Yaghoob (Amir) Farnam is an associate professor at Drexel University. He received his PhD from Purdue University in 2015. As the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award to Belgium, he spent five months in 2024 at Ghent University to develop a nature-inspired building material to lower thermal energy demand and its carbon dioxide footprint. He worked with scholars involved in a multinational European Marie Curie project, SMARTINCS, led by Ghent University in collaboration with Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, University of Cambridge in UK, Politecnico di Milano in Italy, Valencia Polytechnic University in Spain, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.
Q: Describe your grant project.
I studied developing nature-inspired thermal regulating vascular concrete for energy saving in buildings. Buildings account for nearly 40% of energy consumption in the world, half of which is consumed for heating and cooling purposes. In this project, I looked at how I can incorporate vascular networks in concrete in order to incorporate thermal-responsive fluid in concrete for heating and cooling purposes. For the thermal-responsive fluid, I used Phase Change Materials (PCM) that can use the environment to recharge. The goal of my research was to incorporate vascular voids in concrete with minimum influence on mechanical and fracture behavior. For this purpose, I tried to look at nature and see how various architectural designs of vascular networks can be used to tailor mechanical response.
Q: What inspired you to apply to the Fulbright Program in Belgium?
The reason that I chose Belgium was because of the host university: I did my research in Gent University and the research team that I worked with is well-known in incorporating vascularization in concrete. They also perform research in nature-inspired design which is aligned with my research. I was also interested in Belgian culture and the country in general. I had few Belgian friends before, and it was very interesting to hear stories from them. It made me interested in applying to Fulbright Belgium. In terms of Fulbright, I knew that it is a prestigious award and based on my discussions with a few Fulbright alumni, I was familiar with the amazing experience Fulbrighers have during their visit. I was eager to apply and experience it myself. I am happy that I received it.
Q: Has Belgium been what you expected? In what ways has life in Belgium surprised you, either for its similarities to or differences from your own culture?
I was very interested in how things function here. Sometimes, things were so smooth and way better than in the U.S., such as using public transportation or finding a doctor. Other processes were very tedious and time consuming, such as getting my residence card or finding health insurance for my family. One thing that surprised me was how people take their time here with no stress to perform their task. I think in the U.S., we have a lot of pressure from either society or employers to perform tasks in a prompt manner with high quality and it makes us stressed. In Belgium, I found people to be more relaxed in their work environment. Maybe it is true that people say Americans are workaholics: sometimes, we forget that we work to live, not live to work.
Q: How did you engage with the people living in your host community? Was it easier or harder than you expected to get involved?
The people in Belgium were so fun, respectful, and kind. When walking around in Ghent, I had no problem speaking English and everybody knew English here. My labmates and the research group were kind enough to invite me to their gatherings, and I joined a local gym and a dancing club to engage more with the community. One of the things that my wife and I did was to take lots of day trips to Belgian cities. We visited Antwerp, Leuven, Brugge, Brussels, and Dinant. We also attended many cultural events in Belgium such as food festivals, dance festivals, light festivals and many more. We also tried to go out with some of our Belgian or American friends to restaurants and try local foods.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying to the Fulbright Program?
Do not hesitate. This is one of the best experiences that I have ever done in my life: the cultural exchange and the things that you can learn are beyond words.
Q: Can you tell us the story of a particular memorable moment from your time in Belgium?
I think my best memories are from walking around when I was in various cities of Belgium. I really enjoyed the buildings, local food, and the vibes. It is amazing how cities are alive and the movement of people, cars, bikes, etc. were very enjoyable. I remember taking a boat ride through Brugge on a sunny day and looking at the city’s architecture. The boat ride was very peaceful. Looking at the city architecture in this boat ride was a memorable moment. I was thinking – why are the buildings designed differently here? Is it because of the people? Or the weather? Why are there steps on the roof? I was listening to our tour guide saying that back in the day it showed how rich people were.
