On July 11, 2025, Bert Weckhuysen was awarded an honorary professorship at Shanghai University. The conferment ceremony, held in Shanghai (China), opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Chunwei Dong from the International Office of Shanghai University. Following this, Professor Dengsong Zhang, Dean of the Faculty of Science, presented Bert with a commemorative plaque in honor of his achievements in the field of operando spectroscopy.
The event was followed by a plenary lecture by Bert entitled “Operando Spectroscopy of Heterogeneous Catalysts: Foundation, Developments and Applications”, in which Bert addressed his personal operando spectroscopy journey including different applications to allow the conversion of renewable resources, such as carbon dioxide, biomass and plastic waste, into fuels and chemicals. Later, the floor was opened for questions from the students and researchers of Shanghai University.