Page 1 | Referee Report Form (HDR04). Last updated August 2018.

HDR04

Higher Degrees by Research Referee Report Form

Form to be completed by a referee for a Domestic Applicant only. Please do not return this form to the applicant once complete. Return the form by email to research.degrees@cdu.edu.au with the applicants name in the subject field.

CONFIDENTIAL

SECTION 1 APPLICANT’S DETAILS

Family Name: Cooper Given Name: Afsaneh

Degree program applied for PhD

Field of study eLearning / Education / Mechanical Engineering / Energy Storage by Flywheel for Wind Turbine, Rail car / CAD

x x

Applying for a scholarship? Yes No Applying as an International student? Yes No

SECTION 2 REFEREE’S DETAILS

Referee’s name: Pourabdolrahim, Title (Dr, Prof, etc.) Dr

Position: previous Manager of Machine Design Department at IROST in Tehran-Iran

Institution: Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology [IROST]

Postal address: Gertrud-Grunow-Str. 46, in 80807 Munich, Germany

Phone: +49 89 320 1525, Email: pour@mnet-online.de

Relationship to the applicant: Her Supervisor at work

How long have you known the applicant? Since 1980 so far x Professional knowledge of the applicant : Very Good Adequate Incomplete

SECTION 3 REPORT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND RESEARCH POTENTIAL

Please rank the applicant’s abilities in the following areas (1=Lowest, 5 =Highest)

Does/will applicant have qualifications equivalent to a First Class Honours degree? x Yes No

Technical competence in proposed field [based on her 3 years full time research in mechanical engineering in Iran [1980-1984], her PhD study in Flywheel design for wind turbine [2.75 EFTSL], 45 Units she studied in Education

4.5

Command of research techniques [3 years research in Iran as engineer, 1.5 years thesis by research in MSc degree course of 3.5 years full time, 2.75 years full time in PhD course=8 years research experience

5

Command of Information Communication Technology, including literature searching [1.5 years CAD Software for standard Gearboxes, 1.5 years CAD for flight vehicle software writing, 4 Units in CAD at college [TAFE] level studied, 10 Units at college [TAFE] in Certificate IV in Training & Assessment for teaching CAD by video recording [18 videos produced], designing and maintaining 4 websites two in mechanical / renewable engineering [www.ewindfly.net], Study of 7 units in Project Management practice which all is IT based.

5

Outstanding written communication skills in English [she has studied 7.5 years in tertiary curses including three incomplete post graduate courses full time in Australia, one of these is PhD course]

4

Outstanding verbal communication skills in English [she has lived since 1988 so far in Australia among her Australian family of 3-4]

5

Ability to meet imposed deadlines and persevere to task completion [in Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology she was always at work full time and worked over time and met all deadlines.]

3

Ability to interact positively with professional/academic peers She does her research work and is devoted to it 4

Ability to work independently 4

Ability to develop original ideas and hypotheses: She has Master’s degree [3.5 years full time course] including 320 pp thesis book, from Shiraz University.

4

Overall ranking of your support for this applicant: Outstanding academic record, based on her MSc degree

(MSc GPA=74% MSc thesis 83%) 3,7

Page 2 | Referee Report Form (HDR04). Last updated August 2018.

Please comment briefly on the applicant’s publication record.

She wrote a book of about 200 pages about her research supervised by me including 11 reports for the software she wrote for CAD in Standard gears. This was published only for Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology internal use such as library and was used to manufacture standard gear boxes. Publication in 1980-1983 was not the focus of the research but the focus was to write the software for design of Gears fore manufacturing gear boxes.

SECTION 4 REFEREE’S WRITTEN REPORT

Please comment on the specific academic strengths of this applicant.

Afsaneh’s strength is in her punctuality, organizational skills, focusing on research task ending to its completion as her PhD was interrupted by birth of her third baby by Caersarean operation 1994, she has not given up her PhD since then and always since 2016 so far has been filing application in universities to complete her PhD course to success. Afsaneh is persistent in her research work. Her curiosity is outstanding which is excellent for a researcher. She has slides showing she managed her tenants to build the car port to install wind turbine on its top and put their slides in her website. She managed her contractors to install 5 KW solar power on top of the roof of her home and those slides shows this. She wrote 1500 lines computer program at Iranian Research organization for Science and Technology for designing gears.

Please comment on the research potential demonstrated by this applicant. Please attach additional pages if necessary.

Since during 1980-1983 Iranian Universities were shut down for Cultural Revolution for 2.5 years, Afsaneh spent all this period at various research Centres in Iran supervised by academics like me, Dr Pirooz Deravi and others to do research work in Mechanical Engineering. She showed a very high level of enthusiasm in research work to find out how to formulate Gear calculations into algorithm and subroutines and create a software to design gears. That task was industrial based as well.

If you are not able to assess the applicant’s ability on all aspects of academic performance and research potential, please advise

the applicant that you cannot act as a referee.

Sorry Afsaneh sent this to me by email on time but I delayed due to becoming disappointed as she had asked me too much to send referee report and eventually her persistence in finding PhD supervisor made me to delay her referee report. I wrote many referee report for her and sent them to universities since 2017 so far.

Referee’s signature Date: November 2018

Charles Darwin University values your assistance and would like to thank you for your time and effort in providing this reference.

NOTES FOR THE REFEREE’S REPORT FORM

1. Applicants for Doctoral and Master by Research candidature

and/or Postgraduate Scholarship are required to nominate

two Referees who are prepared to support their application(s).

These Referees must be familiar with the applicant’s academic

achievements and research background. It is recommended

that one referee be the supervisor of your most recent

tertiary program.

2. Applications cannot be considered without Referee’s Reports.

3. The applicant is to complete Part ONE of two copies of the

REFEREE REPORT FORM and forward a copy to each Referee.

The Referee is requested to complete the remaining sections

of the form and return it directly and promptly to the Office of

Research and Innovation, Charles Darwin University, Darwin

NT 0909. Email: research.degrees@cdu.edu.au

4. The purpose of the report is to elicit information on the

applicant’s eligibility and readiness for a higher degree by

research program and, in the case of scholarship applicants,

information which will assist in their ranking.

5. The Referee’s comments on the applicant’s qualifications,

experience and research potential make a significant

contribution to assessing an application for candidature.

6. Charles Darwin University is committed to ensuring the

privacy of all information it collects. This report will be treated

as confidential and is not intended to be made available to

the applicant. However, it must be noted that an application

through the Freedom of Information Act may result in the

student gaining access to the report.

7. Do not return the completed form to the applicant.

Please email to research.degrees@cdu.edu.au and put the applicant’s name in the subject field.

Referee Report Form Version 2: updated 13/6/17 Page 1 of 2

Referee Report for admission and/or scholarship Applicant: complete section A, then email the form to your academic referee. Once you have received the completed form back from your referee, you are required to upload the report to your on-line application. Note: For currently enrolled Monash HDR students, one of the reports must be obtained from your current main supervisor.

Section A: (To be completed by applicant) Application ID No:

Surname of Applicant: Given Names:

Monash Academic Unit: Degree: Name of Referee: Position Title:

Section B: Report of Referee In what capacity do you know the applicant?

For the course in which you taught or supervised the applicant, what is the final grade/level of honours obtained by the applicant? If the applicant is currently completing the course, what overall grade/level of honours are they likely to obtain?

Are the results indicated above predicted or actual? Predicted Actual

If applicable, what is the applicant’s overall GPA?

What percentage of the degree course was the research/thesis component of the course?

If applicable, how was the research component assessed? (eg one or two examiners, internal or external examiners)

In relation to other PhD or masters by research candidates known to you, how would you rate the applicant’s academic performance and research potential? Excellent (top 5%) Very Good (top 10%) Good (top 25%) Fair (top 50%) Weak

Based on your knowledge of the applicant’s academic performance and research potential, your support is: Unreserved Strong Fairly Strong Moderate Nil

Please give your appraisal of the applicant in terms of the qualities listed below. Rate the applicant in comparison to other students you have supervised/taught.

Excellent Very Good

Good Fair Weak Unable to judge

Ability to organise and express ideas Critical and analytical ability Initiative and motivation Ability to plan and complete work Ability to meet deadlines Knowledge of the field or discipline Imagination and creativity Capacity to work without close supervision Ability to write coherently in English

Referee Report Form Version 2: updated 24/8/17 Page 2 of 2

Please add further comments which you think will assist in assessing the applicant for admission and/or a highly competitive research scholarship.

Signature: Date:

Please return the completed form back to the applicant.

Thankyou for completing this referee’s report: your assistance in the selection of Monash University research candidates for admission and/or scholarship is greatly appreciated. Please note that the academic unit may contact you for further information on the applicant if required.

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Academic Referee Report To support Research Degree Application for Admission and/or Scholarship

CRICOS Provider Code: 00121B

Instructions for Referee Thank you for agreeing to complete this form on behalf of the applicant. Referee reports are used for ranking purposes and are highly regarded. It is essential that ALL sections are completed carefully, sections E and F are particularly important for scoring purposes. Timeline It is important that the Graduate Research Admissions team receives your report within five working days of the applicant submitting their online application form. If we do not receive your report within this timeframe the applicant may be disadvantaged. Submitting a report

• All referee reports should be signed and stamped with an official stamp from your university/institute

• Reports submitted from non-official email accounts (such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail etc.) will not be accepted unless the report is signed and stamped with an official stamp from your institute/place of employment.

Please email your completed referee report to the Graduate Research Admissions team at: research.referees@unisa.edu.au Alternatively, you may wish to post a copy of your report directly to:

Graduate Research, Admissions Team: Student and Academic Services University of South Australia GPO Box 2471 Adelaide SA 5001 Australia

Please note: Your referee report will not be accepted if sent directly from the applicant. If you have any queries, please contact the Graduate Research Admissions team: research.degrees@unisa.edu.au

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SECTION A: Research degree applicant’s details

FAMILY name: Cooper

OTHER name(s): Afsaneh, [maiden name: Motamedi]

Application number (if known): 233143

SECTION B Referee’s details

Referee's full name and title: Dr. Rahim Pourabdolrahim

Referee's position: General Manager (pensioner)

University/organisation: BMW Munich

School or department: Power Train

Address: Gertrud-Grunow-Str. 46

80807 Muenchen

Email: pour@mnet-online.de

Telephone: +4989 320 1525 Facsimile:

SECTION C: Knowledge of the applicant

How long have you known the applicant?

0-3 months 3-6 months 6-12 months 1-2 years >2 years

Prior to undergraduate (U/G) study

During undergraduate study (including honours)

Since completing U/G. study (excluding P/G study)

During postgraduate study

Since completing postgraduate (P/G) study

In what capacity have you known the applicant? (you may select more than one box)

Lecturer Masters (Coursework) Supervisor

Course Coordinator/Program Director Research Degree Supervisor

Head of School/Department Examiner of the applicant’s thesis

Honours Supervisor Other (please specify):

What is your professional knowledge of the applicant?

Thorough Very good Adequate Poor/Limited

SECTION D: Applicant’s academic performance

Based on the quality of the completed work, what is the applicant’s academic standard?

Outstanding Exceptional Very Good Good Adequate Poor

Please complete the relevant sections below

Honours result:

Have you known the applicant during their Honours degree/program? No Yes

Has the applicant already obtained an actual Australian Honours result? Unknown No Yes

If Yes, please indicate the level of Honours achieved:

Honours 1 Honours 2A Honours 2B Failed Didn’t complete

3

SECTION D: Applicant’s academic performance (continued)

Please complete the relevant sections below

Honours equivalence/postgraduate performance:

Are you familiar with the applicant's performance during postgraduate study? No Yes

If Yes, please indicate course of study:

Masters by Research

Masters by Coursework

Postgraduate Diploma

Other (please specify):

If you are familiar with the Australian Honours system, please indicate your assessment of the applicant's performance in postgraduate study in terms of equivalence to the Australian system of Honours. Please expand on your assessment in Section G.

Honours 1

Honours 2A

Honours 2B

Failed

Didn’t complete

SECTION E Potential research

Please rate the applicant’s performance in the areas listed below in relation to ALL potential postgraduate research students you have known. Please select the most appropriate box in each area. The numbers appearing in brackets indicate the points that will be allocated in determining the ranking. The shaded areas do not influence the points used in the ranking. Performance

AREA Unknown Poor

Bottom 40% (0)

Average Top 60%

(1)

Good Top 25% (2)

Very good Top 10% (3)

Exceptional Top 5%

(4)

Outstanding Top 2%

(5)

Creative ability

Initiative

Persistence

Critical and conceptual ability

Ability to communicate with others

Ability to work as a member of a

team

Definitions:

Creative ability: ability to develop original ideas, hypotheses, and to write original compositions

Initiative: ability to embark on new ideas or approaches without prompting

Persistence: ability to persevere

Critical and conceptual ability: ability to analyse information and understand arguments, form ideas and build on them

Ability to communicate with others: both written and spoken

Ability to work as a member of a team: ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others

4

SECTION F: Ability to complete the Higher Degree by Research

Please indicate whether you consider the applicant will complete their research degree within time, taking into account their ability to plan, keep to a schedule and persevere in difficult circumstances. In Australia candidates are expected to complete within 4 years for a Doctorate and within 2 years for a Masters by Research.

Please select ONE box only: Applicant for PhD

Applicant for Masters

I do not expect the candidate will complete

I expect the candidate to experience considerable difficulties in completing

I expect the candidate to complete, but may experience some difficulties

I am confident that the applicant will complete

I have no reservations that the applicant will complete and produce an excellent research thesis

SECTION G: Explanatory comments

Please use this space if you wish to clarify any of the statements in this report and to give reasons if, in your opinion, an applicant’s research potential is not indicated by their academic record. If more than one applicant for the same course at UniSA has asked you for a report, it would help us if you would rank the applicants in the space below. We welcome any other comments you may wish to make that may assist UniSA in assessing the applicant. Please include another page if you wish.

Academic referee:

Signature Printed Date

University/Employer Authenticity Stamp

THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND DOCTORAL REFEREE’S REPORT

NAME of Applicant: Afsaneh Cooper [maiden Name: Afsaneh Motamedi]

REFEREE’S DETAILS:

Name: Dr. Rahim Pourabdolrahim

Organisation: BMW Munich (1987 – 2008)

Position: General Manager (Pensioner), R&D Power Train

Length of time you have known the Applicant: about 3 years

Capacity in which you have known the Applicant: Research Degree Supervisor

Number of candidates you have supervised to date: 4

Please rate the applicant’s potential to successfully complete a doctoral researchdegree:

Top5%

Top15%

Top30%

Top50%

Lower50%

NotKnow

n

Intellectual ability

Research ability

Academic standard

Ability to transfer knowledge

Resourcefulness / creativity

Independence and initiative

Adaptability to new situations

Personal integrity

Potential for future contribution in field

Please attach a letter commenting on the applicant’s achievements to date and your perception of their ability to undertake doctoral level research.

When completed, please scan or post a copy of this report with your letter to:

The Manager, School of Graduate StudiesThe University of Auckland

Thank you for your assistance

PO Box 92019Auckland 1142, New Zealand Email: postgraduate@auckland.ac.nz

Thank you for your assistance

Dr. Rahim PourabdolrahimKönigsbergerstr. 6285748 Garching / MünchenGERMANY

13.09.2012

This is a translation of the letter of reference, which I wrote for Ms. Afsaneh Motamedi (Cooper) inAugust 1984. (See addendum, the original in German).

Letter of reference

Ms. Motamedi has been working from September1981 to January1984 as a Trainee

Graduate Student and from February 1984 to August 1984 as Project Engineer in the

Machine Design Department of l.R.O.S.T. (lranian Research Organisation for

Science & Technology).

ln this period of time Ms. Motamedi learned the basics of gear calculation and gear

manufacturing. One of her tasks was to create a computer program in FORTRAN for

calculation of gear geometry and gear stress according to the methods of.NIEMANN". She completed the task to our utmost satisfaction. During this time she

became also acquainted with the design and calculation of hydraulic components.

Ms. Motamedi is a hard working, well organized person. Apart of her punctuality she

is characterized by her perseverance and enthusiasm to her tasks. She plans to

complete her academic studies abroad.

We wish her success.

.rQ*(Dr. R. Pourabdolrahim)

Machine Design Department

IRAI-IIAN RESEARCH ORGANIZATION

FOR §CIENCE & TECHNOLOGY(I)

hlamic Rtp*blh ot Iran

Frau }lotamediund seit ( Feb. 1984 )

der Iranian Research

Your rcf:

Our ref :

I)ate : Aug. 1984

ZEUGI{IS

arbeitete vom ( Sep. 1981 ) bis ( Jan.1984) als Praktikantinals projektlngenleurin irn " I\'Iachlne Deslgn Department "Organization for Sclence and Technology.

In der zeit threr Beschäftigung lerrrte Frau l\'Iotamedi die Grundlagen der

Zahnradberechnung und - herstellung kennen . Die Aufstellung eines Rechenpro-

gramms in FOltTltAN zur Berechnung der Zahnradgeornetrie und zur Featigkelts-berechnung der Zahnräder nach " Nieman " wer eine lhrer Aufgaben , die eie

eu rneiner vollen zufriedenheit löste . In dieser zeit konnte sie ausserdem einen

Einblick in die fonstruktlon und Elerechnung von äIhydraulischen Elementengewinnen ,

Lrle überaus fleiesige Ingenieurin zeichnet sich durch thre Ausdauer tn der

Lösungsfindung , pünt<ttictrtceit und Ordnung aus . Sie beabslchtigt ihr weiteresStudium im Aueland durchzuführen.Ich vünsclre lhr viel Erfolg "

fr-,---['.,Jrt,-L-.Dr.-.Ing. R. Pourabdolrahim )

Machlne Design Department

P. O, Bor 3l'l,Il72{ TEIIRT\N' l3l{6,IRAN A,l.! :