Nankai University recently held an appointment ceremony to officially engage internationally renowned chemist Professor Javier Garcia-Martinez, former President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), as a visiting professor. Academician Chen Jun, Vice President of Nankai University, attended the ceremony and presented the appointment certificate, while leaders from the College of Chemistry, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and representatives of faculty and students witnessed this significant occasion.

(Fig 1. A CAS member, Vice President of Nankai University Prof.Chen Jun, on the right.)

Academic Leader Joins to Empower Internationalisation of Nankai's Chemistry Discipline

Professor Javier Garcia-Martinez is a global authority in nanomaterial chemistry and green catalysis. Currently a Professor at the University of Alicante in Spain and founder of Rive Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he also serves as a member of the Science Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and an Honorary Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society. He pioneered novel mesoporous molecular sieve catalyst technologies that significantly enhance efficiency in energy conversion and chemical production, with applications widely adopted in clean energy and environmental protection. Additionally, he has long championed global collaboration in chemical sciences, leading IUPAC's support for Nankai University to host the 54th International Chemistry Olympiad and advocating for chemistry-driven sustainable development at international platforms such as the Davos Forum.

(FIG 2, Professor Garcia-Martinez's talk on Technologies that Are Reshaping Science, Industry, and the Economy at Shixian Buidling)

The head of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange praised Professor Garcia-Martinez's academic achievements and global influence in his address, stating, Nankai's chemistry discipline is advancing toward its 'Double First-Class' construction goals, focusing on cutting-edge fields like green chemistry and carbon neutrality. Professor Garcia-Martinez's appointment will further strengthen our international collaboration networks in catalysis science and sustainable technologies, providing a bridge for faculty and students to engage with world-leading scholars. 

Deepening China Collaboration, Summer School Kicks Off Academic Extravaganza

Before the appointment ceremony, Professor Garcia-Martinez had already immersed himself in Nankai University's 2025 International Frontier Summer School teaching and research activities. From June 3 to July 20, he taught a fully international credit course titled Chemistry for the Future: New Chemical Technologies for a Sustainable Future, systematically covering circular chemical design, green catalytic processes, and chemical solutions for energy transition. The course incorporated presentations and group discussions to foster students' innovative and practical capabilities.

(Fig. 3. Professor Garcia-Martinez teaches  Chemistry for the Future: New Chemical Technologies for a Sustainable Future to chemistry undergraduate students and research students)

Additionally, Professor Garcia-Martinez delivered a keynote speech at the Nankai University Foreign Experts Lecture Series, titled Technologies Reshaping Science, Industry, and the Economy. Drawing on his leadership experience at IUPAC, he urged chemists to break traditional paradigms and achieve efficient resource utilisation through atomic-level precision design. The global climate crisis and energy transition urgently require chemists to shift from 'linear models' to 'circular models,' with China's innovations in green technologies leading this transformation, he emphasised. He particularly highlighted Nankai University's research achievements in CO2 catalytic conversion and hydrogen storage, expressing anticipation for future industry-academia-research collaborations with the team.

International Chemistry Community Takes Notice, Nankai's Globalisation ******** Advances Further
The appointment has garnered widespread attention in the international academic community. The university further expanded its International Frontier Summer School curriculum by inviting scholars from institutions such as the University of Oxford and the UCL to offer interdisciplinary courses, nurturing students into innovative talents with global competencies.

（Fig 4. Dr. J.L. Kiappes, guest professor at Nankai University, Chair of IChO, teaches at Nankai University's 2025 International Frontier Summer School.)

(Photo by Ma Feihe, Dong Xiaofang, trans. Li Jing)