This post continues a series of blogs reporting on the final research outcomes of the EU Centre for Global Affairs Annual Grant Program with the final grant reports of the 2016 allocation round received from the following grant recipients.

Dr Allan O’Connor, Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre, The University of Adelaide completed the final report of his work on “Cluster Evaluation Methods” project. The observations and contributions passed onto the The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) Cluster Evaluation Working Group team to conclude the trial task of survey methodology adjustment for practical application are available HERE. Also as another research outcome of working with the TCI survey methodology data analysis and final reporting to the South Australian Defence Teaming Centre (DTC) was concluded in January 2017. An article in SA Defence Business (the official publication of the DTC) following the engagement with DTC that acknowledges this work is available HERE.

Dr Tiziana Torresi, Department of Politics & International Studies, The University of Adelaide presented a paper with a panel at the Society for Applied Philosophy Annual Conference 2016, 1-3 July, Queen’s University, Belfast as part of the ongoing analysis of regional migration governance including a comparative perspective. The panel’s conversation and research convergence of the participants resulted in the creation of a permanent, informal research group, consisting of:

• Professor Christine Straehle, The University of Groningen, Faculty of Philosophy.
• Associate Professor Valeria Ottonelli, The University of Genoa, Department of Antiquity, Philosophy and History.
• Assistant Professor Eszter Kollar, The University of Leuven, Centre for Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy.
• Dr Alasia Nuti, The University of York, Department of Politics.
• Dr Tizina Torresi, The University of Adelaide, Department of Politics & International Studies.

A remainder of the grant was used to organise a workshop in Genova, on the topic of “Vulnerability, Rights and Agency in Labour Migration” Department of Antiquity, Philosophy and History, University of Genova, on 5 December 2016 with the research group. Dr Torresi’s presentation is available HERE. The workshop resulted in a special issue on the same topic which is currently under review with the Journal of Applied Philosophy (six papers), including “Temporary migration projects, special rights and social dumping” paper by Dr Torresi.

Dr Mehdi Jafarian, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide visited the University of ETH Zurich in Switzerland and the University of Naples Federico II in Italy as part of his “The Novel Concept of Liquid Chemical Looping Air Separation” project. The visit to the University of ETH Zurich has led to drafting a joint journal paper and also resulted in strengthening the collaboration between the University of Adelaide and ETH Zurich through investigation of new research fields for further collaboration, such as development of a novel concepts like solar bubble receiver, developed at the University of Adelaide. Dr Jafarian had several meetings with the below ETH Zurich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering personnel, especially early carrier researchers:

• Professor Aldo Steinfeld, Chair of Renewable Energy Carriers.
• Dr Andreas Haselbacher, Senior Research Associate.
• Dr Philip Furler, Research Associate/Pioneer Fellow.
• Dr Stefan Strohle, Post-doctoral researcher.
• Dr Emilano Casati, Post-doctoral researcher.

A paper is in preparation with a full draft scheduled for February 2018. Planned title of the paper is Mehdi Jafarian, Woei Saw, Andreas Haselbacher, Aldo Steinfeld, Graham Nathan, “Techno-economic assessments of a mid-temperature hybrid solar process”. The aim, objectives and methodology of the paper have been discussed and finalised. The manuscript has been discussed in several meetings with ETH Zurich personnel and the development of the process configuration and logic control strategy are in the progress. The manuscript is in progress with a full draft to be submitted to the Journal of Solar Energy. A second paper is envisaged following the first paper.

The visit to the University of Naples Federico II was also very productive and fruitful and has led to establishment of a collaboration between the institutions, so that further discussions is in progress to plan the visit of a researcher from the University of Naples Federico II to the University of Adelaide in July 2018. The visit is planned to assess the performance of a first-of-a-kind indirectly heated solar receiver. Professional research contacts during the visit include:

• Professor Piero Salatino, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Chairman – School of Polytechnic and Basic Sciences.
• Roberto Solimene, Senior Researcher, Institute for Research on Combustion (IRC-CNR).
• Dr Maurizio Troiano, Research Fellow, School of Polytechnic and Basic Sciences.
• Dr Claudio Tregambi, Research Fellow. School of Polytechnic and Basic Sciences.

The EU Centre for Global Affairs expects two more final grant report of the 2016 allocation round from:

• Associate Professor Alan Gamlen, Director, Hugo Centre for Migration and Population Research, The University of Adelaide.
• Matt Lady, Doctoral student / Research assistant, the Adelaide Law School.