On July 6, 2026, the 2026 Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Chemistry "Growing Partners" International Summer School officially commenced at the Lecture Hall of the Zhiyuan College. Hosted by Zhiyuan College, the summer school brings together outstanding undergraduate students from around the globe who share a passion for chemistry, aiming to build an academic platform that integrates cutting-edge exploration, international perspectives, and vibrant youth exchange.
The opening ceremony was attended by Associate Deans Zhou Dongzhuo and Li Qian of Zhiyuan College, Associate Dean Ge Zhilei of the Institute of Translational Medicine, Program Director Yang Li of the Chemistry Division at Zhiyuan College, faculty representatives, distinguished guest lecturers, and more than 60 participants from both China and abroad.
In her welcome address, Associate Dean Li Qian extended a warm greeting to all attendees. She highlighted chemistry as a "central science" that is profoundly driving transformative innovations in energy, materials, environment, and healthcare. She encouraged students to remain curious, dare to ask bold questions, embrace diversity with an open mind, and fully enjoy the learning journey while forging lasting friendships. She expressed her hope that every participant would return with rich rewards from the two-week academic and cultural experience.
Following the address, three distinguished guest lecturers presented the core content and pedagogical arrangements of their respective courses. Professor Jean-Paul Desaulnier from Ontario Tech University introduced Introduction to Chemical Biology and Bio-Organic Chemistry; Associate Professor Qiong Yang from the University of Michigan presented Introduction to Biophysics; and Professor Fuming Tao from California State University, Fullerton outlined Computational Quantum Chemistry. Beyond summarizing course highlights, each professor shared their own educational backgrounds and research interests, encouraging active engagement and networking among participants, and the teaching assistants also interacted with the audiences.
Subsequently, Fan Wenfang, Assistant Researcher and Coordinator of Cooperation & Echange of Zhiyuan College, provided a detailed briefing on crucial guidelines, campus life, and essential safety guidelines.
Immediately following the brief opening ceremony, the summer school launched its first academic lectures. Professor Zhong Dongping delivered a talk titled Femtochemistry and Femtobiology, systematically presenting the groundbreaking applications of femtosecond laser technology in observing ultrafast chemical reaction dynamics and biomolecular energy transfer. He demonstrated how this technology offers novel insights into energy migration, chemical bond breaking, and formation at the molecular scale. Professor Qiu Huibin followed with a lecture on Living Self-Assembly From Solution to Interface, elaborating on surface-initiated crystallization-driven self-assembly strategies for constructing functional soft-matter nanoarrays and exploring their innovative potential in catalysis, sensing, and energy applications. Both cutting-edge presentations sparked lively interest and discussion among the participants.
After the lectures, all faculty and students gathered in the lobby of Zhiyuan College for a shared lunch, enjoying a relaxed atmosphere that facilitated further conversation and quickly bridged distances among attendees from diverse backgrounds.
The 2026 summer school runs for two weeks, from July 5 to July 19, with all courses and activities conducted in English. In addition to 48 credit-hours of professional courses and a series of frontier academic lectures, the program features carefully curated activities including a Shanghai city tour, immersive Chinese traditional culture experiences, and campus sports and social events. As the inaugural chemistry summer school, it continues Zhiyuan College’s hallmark educational philosophy of openness, interdisciplinary exchange, and internationalization, dedicated to providing an inclusive space where students from varied cultural and disciplinary backgrounds can engage in equal dialogue and intellectual collision, fostering mutual growth and lifelong partnerships.