From May 12 to 14, 2026, the “2026 Element Elite Forum,” hosted by the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, was successfully held in the Academic Lecture Hall on the second floor of Shixian Building at Nankai University. Focusing on frontier directions in organic synthetic chemistry and catalysis, the forum invited more than ten outstanding scholars from leading universities and research institutes in China to share their latest research findings. It built a high-level platform for academic exchange and helped promote interdisciplinary integration and the growth of young talent.
At the opening ceremony of the forum, Prof. Chunming Cui of Nankai University delivered remarks. On behalf of the Laboratory, he extended a warm welcome to all the experts and scholars in attendance. He noted that, as a flagship academic event established by the Laboratory, the Element Elite Forum has always been committed to its goal of “bringing together the wisdom of elite scholars and promoting academic innovation.” The forum is dedicated to providing a platform for young scholars in the field of chemistry to exchange ideas and spark inspiration, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of organic chemistry and catalytic science in China.
The forum featured a rich and diverse program of presentations, covering a wide range of frontier areas, including asymmetric catalysis, weak-interaction catalysis, biomimetic catalysis, transition-metal catalysis, nitrogen conversion, olefin fluorination, and the synthesis of functional polymers. Professor Zhan Lu of Zhejiang University shared his research progress on “Asymmetric Catalysis with Low-Valent Iron-Group Metals”; Professor Yao Wang of Shandong University introduced innovative achievements in “Nonclassical Weak-Interaction Catalysis”; and Professor Xinjiang Cui from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave an in-depth presentation on “Active-Site-Defined Heterogeneous Carbonylation.” Scholars from Nanjing Normal University, Xiamen University, Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, Peking University, and other universities and research institutions also delivered frontier reports in their respective fields, ranging from enzyme-inspired biomimetic catalysis and metallaphotocatalytic hydrogenation to metal chain-walking catalysis and the synthesis of cumulated polyene-based polymers. Together, these presentations offered a comprehensive demonstration of the vitality and innovative dynamism of organic chemistry in China.
The forum was marked by a strong academic atmosphere. The presentations combined theoretical depth with promising application prospects, sparking lively discussions among the participating faculty members and students. During the coffee breaks and luncheon sessions, participants engaged in in-depth exchanges on the presentation topics, research ideas, and potential directions for future collaboration, laying a solid foundation for subsequent inter-institutional cooperation.
As a distinctive academic brand event of the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, the Element Elite Forum has become an important platform for bringing together outstanding scholars in the field of chemistry in China and showcasing cutting-edge research achievements. The successful convening of this forum not only provided young scholars with opportunities to present their work and exchange ideas, but also promoted the integration of different research directions, injecting fresh momentum into the innovative development of organic chemistry and catalytic science in China.
