School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Prof Firuz Zare is the Head of School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics and the University Chair of Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research and STEMM Committee at Queensland University of Technology and an Honorary Professor at UQ. He was a discipline leader of Power, Energy and Control Engineering at the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. He is also a Fellow of IEEE - the world’s largest association of technical professionals.
He has spent over 20 years in three main organisations - academia, industry and international standardisation committees as a leader, project manager and senior specialist. Prof Zare has team-building, management and leadership experience in emerging and multidisciplinary research and teaching activities, cross-institutional research and technology projects and national and international standardisation committees.
Prof Zare has been collaborating with several international research centres and industry in Australia, Europe, the USA and Japan in the fields of Energy Conversion Systems and Nanosecond Pulsed Power Technology. His core research areas are:
1) Advanced Power Converter Topology and Control in Grid Connected Renewable Energy, Motor Drives and Energy Storage Systems
2) Electromagnetic Interferences and Harmonics in Power Systems
3) Addressing Standardisation and Emerging Issues of Future Grids
4) Pulsed Power Systems for Bioelectrics and Industrial Applications
He has successfully initiated and established emerging cross and multidisciplinary research activities and groups in Nanosecond Pulsed Power fields since 2007. More specifically, he has published, supervised researchers, secured ARC, NHMRC and industry funds and collaborated with other disciplines in the following areas:
Pulsed Power Technology and Modelling (Electrical Engineering)
NOx, PM, Ozon applications (Chemical and Mechanical Engineering)
Water and wastewater decontamination and pollutant control (Environmental Engineering)
Milk pasteurisation and food processing (Biology, Food and Agriculture)
Dewatering system and coal seam gas applications (Mining and Civil Engineering)
Tissue and cell applications and modellings (Biomedical Engineering)
Biofuel such as Algae and oil extraction (Biotechnology Engineering)
Prof Zare is an academic staff at the University of Queensland in Australia and has published over 280 peer-reviewed journal & conference papers, 40 technical reports and five patents in the area of Power Electronics and Pulsed Power. He has supervised 13 PhD, 10 M.Sc and M.Eng and a high number of B.Eng students to completion. He has mentored and supervised 14 post-docs and research engineers in the field of energy conversion systems. Prof Zare established a joint chapter of the IEEE Power Electronics/Industrial Electronics/ Industry Applications Societies in Queensland in 2017 and has supported the chapter as a committee member till the present.
He has secured several research funds including eight ARCs, one NHMRC and one Danish Research Council competitive research fund and 20 industry-based projects, over AU$ 10M since 2007.
First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2018-2021, LP170100902)
First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2017-2020, LP160101675)
First Chief Investigator, ARC Future Fellowship (2016-2020, FT150100042)
First Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2007-2009, DP0774497)
First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2007-2009, LP0774899)
One of the Chief Investigators, ARC LIEF grant (2008, LE0883074)
First Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2009-2011, DP0986853)
Second Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2010-2013, DP0774092)
First Chief Investigator, the Danish Innovation Fund (2014-2017)
One of the Chief Investigators, NHMRC Idea Grant (2020-2023, APP1182038)
One of the Chief Investigators, Global Innovation Linkage (GIL) Fund (2020-2023)
Prof Zare has received several awards such as:
A paper award in the IEEE 3rd International Conference on “Sustainable Energy and Future Electric Transportation” (SEFET-2023)
The IEEE Industrial Drives Committee Transactions Paper Awards, which recognise the best papers reviewed by the Industrial Drives Committee and published in IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications in 2022
Star Associate Editor Award (2020) by the Editorial Board of the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics
Certificate of Appreciation for Lead Editor Services and Contributions towards the advancement of IEEE Access and the Engineering Professions (April 2020)
One of the high-quality journal papers of May 2019 nominated by the IEEE Power Electronics (TPEL) Committee
The 2015 Innovation and Excellence Awards (the 3rd place) under the 10th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECIE 2015, Italy.
Pasteur Program 2015 leadership program, Harvard Business School in Boston, USA and Denmark, Jan-Dec 2015
Innovation Competition at Danfoss Company in 2015.
Recipient of the National Safe Work Australia Award by Queensland Government, (2011)
Dean’s Commendation Award for high-quality supervision of two PhD graduate students (2011)
Recipient of the Australian Academy of Science International Linkage Fellowship (2010)
Recipient of a prestigious QUT Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowship (2009)
Recipient of the John MadsenMedal from the Australian Institute of Engineers for the best journal paper (2009)
Certificate of Appreciation for an outstanding contribution to symposium workshops and tutorials at Asia-Pacific Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility in conjunction with the 19th International Zurich Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility (Singapore, 2008)
Recipient of QUT Early Career Research Award (2007)
Awarded the Australian Academy of Technological Science Symposium Fellowship by the Australian Academy of Technological Science (2001)
Awarded Cigre student paper prize at AUPEC 2000 conference in Australia (2000)
National and International Assessor:
Australian Research Council
Chilean National Research Agencies
Czech Science Foundation
Dutch Research Council; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) - Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES)
Kyoto Prize Nominator (Lifetime achievement in: Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences and Art; rewards: 100 million yen and a 20-karat 250 g gold medal)
Editorial Membership:
Editor in Chief of International Power Electronics Journal, July 2016 - August 2019
Senior Editor of IEEE Access journal, Jan 2021- present
Associate Editor of IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics, Sep 2014 -present
Associate Editor of IEEE Access journal, Dec 2015-Dec 2020
Associate Editor of IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, March 2020 -present
Associate Editor of MDPI Journal of Electronics, April 2020 -present
Editorial Board member of an International Electronic Engineering Journal (AIMS Press), Sep 2017- present
Editorial Board member of International Power Electronics Journal, August 2019 - present
Guest Editor, IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics, SPECIAL SECTION on Modelling and Analysis of Interaction between Grids and Grid-Connected Power Electronics Converters in Distribution Networks (2020)
Guest Editor, IEEE ACCESS SPECIAL SECTION on POWER QUALITY AND HARMONICS ISSUES OF FUTURE AND SMART GRIDS (2018)
IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics SPECIAL SECTION EDITORIAL Board Member: on Harmonics Stability and Mitigation in Power Electronics (2016)
Memberships
IEEE Fellow for contribution to power converters and leadership role in standardization
Member of Danish Standardization Committee (2013-2016)
Member of International IEC Committee Working groups 1, 8 and 9 (2013-Present)
Member of Australian Standardization Committee (2017-present)
Leadership Training
- Management Essentials, Harvard Business School (Oct-Dec 2020)
Management Essentials provides participants with key tools and techniques to become more effective managers and get things done.
- Technology Leadership, Harvard Business School (Jan-Dec 2015)
Prof Zare has a leadership certificate from Harvard Business School, Boston, USA (Jan-Nov 2015). He was awarded a technology leadership program by the Danish Innovation Council, to attend one year program delivered by Harvard Business School. The goal of this program was to educate innovators on how to develop new technologies. In his leadership roles, he has explored and discussed many challenging issues from project management to academic staff interaction and from different disciplines to maintain and expand collaborations relevant to these themes:
- Strategy & Innovation
- Negotiations, Organizations and Markets
- Commercialising Science
- Project Management
- Leadership & Networking
- Technology Leadership in Denmark (2014)
Industry project management and leadership training - from Lab to Product. Supported by Man on the Moon program at global Danfoss Drive research and development centre.
- Ethos Leadership Program (Feb-Dec 2009)
He has also an Academic Leadership certificate from Ethos Australia.