2026 EMS Council elections
2026 EMS Council elections
Dear EMS Member,
European Membrane Society (EMS) is managed by a council of elected members. According to our statutes, the council must be partly renewed every other year.
Four positions will be open in 2026 to replace our departing members, Aamer Ali, Frank Lipnizki, Gyorgy Szekely and Hannah Roth.
To fill these positions, we will hold an election to recruit four new council members who will serve from 2027 to 2030.
According to our statutes, the primary responsibilities of council members include:
- Electing the board (President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer)
- Assisting the President in running the society
- Coordinating working parties on various matters as decided by the council or the General Assemblies
Council members elected by the society’s members represent the broader membrane community rather than any private or public institutions. The major activities of our society, which are detailed on our website (www.emsoc.eu), include sponsoring the esteemed “Euromembrane” conference series and the annual Summer School. The council is responsible for organizing calls for applications, reviewing proposals, and selecting hosts for these conferences. Additionally, the council oversees the society’s budget, offering travel grants and awards, especially to students and young researchers. The council also collaborates with other prominent societies, such as the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) and the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS), in organizing the rotating world membrane conference, ICOM. As a founding World Association of Membrane Societies (WA-MS) member, EMS nominates representatives to the WA-MS steering committee.
We invite you to consider becoming a candidate for the council. As a council member, you will represent the entire membrane community. If you have ideas for enhancing our society’s management or introducing significant innovations, now is the perfect time to step forward and make a difference!
To be a candidate, you need to:
- Be an EMS member, i.e., all registration procedures are complete and effective by 25/09/26.
- Submit a 2-page CV, a short motivation letter (max 300 words), and 2 nomination letters from current EMS members
- Send your applications to ems@emsoc.eu
Election Timeline:
- Application Period: 17/07/26 – 18/09/26
- Application Review by the Council: By 25/09/26
- Balloting Period: 01/10/26 – 31/10/26
- Announcement of Results: Mid-November 2026, after Council validation
Evaluation Results for EMS Best Paper Award 2025
We are pleased to announce the winner of the EMS Best Paper Award 2025. This award concerns articles published in 2024.
The winner is “Ultraselective Macrocycle Membranes for Pharmaceutical Ingredients Separation in Organic Solvents” authored by Banan Alhazmi, Gergo Ignacz, Maria Di Vincenzo, Mohamed Nejib Hedhili, Gyorgy Szekely & Suzana P. Nunes
Congratulations to all the authors on this outstanding achievement!
The full article can be accessed through the following link
Membrane Day 2026 - Winners Announcement
The European Membrane Society congratulates the winners of the 2nd edition of the Membrane Day celebrations:
CNR-ITM, Italy
Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan
Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
More information about this year event is available at the following link
Membrane Day 2026 - Updates
European Membrane Society EMS takes pride in sharing updates on the 2nd edition of the #MembraneDay celebrations. This EMS initiative was undertaken to reflect the role and importance of membranologists across the globe. It was started in 2025 in honour of one of the membrane stalwarts, Prof. Enrico Drioli, on his birth anniversary, April 14.
It was truly inspiring to witness the participation of 26 groups in this year’s celebrations, representing 19 countries across 5 continents. The enthusiasm and collective spirit shown by membranologists worldwide reflect the growing strength and unity of the membrane community. It is heartening to see researchers, students, and professionals come together to celebrate #membranes — barriers/contactors that remain close to all our hearts. 😊
The tremendous effort invested in commemorating this day was clearly reflected in the exceptional quality of the videos and digital collages shared by the participating groups. The contributions featured scientific presentations, conferences, technical discussions, escape rooms, and commemorative gatherings celebrating the 2nd Membrane Day.
The accompanying world map illustrates the global outreach and impact of this year’s event.
Sincere thanks to all participants for making the 2nd Membrane Day celebrations such a success. We look forward to seeing this initiative grow even further in the years to come.
The evaluation process is currently ongoing, and the winners of the #MembraneDay2026 contest will be announced on May 27th, 2026. Winners will receive cash prizes of up to €750 each and will be honored during the “EMS Honorary Session – Enrico Drioli” at ICOM 2026. European Membrane Society EMS #MembraneDay2026 #Celebrations
EMS 2026 Awards Updates
We would like to inform all EMS members that Young Academic Awards and MS/PhD Student Awards have been updated for the upcoming congresses and workshops sponsored by EMS in 2026.
EMS Members interested in applying for an Award are welcome to visit the following wesites
1- Young Academic Awards Link
2- MS/PhD Student Awards Link
For more information contact EMS via email
PhD Position in Chemical Engineering on Membrane Fouling Mechanisms, Univ Rennes, France
We would like to announce a PhD Position on Membrane Fouling Mechanisms in Microfiltration/Ultrafiltration in Non-Aqueous Media at the University of Rennes in France.
Location: Chemistry and Process Engineering Team of ISCR at Univ Rennes, France
Start: October 2026
Supervisors: Patrick Loulergue, Anthony Szymczyk, Dihia Chabni
How to apply: Apply to the position through the following link (do not apply via email). Please submit a detailed CV, cover letter, transcript of Master diploma and 1-2 contact references.
For more information, please contact Patrick Loulergue by email patrick.loulergue.1@univ-rennes1.fr
Dead-line for application: April 30, 2026
Project Description: Separation processes in industry account for 10 to 15% of global energy consumption and up to 60–80% of total costs. There is therefore a major incentive to develop energy-efficient and low-cost separation techniques. In this context, membrane filtrations techniques have become the state-of-the art tools for sustainable separations in aqueous media (water treatment, biotechnology, etc.). To date, these techniques are also emerging for applications in non-aqueous media, particularly in the fields of biorefineries, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
Fouling, i.e., the decline in separation performance during filtration, remains the main bottleneck of membrane technologies leading to increased energy consumption and reduced membrane lifespan. While fouling mechanisms have been widely studied in aqueous media, they remain largely unknown in non-aqueous environments. This PhD project therefore aims to investigate to what extent fouling mechanisms identified in aqueous media can be transposed (or not) to non-aqueous systems, thereby enabling the optimization of separations in these media.
Your work, primarily experimental, will be positioned at the interface between membrane process engineering and the physical chemistry of solutions and membrane materials. The research will be conducted in three interdependent phases: (1) studying membrane behavior in the selected media, (2) carrying out filtration experiments (microfiltration/ultrafiltration) using model foulants (particles, macromolecules), and (3) investigating fouling in a case representative of an industrial application (to be defined together during the PhD). To this end, you will rely on various characterization techniques for model foulants and membranes (dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, electron microscopy, etc.), combined with the analysis of global filtration parameters (permeability, hydraulic resistance, specific resistance, etc.).
You will be responsible for generating fundamental advances to improve understanding of the role of solvent/foulant/membrane interactions in fouling mechanisms in non-aqueous media.
Candidate profile: We are looking for candidates with a Master’s degree in chemical engineering, physical chemistry, or a related field.
You enjoy hands-on experimental work and are motivated by multidisciplinary topics and academic research. Experience with membrane processes is a plus. You are comfortable communicating in English in a scientific context (writing and presenting at international conferences).
PhD Position in Chemical Engineering on Battery Material Recycling with Membrane Processes, Lund University, Sweden
We announce a PhD Position in Chemical Engineering at Lund University within the project COMPEL, “COMPetence for the ELectrification of the transport system”. The project is a strategic initiative by the Swedish government, aimed at strengthening research and educational environments within battery technology and electrification.
The Department of Process and Life Science Engineering (PLE)at Lund University is seeking a motivated Doctoral Researcher to join the established Membrane group. The successful candidate will explore various membrane processes, such as nanofiltration, electrodialysis, ultrafiltration, membrane distillation, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis, to recover valuable compounds from black mass generated during battery recycling. This role offers the opportunity to work within a collaborative environment, contributing to sustainable, closed-loop battery recycling with lower environmental impact and improved resource efficiency. Join us in advancing cutting-edge research and making a significant impact on the future of battery technology and electrification.
For more information and to apply, please visit the website at the following link
If you have any questions, please contact Frank Lipnizki (email: frank.lipnizki@ple.lth.se)
Passing of Prof. Ora Kedem
The European Membrane Society (EMS) mourns the passing of Prof. Ora Kedem, who left us at the age of 101.
With profound respect and deep sadness, we honour the memory of one of the true giants of membrane science, water treatment, and desalination.
Prof. Jack Gilron and Prof. Yoram Oren, who were among those privileged to work closely with her during their careers’ highlight Ora Kedem’s pioneering work fundamentally shaped our field. Her groundbreaking theoretical contributions, rooted in irreversible thermodynamics, established the modern understanding of transport phenomena in biological and synthetic membranes. The Kedem–Katchalsky and Kedem–Spiegler models remain among the most cited frameworks in the membrane literature, continuing to guide both scientific inquiry and technological advancement.
Prof. Kedem’s scientific intuition was extraordinary. Based on flux data provided by Sid Loeb, she realized the asymmetric nature of the Loeb-Sourirajan cellulose acetate desalination membrane which was subsequently confirmed by imaging. Her research on ion transport in both pressure-driven and electro-driven membrane processes, as well as her extensive electrodialysis work at laboratory and pilot scale, played a central role in the development of desalination technologies used worldwide today.
Beyond her scientific brilliance, Ora Kedem was an institution builder in the truest sense. She helped establish the membrane research department at the Weizmann Institute, contributed to the founding of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and later built the Desalination and Water Treatment group at the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research.
She was an inspiring mentor to generations of students, researchers, and colleagues, known for her generosity, sharp intellect, and unwavering commitment to scientific excellence.
Prof. Kedem’s achievements earned her numerous distinctions, including induction as an Honorary Member of the European Membrane Society—a testament to the lasting impact of her life’s work on the global membrane community.
The EMS extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, colleagues, and all who were touched by her remarkable life and scientific legacy. May we continue to be guided and inspired by her memory, her pioneering spirit, and her enduring contributions to science and society.
If you want to learn more about Prof. Ora Kedem and her great impact on membrane science please check the following website link