Masoud Farzaneh received his degree in Power Engineering from the Polytechnic of Tehran in 1973. He pursued his graduate studies at the Institut National Polytechnique and Université Paul Sabatier in France, where he obtained his Doctorat d’ingénieur (Ph.D.) in 1980. In 1986, he was awarded the Doctorat d’État ès sciences by Université Paul Sabatier.
Professor Farzaneh is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). He is also a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), and CIGRÉ.
His research focuses primarily on high-voltage engineering and atmospheric icing of power networks. His work addresses, in particular, the flashover mechanisms of ice-covered insulators, partial and arc discharges on ice-covered surfaces and in air gaps, outdoor insulation coordination, corona-induced vibrations of conductors, and the development and optimization of de-icing techniques and anti-icing methods, as well as the development of icephobic and self-cleaning coatings.
His research has contributed to the development of analytical models and experimental methodologies incorporated into IEEE standards and CIGRÉ technical publications.
His scientific output includes 1,236 publications and presentations, comprising 298 peer-reviewed journal articles and 410 peer-reviewed conference papers. It also includes four books, all translated into Chinese, and 16 book chapters. He has contributed to the training of 241 highly qualified personnel (HQP), including 47 Ph.D. students, 44 master’s students, and 38 postdoctoral fellows.
He initiated the Icing Research Pavilion at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), which comprises six integrated research laboratories dedicated to atmospheric icing of power network equipment. This research infrastructure, established through major national research infrastructure projects under his leadership, was recognized by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in 2005 as the largest and most advanced facility of its kind worldwide.
Professor Farzaneh founded the International Research Center on Atmospheric Icing and Power Network Engineering (CENGIVRE), now known as the Centre international d’ingénierie nordique (CIIN). He directed the centre from 2003 to 2016. He also held the NSERC/Hydro-Québec/UQAC Industrial Research Chair on Atmospheric Icing of Power Network Equipment (CIGELE) from 1997 to 2015, as well as the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Icing Engineering of Power Networks (INGIVRE) from 2003 to 2016.
He has held several international leadership positions, including President and Technical and Administrative Vice-President of the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS), as well as Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the journal IET High Voltage (2016–2020). He also chaired the committees responsible for developing IEEE Standards 1783 and 1820 and served as Convenor of several CIGRÉ international working groups focusing on the development of de-icing techniques and anti-icing methods for overhead lines, as well as protective coatings for power network equipment. Several standards and technical brochures have been developed under his leadership or with his contribution.
His contributions to engineering research and education have been recognized through 34 national and international awards, honours and distinctions. Since 2019, he has been consistently ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists in the annual Stanford University ranking. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his contributions to science. Other notable distinctions include the Claude-de-Tourreil Memorial Award (2023), the IEEE DEIS Whitehead Memorial Lecture Award (2013), the IEEE DEIS Recognition Award (2015), the IET High Voltage Journal Recognition Award (2017), and the Urgel-Archambault Award from ACFAS (2012).
In recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements, the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi established the Masoud Farzaneh Award in 2010 to promote research excellence in atmospheric icing and power network engineering. Further information about the award is available on its official website: