Deakin’s research in advanced materials gets “hotter”

Deakin University's strategic partnership with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) has achieved another milestone with the formal opening last month of a joint research laboratory in CATAS's Agricultural Product Processing Research Institute.

This partnership with an organisation dedicated to tropical products further demonstrates Deakin’s international reputation in advanced materials research.

“While Deakin is not situated in a tropical region, we are certainly very excited with this opportunity and pleased with the achievement in the last two years,” said Professor Peter Hodgson, Victoria’s only Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Director of Research at Deakin’s Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI).

The excellence of ITRI’s research has played a major role in forging this collaboration.

“We have been approached by institutions worldwide, including these from tropical areas, however, we found that Deakin University is the most suitable organisation for partnership in relation to materials research and commitment,” said Professor Qiubo Chen, Vice President of CATAS.

The joint laboratory hosts more than $6 million worth of state of the art facilities, paving the way for strengthening further collaboration. The research collaboration has already produced more than 20 journal publications, and led to exchanges of research scientists and joint supervision of research students.

Certainly Professor Hodgson, who flew to China to open the facility, is predicting a promising future.

“The facilities in the laboratory, as well as its size, are very impressive and we will be able to produce world class research outcomes cooperatively in the coming years,” he said.

The joint laboratory sits next to three national research laboratories located in CATAS, providing the opportunity to share the facilities and broaden Deakin’s research cooperation with other leading Chinese institutions."

Professor Wenzhuang Wang, CATAS’s Vice President, and Associate Professor Lingxue and Dr Russell Walker from Deakin University also witnessed the exciting and traditional Chinese opening ceremony, along with other leading research scientists from CATAS.

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