US & Canada visit:
Strengthening Global Ties in CO₂ Conversion Research

In April, Centre Director Prof Xiwang Zhang and Chief Investigator Dr Fengwang Li visited several leading institutions across Canada and the United States to advance GETCO2’s collaborative efforts in CO₂ conversion and sustainable technologies.

At the University of Toronto (UoT), the delegation – joined by Dr Ray Bi from Xiwang’s team – met with GETCO2 Scientific Advisory Board Member Prof David Sinton, Partner Investigator Prof Aimy Bazylak, Dr Lisa Leung, and Dr Ray Miao to explore synergies between GETCO2 and CANSTOREnergy.  Both sides agreed to strengthen collaboration and discussed the vision for a global CO₂ network.

During the visit to  Washington University in St. Louis, the team engaged with Partner Investigator Prof Feng Jiao and colleagues at the new national engineering research centre (ERC) for Carbon Utilisation Redesign for Biomanufacturing Empowered Decarbonisation (CURB).

At the University of Delaware (UD), meetings with Prof Dongxia Liu, Partner Investigator Prof Saleem Ali, and Henry B. du Pont Chair Prof Yushan Yan focused on student exchange and collaborative research. The GETCO2 team also visited the DOE-funded Centre for Clean Hydrogen, reinforcing our ties with UD.

At Northwestern University (NU), discussions with Associate Investigator Prof Ted Sargent and colleagues centred on potential joint projects in membranes, catalysts, and electrolysers, and the group explored avenues for researcher exchange.

At McMaster University, discussions with Prof Drew Higgins focused on nanomaterials for CO₂ electrocatalysis and broader centre-level collaboration. A visit to the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy highlighted opportunities for in-situ TEM research.

As a WIN Rising Star Awardee, Dr Fengwang Li presented at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) Day event at the University of Waterloo and met with Prof Sushanta Mitra, Executive Director of WIN to explore future collaboration between WIN and GETCO2.

The team also visited CERT Systems, a startup spun out of the Sinton/Sargent labs, where they discussed scaling CO₂ electrolysis and pathways for translational research with the leadership team.

This inspiring trip strengthened GETCO2’s partnerships with international experts, and has paved the path for impactful collaborations in CO₂ conversion. We look forward to building on these connections in the year ahead!

EMCR Seminar Series
- get involved! 

The GETCO2 EMCR Committee has been busy throughout the first half of 2025 organising the EMCR Research Seminar Series, featuring a great lineup of speakers, particularly from committee members! The Centre’s Research Program Committee has agreed that each GETCO2 HDR/EMCR should present in the seminar series at least once per year.

If you are a GETCO2 EMCR, please add your name to one of the available slots in the Presenter list_2025.xlsx 

These seminars are a valuable opportunity to share your research, connect with colleagues across the Centre, and build your academic profile. If you have suggestions for speakers, please contact the EMCR Committee via getco2@uq.edu.au

Note that participating in the seminar series makes you eligible for our new GETCO2 Annual Researcher Awards!

HACKATHON 

The excitement is building around the GETCO2 Hackathon Challenge 2025! Would you like to join, but don’t have a team? No problem, fill out the registration form, and we will help you connect with other team members. 

This is your chance to collaborate, innovate and grow your skillset!

You get the chance to win cash prizes and 2 hours of entrepreneurship coaching. And all team members will receive the highly attractive, limited edition GETCO2 Hackathon 2025 Hoodie.

Stay tuned and learn more on the Hackathon Challenge website.