Tarek Rouissi
Ph.D. Water sciences, 2012
Professor at Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Centre Eau Terre Environnement
“My years as a student were nothing short of exceptional. I've been lucky enough to work with dedicated, attentive teams who are always ready to train and support students, which is one of INRS's strong points.”
Tarek Rouissi holds an engineering degree in food technology and a master's degree in industrial engineering, specializing in biomaterials and composites. As his master's studies progressed, his interest in environmental issues grew. He then undertook a doctoral thesis between Tunisia and Germany, focusing on environmental issues.
With his growing passion for this field, he chose to pursue his doctorate at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) at the Centre Eau Terre Environnement (ETE) under the supervision of Prof. Rajeshwar Dayal Tyagi, Prof. Satinder Brar and Dr. Danielle Prevost. He describes the experience as a real revelation: “INRS offered me an unexpected discovery. I found a family research atmosphere where everyone knows each other well. The administrative structure is remarkably fluid, with everything in place to promote successful research.” He adds that he felt well prepared to meet the challenges of emerging environmental issues as soon as he completed his studies.
Fundamentally a scientist at heart, Tarek Rouissi is a multidisciplinary researcher with extensive experience in environmental research. He has held a variety of positions in environmental companies, institutions and organizations before returning to his true passion, research, as a professor at the ETE Center. Drawing on all this experience, he is now working on the development of new industrial bioprocesses aimed at optimizing technologies for the large-scale recovery and conversion of residues into high value-added products, particularly for food applications.
When asked about the qualities of INRS and his experience as a student, he enthusiastically shares: "My years as a student were quite simply exceptional. I've been lucky enough to work with dedicated, attentive teams who are always ready to train and support students, which is one of INRS's strong points. The support offered to students is simply remarkable. The program is incredibly well structured, enabling highly relevant research management."
Among his most vivid memories, Pr Rouissi recalls with emotion: “These are the experiments you repeat day and night, the ones that never seem to work and then suddenly do. The ones you repeat dozens of times and then, finally, the desired result materializes. The fascinating exchanges we had with our supervisors, the hypotheses we formulated and which were subsequently validated. It's this microcosm that remains engraved in my memory and is an indelible memory of my time at INRS”.
Tarek Rouissi believes that in science, humility is an essential virtue, that perseverance is essential and that success is the fruit of the work of an entire team. He emphasizes that science is a common good, and its success depends on the collective effort of an entire team.
To conclude our interview, he shares his vision: “Research must be oriented towards benefiting society. Science must serve a noble cause: to contribute to the progress of our society. My wish is to advance science for the common good. Act quickly to develop technologies to guarantee access for all to clean water, healthy food and a preserved environment. This science must be accessible, shared and implemented at the lowest possible cost.”
[Interview conducted in October 2023.]