About me
Professor Farhad Shahnia is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, with a distinguished record of academic leadership, research excellence, and industry engagement. His career spans academia, industry, and government collaboration, with a strong focus on advancing research capability, graduate research training, and impactful innovation in power and energy systems.
He received his Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours and Master of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tabriz, followed by a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. Prior to his academic career, Professor Shahnia gained over three years of industry experience as an R&D Engineer with an electric power distribution company, an experience that has strongly informed his applied, industry-focused, and impact-oriented research approach. He has held academic positions at QUT and Curtin University before joining Murdoch University in 2015.
A central strength of Professor Shahnia’s academic profile is his extensive contribution to graduate research education and supervision. He has successfully supervised more than 18 PhD candidates and multiple MPhil students to completion, and continues to mentor higher degree researchers across interdisciplinary areas including renewable energy integration, microgrids, and smart power systems. His supervision approach emphasises research quality, timely completion, industry relevance, and career development, contributing to strong student outcomes and research impact.
Professor Shahnia has led and contributed to large-scale multidisciplinary research programs, securing competitive funding from organisations including the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the Australian Department of Education. These projects, with a combined value of several million dollars, have addressed critical challenges such as renewable energy microgrids, energy storage, hydrogen-enabled power systems, and energy system resilience. Many of these initiatives have been delivered in close collaboration with industry and government, enhancing research translation, impact, and graduate research training opportunities.
His research spans energy transmission and distribution systems, power systems analysis, renewable energy integration, microgrids, and clean energy transformation. His work has contributed to the development of resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy systems, particularly in renewable-rich and stand-alone power networks. He has an extensive publication record comprising one authored research book, ten edited books, fourteen book chapters, and more than seventy peer-reviewed journal articles, complemented by industry technical reports reflecting sustained engagement with practical engineering challenges.
In addition to his research leadership, Professor Shahnia actively contributes to institutional governance and academic quality assurance, including service on Academic Council and Quality and Standards committees. Through these roles, he has developed strong insight into university policy frameworks, research performance, academic standards, and the broader higher education environment, supporting continuous improvement in academic programs and research outcomes.
Professor Shahnia has demonstrated strong capability in building research culture and capacity, mentoring early-career academics, fostering inclusive and high-performing teams, and strengthening collaboration across academia, industry, and government. He has also contributed to the profession through senior leadership roles within IEEE at international, national, and state levels, editorial leadership across multiple international journals, and chairing and organisation of numerous international conferences.
He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Chartered Professional Engineer, and a Senior Member of IEEE. In addition, he contributes to policy and advisory activities, including expert submissions to parliamentary and regulatory inquiries at state and national levels on energy systems and electricity market reform.
Across his work, Professor Shahnia demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing research excellence, graduate research training, and meaningful societal impact, aligning academic research with industry needs and institutional priorities.