The outstanding engineer, Samir Kouro, has been honored with the Nagamori Award 2025, one of the most significant global recognitions in the field of electrical and electronic engineering. This annual award, presented by the Nagamori Foundation of Japan, celebrates researchers and professionals who have made outstanding advancements in technologies related to electric motors, power generation, and actuators.
The academic from the USM Department of Electronics—who also serves as a principal investigator at the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E) and the Solar Energy Research Center (SERC-Chile)—has been recognized for his exceptional work in the theoretical and practical development of partial power converters used in energy transition applications. This work has significantly impacted the promotion of sustainable energy technologies worldwide.
“These technologies enable climate change mitigation and advance the energy transition. I’m incredibly pleased because we’re seeing how the knowledge generation value cycle can be closed, and how this knowledge has practical use. That’s the most gratifying thing that can happen at an academic level: for research to lead to developments that improve society,” comments Dr. Samir Kouro.
His work in this area spans over 10 years, and the partial power converter technology has been applied to photovoltaic systems, LED lighting, wind energy, hydrogen production, electromobility, among many others. “Today, even major companies like Huawei—a global leader in solar energy—use these types of technologies in their solar inverters,” the award-winning professor specifies.
Kouro was recently appointed Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine for the 2025-2027 term, solidifying his position as an influential figure in industrial electronics and one of the leading Latin American authorities in electronic engineering.
The award ceremony will take place on September 7 in Kyoto, Japan. This recognition not only highlights technical excellence but also the practical impact of his contributions to the advancement of green technologies.
By María José Aragonés, General Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Journalist
