In the photo: Team-ENHANCE, TARG’s members and ENHANCE secondees with Prof. Di Zhang.
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EU HORIZON2020 ENHANCE project’s partner from China – Professor Di Zhang from Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) – visited University of South-Eastern Norway’s (USN) Campus Vestfold on 13th of August 2019. The ENHANCE team at USN organized an eventful day for Professor Zhang, with a focus on research cooperation between the two universities.

Professor Di Zhang was greeted by Head of Department of Maritime Operations (IMA) Anne Kari Botnmark and representatives from TARG and USN’s Research and Innovation Unit. Following this, a meeting dedicated to showcase ongoing research at the two institutions was held.

In the photo: Head of IMA, Anne Kari Botnmark, greets Professor Di Zhang.

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The aim of the meeting was to create a better understanding of how TARG and WUT’s National Water Transport Safety Engineering Technology Research Center (WTS) will achieve common goals of the ENHANCE project. Professor Salman Nazir and Associate Professor Steven Mallam presented ongoing research projects in TARG, including the ENHANCE project. Professor Di Zhang presented current research at WTS on maritime autonomy and shore control centres.

The presentations fostered a discussion on how to expand collaboration between the two universities beyond the ENHANCE project.

Two ENHANCE secondees, PhD candidates and Master’s students were also invited and had a chance to listen to the knowledge-exchange and ask questions on the development of the institutions’ cutting-edge research. We hope that this event may affect some of the Masters students to pursue a research career towards the goals of increasing safety and efficiency of maritime and complex processing industries’ operations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


In the photos: Professor Di Zhang presents WUT’s research (left), followed by a questions and answers session (right).

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After lunch, Professor Di Zhang and the two secondees, Charlotte Hohnemann from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Hazel Sivori from Liverpool John Moores University,  visited USN’s maritime simulation facilities and Vestfold Innovation Park, and experienced guided VR training simulation at the TARG VR lab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the photos: Tour of USN’s simulation facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the photos (from the left): Professor Di Zhang, Charlotte Hohnemann and Hazel Sivori are experiencing a VR training simulation.

We are certain that the meeting has created a stronger bond between USN and WUT, which will result in further positive outcomes.

 

In the photos (from the left): Associate Professor Steven Mallam and Professor Salman Nazir with memorable gifts from Professor Di Zhang.

Extra credits to Petter Andreas Kristensen, a Senior Engineer from IMA, for his contribution on technical aspects during the maritime simulations visit and to Thomas Slagsvold, Head of the Research and Innovation Unit, for his peppy greetings to Professor Di Zhang at Vestfold Innovation Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the photos: Petter Kristensen sharing technical details of the simulation park (left), Head of the Research and Innovation Unit Thomas Slagsvold greets Professor Zhang (right).

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project has received funding from
the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the
Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement
No 823904