On October 29, 2024, Professor Richard N. Zare, an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a professor of Stanford University, was appointed as the Yang Shixian Chair Professor of Nankai University. 

The appointment ceremony was held in the auditorium of the Tiannan University Union Building at the Balitai Campus. Professor Zhou Qilin, academician of the CAS Member, director of Yang Shixian Lecture Committee of Nankai University, Professor Chen Jun, academician of the CAS Member, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and vice president of Nankai University, and members of Yang Shixian Lecture Committee attended the ceremony. Chen Jun presented a letter of appointment to Academician Richard N. Zare and presented a bronze statue of Mr. Yang Shixian as a gift. The ceremony was presided over by the head of the School of Chemistry.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Zhou Qilin introduced the academic experience of Academician Richard N. Zare and reviewed his main achievements.

Chen Jun stated that on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the founding of Nankai University, Academician Richard N. Zare has initiated interactive cooperation with Nankai University under the new identity of Professor Yang Shixian, which is of great significance for the development of the chemistry discipline and even the school. Academician Richard N. Zare has long been committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the scientific communities of China and the United States, cultivating a group of high-level Chinese scientific talents, and playing an important guiding role in the scientific and technological development of China's chemical field. 

Academician Richard N. Zare expressed his honour in his speech to be appointed as the Yang Shixian Professor at Nankai University. After the appointment ceremony, he gave an excellent academic report titled From Non life to Life: Untraveling the Origins of Life on Early Earth. 

It is reported that the Yang Shixian Lecture is an important academic lecture system established by Nankai University in 2005 to commemorate Mr. Yang Shixian, the former president, a leading figure in the chemical industry, and a famous educator. The aim is to inherit and promote Mr. Yang Shixian's patriotic and innovative spirit, construct a discipline development concept based on the Yang Shixian Spirit, and continuously promote Nankai University and Nankai Chemistry to make more contributions to the national science and education cause and economic and social development. The Yang Shixian Lecture Professor has become a recognized heavyweight honorary title in the academic community. More than 20 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, Nobel laureates, and other top scientists in the field of chemistry at home and abroad have been appointed as Yang Shixian Lecture Professors, providing assistance and suggestions for the development of Nankai University and Nankai Chemistry.

Academician Richard N. Zare is an internationally renowned physical chemistry and analytical chemist. He is an academician of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an academician of the Academy of Sciences of developing countries, an academician of the World Jewish Academy of Sciences, a foreign academician of the Indian Academy of Sciences, a foreign academician of the Royal Academy of Sciences of the United Kingdom, a foreign academician of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Sweden, and a professor of Stanford University. It has made outstanding contributions and achieved remarkable results in the fields of laser chemistry, and has published more than 1300 papers so far, including 8 in Nature, 32 in Science, 14 in Nature series journals, 50 in JACS, 38 in PNAS, and 19 in Angew. Chem. He has won multiple awards and honours, including the Benjamin Franklin Medal (2023), the National Medal of Science (1983), the Chemistry Award of the National Academy of Sciences (1991), the Outstanding Chemist Award of the American Chemical Society (2002), the Presidential Science Award (2009), and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award of the People's Republic of China (2012).