Madia Safdar a Junior Researcher from Lappeenranta University Technology, Finland recently spent time on secondment in Pakistan at both Millennium Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship – MiTE – and DHA Suffa University. Madia chose MiTE and DHA Suffa University for her secondment because of their growing focus on renewable energy research, especially in areas aligned with the COALESCE project, such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and smart grid integration.
Both institutions have active research groups working on energy systems and optimization, faculty with strong academic backgrounds and ongoing collaborations with industry, and a motivated student body eager to engage in applied research using modern tools like Python and simulation software.
Moreover, these institutions offered an excellent opportunity to build international research collaborations, facilitate knowledge exchange, and explore regional energy challenges from a practical and policy perspective. Their openness to collaborative efforts and mutual interest in COALESCE’s themes made them ideal partners for this secondment.
During her research visit to Pakistan under the COALESCE project, Madia engaged in a series of academic and collaborative activities at the two host institutions. At MiTE she worked closely with Dr Kamran Ahsan and Dr Muhammad Azhar Hussain and contributed to the ongoing research in the integration of BESS with renewable energy sources for enhanced grid stability, delivered tutorial lectures on optimization techniques in the energy sector, conducted laboratory sessions involving simulations of optimization applications, and participated in the 1st MiTE International Conference on Evolving Technologies in Computing (MICETC) 2024, where she delivered a keynote talk on ‘Planning and Sizing of BESS to Reduce Demand Charges for Industrial Customers’. She also discussed research directions and potential joint projects with Prof. Kamran Ahsan, Dr Muhammad Azhar Hussain, and Dr Anwar Ahmed Khan.
Meanwhile At DHA Suffa University, Madia held in-depth discussions with Dr Shama Siddique, Dr Sunil Kumar, Dr Mirza Danish, Dr Ahmad Hussain, Engr. Shahnila Badar, and Mrs Aneela Nargis regarding collaborative research in energy systems, conducted lab visits for experimental assessments and academic exploration, delivered a talk on the long-term benefits of BESS optimization, focusing on energy savings and electricity bill reduction, and met with Dewan Motors representatives to discuss practical approaches for battery optimization in industrial settings.
Speaking of her trip Madia said, “This secondment was highly beneficial both for my personal academic growth and the COALESCE project. It allowed me to gain exposure to diverse research environments and methodologies, agreed new collaborations for joint research and academic exchange, and transfer knowledge on optimization techniques and tools to students and researchers. The collaboration also helped broaden the COALESCE network in South Asia and initiate groundwork for future multi-institutional research efforts.”
Next steps include follow-up collaboration with Dr Kamran Ahsan, Dr Ahmad Hussain and Dr Sunil who have shown interest in visiting LUT in the coming months to explore deeper research integration. Dr Anwar Ahmad Khan is also scheduled to visit LUT in September 2025. The team plans to co-develop project proposals targeting battery optimization and smart grid integration, building upon the COALESCE project framework. MiTE and DHA Suffa are also identifying students who can contribute to and benefit from COALESCE-related research opportunities and potential exchange programs.
