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October 2025
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In this newsletter
- Winter School
- HACKATHON
- CAETS lab tour
- Visit from RCAST, Japan
- Adelaide research collaboration
- Science Alive!
- ALLCO2 - International CO2 Alliance Conference
- Insights into European Energy Systems - travel report
- Research highlights
- New Centre members
- Upcoming events
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Winter School
GETCO2’s very first Winter School at UQ in July 2025 brought together 47 early/mid-career researchers (EMCRs) from across our nodes.
Chief Investigators Tom Rufford, Debra Bernhardt, and Jingwei Hou delivered an engaging program focused on CO2 electrochemical transformation with hands-on sessions, lab tours, practical workshops, and group exercises.
The participants worked on error analysis, uncertainty propagation, and experimental design. On the final day, the focus shifted to data visualisation and scientific communication, helping our EMCRs sharpen their presentation and storytelling skills. A key highlight was the poster and 3-minute presentation session, which showcased exciting ideas from our researchers.
The Winter School was a fantastic opportunity for GETCO2 EMCRs to connect in person, build new relationships, and exchange ideas across disciplines and institutions. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to its success – We are already looking forward to the next one!
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HACKATHON
There has been an overwhelming interest in joining the first GETCO2 Hackathon. Five teams are now in full swing, addressing the grand challenge of high-impact innovations needed to enable sustainable gigawatt-scale CO 2 electrolysis.
Each team has been paired with a highly experienced industry mentor to help them refine their ideas. We extend our thanks to Leeanne Bond, Leigh Staines, KS Chan, Sahil Garg and Sui Boon Liaw for generously sharing their time and expertise.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve hosted three dynamic online workshops, featuring an inspiring lineup of speakers who shared their insights on everything from startup journeys to tech translation and human-centred design. Our teams are now gearing up to pitch their ideas at the GETCO2 National Conference in Sydney next month, and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the stage!
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CAETS lab tour
GETCO2 was proud to sponsor a technical tour for delegates of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences Conference, CAETS 2025. With delegates from over 10 countries, we took them behind the scenes in the laboratories at UQ to show how we’re turning CO 2 into useful chemicals fuels, and even electricity. Our researchers gave live demonstrations of CO 2 electrolysers and nanogenerators and explained how they are working on real climate solutions. It was great to showcase how Australian research is helping drive the shift to a circular, low-carbon economy.
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Visit from RCAST, Japan
In August, we had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology ( RCAST), The University of Tokyo, for a two-day visit to GETCO2. The delegation included Professors Masakazu Sugiyama Director, RCAST, Tatsuoki Kono, and Satoshi Ohara, whom GETCO2 visited in Japan earlier in the year.
The visit focused on strengthening research ties between Australia and Japan, particularly in areas like carbon neutrality and hydrogen, and to explore joint research opportunities with industry and government.
We’re looking forward to building on this momentum and continuing to work together on bilateral solutions for a more sustainable future.
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At dinner, we were joined by the Consul-General of Japan and representatives from Trade and Investment Queensland, Sumitomo Corporation, Idemitsu Australia Pty Ltd. Queensland Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Queensland Treasury, UQ Biosustainability Hub, UQ Global Partnerships and UQ Strategic Partnerships.
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PhD student Rizal Evans, winner of the Best Poster Award at GETCO2's poster session at UQ, kindly judged and awarded by Prof Sugiyama.
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Adelaide Research Collaboration
Since August 2025, the research groups at the University of Adelaide, led by Prof Christian Doonan and A/Prof Jianfeng Mao, have been meeting monthly to discuss collaboration opportunities. The two groups complement each other in both expertise and facilities; Christian’s group features excellent facilities for materials synthesis, gas absorption, and X-ray diffraction, while Jianfeng’s group offers a wide range of electrochemical testing capabilities.
On 16 September 2025, the groups held a joint seminar with presentations by Dr Oliver Linder-Patton and Mengmeng Jin on electrode designs for electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Following the seminar, Dr Jinshuo Zou organised a lab tour in A/Prof Mao’s laboratory. Prof Doonan and his team, Dr Tao Li, Yurou Li, Ying Liu, and Dr Linder-Patton, visited facilities for electrode material preparation, CO₂ reduction testing, and battery assembly and evaluation.
Both groups have a strong interest in working together on materials synthesis, characterisation, and electrochemical testing, and their collaboration is expected to create powerful synergy that supports the Centre’s research commitments.
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Science Alive!
A team of GETCO2 researchers from Adelaide and Brisbane showcased the power of catalysis and CO₂ transformation at Science Alive! – the largest, single, interactive, mobile science exhibition in Australia, with around 20,000 visitors. We partnered with The ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science & Innovation under the slogan: Transforming Carbon from Waste To Wonder.
PhD student, Rizal Evans, demonstrated his unique portable CO₂ electrolyser, the largest of its kind, to transform CO₂ into the industrial chemical, formic acid. It drew huge interest from curious kids to tech-savvy adults who asked about global competition, economic feasibility, and how to scale this technology from lab to production.
Our Carbon Science & Innovation colleagues also ran an experiment, showing how catalysts can rapidly transform hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water.
Events like Science Alive! play an important role in our outreach activities, helping to promote GETCO2’s research and inspire the future generation on the journey to a net-zero future.
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ALLCO2 - International CO2 Alliance Conference
We are delighted to announce the dates for the inaugural International CO2 Alliance Conference (ALLCO2) to be held 1-4th November 2026 on the stunning Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
The theme of the conference is ‘Global Solutions for a Carbon-Smart Future’.
We warmly welcome all researchers working on CO 2 capture and utilisation!
Save the dates and learn more on the ALLCO2 website.
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Insights into European Energy Systems
As part of his DAAD Green Hydrogen Fellowship, PhD student Nicolas Paraskevas recently undertook a research internship at the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy Erlangen-Nürnberg ( HI-ERN), focusing on hydrogen-related energy systems. His project involved modelling droplet formation in two-phase systems using advanced simulation techniques. This work is relevant to fuel cells and electrolysers.
One of Nicolas’s highlights was working with researchers from different fields, which gave him new ways to solve problems and a deeper understanding of how theory connects with real-world science.
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Read Nick's travel report >> |
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Research Highlights
Congratulations to:
Professor Yansong Chen
We are proud to congratulate Professor Yansong Shen FTSE on his appointment as one of the newest ATSE Fellows! Professor Shen, Director of the UNSW SCoPE Lab for Green Metals and GETCO2 Chief Investigator is a global leader in computational reacting flows and process metallurgy. He has pioneered high-efficiency solar panel recycling, and his groundbreaking work in low-cost green ironmaking has revolutionised steel plant operations. Professor Shen co-leads GETCO2 Theme 1 – Electrode & Electrolyser.
Dr Ming Yong
Dr Ming Yong recently received the 2024 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, for his PhD research on membrane processes for recovering critical metals. Ming is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation and GETCO2. His current work focuses on developing advanced polymeric membranes for systems that convert CO 2 into useful products. The aim is to increase CO 2 conversion and make the overall process more efficient, which supports the carbon-reduction goal.
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New Centre members
We wish all our new centre members a big welcome to the GETCO2 community:
- Associate Investigator Dr Tomohiro Yasukawa, Monash University
- Associate Investigator Dr Hesamoddin Rabiee, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Associate Investigator Dr Yong Zhao, University of Newcastle
- PhD student Maleeha Jamal, The University of Queensland
- PhD student Gongbo Liu, Monash University
- PhD student Hao Wang, The University of Queensland
- PhD student Liuru Fang, Monash University
- PhD student Chunlu Ding, Monash University
- Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr Jiyuan Liu, The University of Sydney
- PhD student Ying Liu, The University of Adelaide
- PhD student Yurou Li, The University of Adelaide
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Upcoming events
- 17 November 2025: GETCO2 Hackathon Final Training, Q Station, Sydney
- 18-20 November 2025: GETCO2 National Conference & Hackathon Finale, Q Station, Sydney
- 8-11 December 2025: IMSTEC2025, International Membrane Science and Technology Conference, Co-organiser: A/Prof Jingwei Hou, Gold Coast
- 15-20 December 2025: Pacifichem2025, the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, Electrochemical CO2 Capture and Conversion (#CES018); Organisers: Dr Fengwang Li, Prof David Sinton, Assist Prof Dawei Feng, Hawaii
- 1 December 2025: UQ Young ChangeMakers Program workshop: Witness the Impact: Supercomputing for Super Chemistry, UQ, Brisbane
- 19 January 2026: National Youth Science Forum Year 12 Program, laboratory tours, UQ, Brisbane
- 1-4 November 2026: ALLCO2, the inaugural International CO2 Alliance Conference, Gold Coast
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The ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide (GETCO2) is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council.
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The ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which the Centre operates.
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