On Monday, April 14, Utrecht University and East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) held a ceremony to celebrate their academic collaboration, started in June 2024 by establishing a joint research center (JRC). The delegation from ECUST was headed by ECUST Vice President Prof. Li Chunzhong. Utrecht University hosts were Prof. Bert Weckhuysen, an honorary ECUST professor, and Prof. Isabel Arends, the Dean of the Faculty of Science.
The ECUST-UU JRC for Sustainable Chemistry and Chemical Engineering targets scientific cooperation by initiating joint research projects and training the next generation of scientists in the areas of plastic waste and biomass conversion, as well as carbon dioxide valorization. The goal is to build the so-called refinery of the future, and by doing so, make our society more sustainable and ultimately circular.
Prof. Isabel Arends opened the event with a welcome address, followed by Prof. Weckhuysen’s presentation on the significance of this ECUST-UU partnership. The ceremony featured the unveiling of a memorial plaque for the UU-ECUST JRC and an official photo moment commemorating the relationship between the two institutions.
The ECUST’s delegation presented an introductory video of their university, followed by additional presentations by Prof. Yuan Yuan on the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Prof. Song Zhen on the School of Chemical Engineering, and Jiang Yihui on ECUST’s Summer School program. Several Utrecht University researchers also delivered three scientific presentations highlighting a part of the research activities within the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group of Utrecht University.
The meeting was closed with Prof. Arends’ concluding remarks. Attendees enjoyed a DomUnder of Utrecht tour and a Faculty Club dinner, joined by Utrecht University Vice-Rector Professor Ted Sanders.
The event reinforced both institutions’ commitment to international academic cooperation and scientific advancement in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.
