On the afternoon of October 15th, Prof. Benjamin List, a German chemist and the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was invited to visit Wuhan University of Technology (WUT). He was appointed honorary professor and gave an academic lecture in the auditorium of the West Campus.  

Meng Fangbing, Secretary of the CPC Wuhan University of Technology Committee, attended the appointment ceremony, presented the honorary professor appointment letter to Professor List, and extended a warm welcome to his affiliation on behalf of the university. Luo Rong, Vice President, presided over the ceremony, introducing Professor List's academic background and remarkable achievements, and expressing hopes that he would help advance the university's chemistry discipline to new heights.  

Professor List said that he was deeply honored by the appointment and expressed great admiration for the University's accomplishments in relevant fields. He stated that he would actively promote exchanges and collaboration between the two sides in areas such as scientific research and talent development. Under the theme “Organocatalysis Makes Scents”, Professor List delivered a vivid and insightful academic report to the teachers and students present. He explained the latest research developments in organocatalysis in an accessible manner and engaged in a lively Q&A session with the audience.  

During his visit, Professor List successively toured the School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and the State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures. In warm conversations with teachers and students, he urged them to dedicate themselves to research, highlighting the importance of the younger generation's contributions to advancing global science and technology..  

Responsible persons from relevant university departments attended the appointment ceremony, and nearly 1,000 teachers and students from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, the School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, and other units participated in the event on site.  

It is reported that Professor Benjamin List currently serves as Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Germany. He obtained a master's degree from the Free University of Berlin in 1993, a doctoral degree from Goethe University Frankfurt in 1997, served as an Assistant Professor at Scripps Research in the United States from 1999 to 2003, and has held the position of Director of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research since 2005. Professor List's pioneering work in asymmetric organocatalysis, green and precise synthesis, and other fields has advanced the global development of synthetic chemistry. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his outstanding contributions to "the development of asymmetric organocatalysis".

Written by: Qiao Jiang, Jiang Ning, Kong Qingru

Rewritten by: Lin Qiaochu

Edited by: Li Huihui, Li Tiantian

Source: Personnel Office of WUT, International Office