Syrian researcher Razan Al-Zein granted a patent from India for innovative project in structural engineering 

Razan Al-Zein, a Syrian structural engineer and researcher, is an example of how creative Syrian women can be. She was recently granted a patent from the Indian government for her key research project, “Method of constructing lightweight concrete slab,” presented at Vel Tech University in India.  

Razan, who is a Damascus University graduate, is now in India doing her PhD based on the 1000-student scholarship granted by the Indian government to Syrian University students. Her academic journey in India started in 2018 with studying Masters in Val Tech University. She began working on the slab idea in 2019 and officially applied for the patent in October, 2021 and she was finally granted the patent on March 1st, 2023.

Syria Times interviewed Eng. Razan to shed light on her innovative project and her fruitful experience.

“When we started doing research, there was the dilemma of how to produce a slab that is cost-effective, lightweight and has a high-load carrying capacity. The dilemma is that when we usually design a slab, we have two options; either to increase the thickness of the slab and the reinforcement, which make the slab costlier and heavier, or to reduce the thickness of the slab which reduces its load-carrying capacity. So, me and my supervisor, Dr. M. Vinod Kumar, who is now supervising my PhD thesis, were trying to find a combination of lightweight slab with reduced thickness, but at the same time, has a high-load carrying capacity. So, we came up with this idea, where the slab has reduced thickness, but, at the same time it is very cost-effective, environmentally friendly, sustainable and has high-load carrying capacity and a long span,” Razan said, clarifying that the slab also has a very good ductility.

She went on to say “because it is a novel slab, there were no designing codes for this, so we have had to come up with designing methods and study lots of codes until we found the correct method of design. This took much time, hard work and sleepless nights”.

On how her country can benefit from this project, particularly in the reconstruction phase after years of war, Razan expressed hope that she will be beneficial for her country.

“I hope to go back to the Syrian universities where I can share the knowledge and experience that I had in India. My professors in Damascus University were amazing and I can never forget their efforts. Actually, they are the reason why we are here now, because if we don’t have the correct foundation, the correct basic knowledge, we would never be able to survive in other colleges,” she said.

“I hope to see the Syrian talents reflected inside their country. I believe in the Syrians’ abilities and talents and I believe that if they have the suitable circumstances, they are capable of achieving the most”, she stressed.

“In the case of my patent, my slab, I guess it will be very beneficial in the places where lightweight, high-load carrying capacity slab that spans over long distances is needed, like in the case of high-rise buildings, especially because now we are in the reconstruction phase,” she explained.

Talking about the cooperation of the supervisors and professors at her university, Razan said “all the professors and supervisors in Vel Tech University have been very helpful and supportive. Indeed, they were the source of knowledge to all of us. I thank them all from the bottom of my heart”.

“Here I would like to mention that my supervisor, Dr. M. Vinod Kumar is a partner in this patent. We worked together alongside other professors in the university on this project. He helped me a lot with his knowledge and experience, until I became the class topper in my (MTech) degree and thus, Vel Tech University gave me a full scholarship to continue my PhD.

We got the funding we needed from the (R&D) Department in my university where I found the environment that I need for doing my best,” she said.

Syria has lost much of its capabilities during the past years of war on the country. This situation was worsened due to unfair western sanctions that impeded recovery and reconstruction, yet, Syria has sincere friends who didn’t abandon it, but maintained strong ties with it and India is one of these friends.

In 2018, India granted 1,000 scholarships to Syrian students as part of its contribution to helping Syria rebuild and rehabilitate its education sector.

Reported by Hamda Mustafa