The JACS Innovation Summit: Pioneering the Future of Chemistry Facing Global Challenges recently took place at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).

Jointly organized by SUSTech and the American Chemical Society Publications (ACS Publications), and hosted by the University’s College of Science, the event brought together leading experts in chemistry alongside the Editors-in-Chief of Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) and JACS Au to explore the future directions of the field and discuss innovative solutions to global challenges.

The opening ceremony featured remarks from Xueming YANG, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Sarah Tegen, Senior Vice President and Chief Publishing Officer at ACS Publications.

Shuhong YU, Academician of the CAS, presided over the ceremony, which was attended by more than 100 faculty members and students from universities and research institutes nationwide.

In his address, Xueming YANG highlighted the strong foundation of collaboration between SUSTech and the ACS, which has already produced meaningful outcomes across various initiatives. He expressed hope for deeper cooperation in talent development and scientific research, and encouraged students and young researchers to actively participate in the discussions, draw inspiration from the exchange of ideas, and push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

Sarah Tegen expressed her gratitude to SUSTech for its longstanding support of the ACS and acknowledged the University’s achievements in recent years. She noted that the summit offers an excellent opportunity for both sides to build on their respective strengths, share resources, and expand their partnership to drive forward scientific innovation.

During the opening ceremony, Xueming YANG and Sarah Tegen signed a memorandum of understanding, marking a new chapter in the collaboration between SUSTech and ACS Publications.

The summit featured keynote presentations from several leading scholars, including Zijian GUO, Academician of the CAS and Professor at Nanjing University; Zhiyong TANG, Academician of the CAS and Professor at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology; Benzhong TANG, Academician of the CAS and Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen); Erick M. Carreira, Editor-in-Chief of JACS; Christopher Jones, Editor-in-Chief of JACS Au; Chengyong SU, Professor at Sun Yat-sen University; Yong CUI, Chair Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Jun LI, Professor at Tsinghua University; and Haiping XIA, Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Executive Dean of the Shenzhen Grubbs Institute at SUSTech. They shared cutting-edge research from their respective fields and engaged in in-depth discussion with attendees.

For the first time in the JACS Innovation Summit series, the event included an academic poster session aimed at supporting young researchers and fostering innovation. Young scholars from institutions including SUSTech, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and Changsha University of Science and Technology showcased their work. Following in-depth exchanges and expert evaluation, five outstanding posters were selected and recognized at the closing ceremony.

As part of a broader academic series co-organized by ACS Publications and leading Chinese institutions, the JACS Innovation Summit provides a platform for presenting groundbreaking work and promoting exchanges across disciplines. This edition of the summit not only advanced international collaboration and interdisciplinary exploration, but also marked a significant step in advancing the high-quality development of the chemistry discipline at SUSTech.