Prior to his appointment as Head of the recently consolidated School of Engineering, he held a range of senior leadership roles within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences and across the University. Most recently, he served as Head of the School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, which now operates as a department within the School of Engineering. Professor Hai is an elected Head of School representative on the UOW academic Senate.

Professor Hai has also contributed to faculty- and university-level governance through his previous roles as Head of Postgraduate Studies and as a member of the Faculty Research Committee, Faculty International Committee, and the University Graduate Research Committee. In these roles, he participated in the review, development, and implementation of faculty and university research strategies, as well as international partnership and outreach initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and supporting sustainable growth. He was also the inaugural Transnational Academic Program Director for Civil Engineering at UOW Dubai, where he ensured the quality and accreditation of the transnational program.

Education and Research leadership:
In addition to his academic leadership roles, Professor Hai is a globally recognised leader in Civil and Environmental engineering, driven by a passion for creating cleaner, more sustainable futures. His pioneering work in water and wastewater treatment has shaped industry practice and advanced technologies. A committed educator and mentor, Professor Hai empowers students to think boldly, innovate responsibly, and design solutions that make a real difference to communities. His collaborative approach, strong industry partnerships, and dedication to impactful research help position the School of Engineering as a place where the next generation of engineers can thrive, lead, and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Professor Hai's work on Membrane Bioreactor Technology for wastewater treatment and reuse has put UOW on the world map. He is an elected Director and current president of the Membrane Society of Australasia (MSA).

Prof Hai is the director of the Strategic Water Infrastructure Lab (SWIL), which is home to a dynamic research group spearheading the most recent maximum ERA (Excellence in Research For Australia) rating of 5 for Environmental Engineering at UOW.

Prof Hai is also the coordinator of the 'Environmental Engineering and Water Resources' Powerhouse of the Faculty of EIS. Professor Hai's HDR students have won a number of prestigious prizes and awards and have been able to establish excellent postdoc career.

Brief background:

After receiving his BSc (1st class Honours) in Civil Engineering from BUET, Bangladesh, Dr. Hai completed his Masters and PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2004 and 2007, respectively from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Before joining University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia, he completed a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Hai served as a Vice Chancellors research fellow at the School of CME at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences (EIS) of UOW before taking up a tenured teaching and research lecturer position in 2011. He was promoted to a Full Professor in 2019. Professor Hai is a recipient of Japan Society on Water Environment - Outstanding Lecture Award (2010), UOW Faculty of EIS Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning (OCTAL) award (2015) and Vice Chancellor’s Award for excellence in Research Supervision (2022).