On May 12, Professor Alexander A. Trifonov, Director of the A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences (INEOS RAS), visited the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry at Nankai University at the invitation of the laboratory. During the visit, he participated in a series of activities including an academic visit, cooperation talks, and a special academic lecture. The visit continued the long-standing academic ties between the two sides spanning more than six decades and established an important international cooperation platform for scientific collaboration and joint talent cultivation in chemistry between China and Russia in the new era.
The A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, founded in 1954, is a national research center dedicated to organoelement chemistry. Its research mainly focuses on the synthetic methods, reaction mechanisms, and applications of organosilicon, organoboron, organophosphorus, and other organoelement compounds and polymers. The institute has long maintained close ties with Nankai University’s chemistry discipline. As early as 1958, when Nankai University was preparing to establish its Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, experts including Academician Kabachnik of the USSR Academy of Sciences visited Nankai University at the invitation of President Shixian Yang to provide academic guidance and exchanges, offering important support for the institute’s establishment and early development. To further implement the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen international scientific cooperation, and promote resource sharing, complementary strengths, and collaborative innovation, the two sides have formally established a new cooperative partnership based on their profound history of collaboration.
That afternoon, the two sides held cooperation talks. Chunming Cui, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, together with members of the laboratory leadership team, attended the meeting. During the talks, both sides introduced their respective progress in discipline development, research platform planning, research directions, and talent cultivation systems. They conducted in-depth discussions on joint scientific research, academic visits and exchanges, and joint talent training, reached broad consensus on future cooperation, and clarified the direction and implementation measures for follow-up collaboration.
Following the talks, the two sides held a cooperation signing ceremony. Chunming Cui and Alexander A. Trifonov signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.
During the visit, Prof. Alexander A. Trifonov was also invited to deliver a lecture in the “Nankai University Lectureship on Organic Chemistry”. He presented a special academic report entitled “η²-Olefin, Acetylene and κ²-Alkane Complexes of s- and f-Elements: New Approaches to Activation of C–C Multiple Bonds” at the lecture hall of Shixian Building. Before the lecture, Chunming Cui presented Prof. Trifonov with a commemorative plaque for the “Nankai University Organic Chemistry Lecture” and expressed appreciation for his visit and academic exchange. In his report, Professor Trifonov focused on research concerning s- and f-block element complexes, systematically introducing new research strategies and cutting-edge achievements in the activation of carbon–carbon multiple bonds, while sharing his team’s innovative breakthroughs in interdisciplinary organic-inorganic chemistry. The lecture was highly forward-looking and offered unique academic perspectives, providing insightful analyses of key research directions and development trends in the field. Faculty members and students engaged actively in discussions throughout the event, creating a vibrant academic atmosphere.
This cooperation signing and academic exchange mark a new stage of regularized and in-depth collaboration built upon more than six decades of academic friendship between the two sides. They also represent an important step for the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry in advancing international openness and cooperation. Looking ahead, the laboratory will continue to strengthen comprehensive and multi-level collaboration with the A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, carry forward their profound academic ties, integrate high-quality research resources, and further enhance the international influence and core competitiveness of organic chemistry at Nankai University.
