The NTU Raymond Soong Chair Professorship of Distinguished Research was established in 2023 through the generous endowment of Mr. Raymond Soong, founder of Lite-On Group. Following NTU’s participation in the “TAIWAN BRIDGES Program” from 2025 to 2026, the lecture series will continue to bring internationally renowned scholars and Nobel Laureates to NTU to share their cutting-edge research, foster academic dialogue and international exchange, and broaden the global perspectives of the NTU community. This lecture will feature Professor Omar M. Yaghi, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, who will share his groundbreaking research and scholarly insights. All NTU faculty, staff, and students are warmly invited.
● Information:
Speaker: Professor Omar M. Yaghi
Topic: Selection Science for Our Planet
Date: 10:00-11:30, Oct. 15th (Thu.), 2026
Venue: NTU Shih-Liang Chien Lecture Hall, 2nd floor, Zonghe Lecture Building
Language: English
● Introduction:
Prof. Omar M. Yaghi has previously spent many years at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was appointed a University Professor in 2025. He is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences. Widely recognized as a pioneer of reticular chemistry and the inventor of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), he was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Richard Robson and Susumu Kitagawa.
Prof. Yaghi developed key porous crystalline materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), enabling scientists to design and assemble three-dimensional structures with ultrahigh internal surface areas at the molecular scale, much like building with blocks. By pioneering robust secondary building units (SBUs) and the concept of reticular chemistry, he combined metal ions and organic linkers through strong bonds. This not only overcame the long-standing hurdles of structural fragility and collapse seen in traditional coordination polymers, but also opened up entirely new microscopic material frontiers such as molecular weaving.
Reticular chemistry has empowered researchers to engineer custom materials tailored to specific applications, delivering breakthrough solutions for carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and clean fuel storage, and even harvesting drinking water directly from arid desert air. This technology has since laid the foundation for modern environmental sustainability, clean energy development, and materials science, and its recent integration with artificial intelligence (AI) continues to push the boundaries of research as humanity tackles the urgent challenges of global climate change and resource scarcity.
● Activity Process:
09:20 - 10:00: Registration and Admission
10:00 - 10:05: Introduction
10:05 - 11:05: Speech Start
11:05 - 11:25: Questions & Answers
11:25 - 11:30: Trophy Presentation and Group Photo Session
● Note:
1. Link:
https://my.ntu.edu.tw/actregister/sessionList.aspx?actID=20263700_13
https://forms.gle/N53BCGNN5wQ9u1GX6
If you are an external participant using our school's activity registration system for the first time, please go to the homepage to apply for an account and password. Alternatively, external participants can use a dedicated form.
2. We have an open quota of 400 participants. Please register using our school's activity registration system. If you cannot attend, please cancel your registration as soon as possible.
3. Civil servants can register for Government Employee Lifelong Learning for 2 hours. For students, this learning record will be linked to their ePo.
Contact: Mr. Yu, Center for General Education, NTU (Phone: 02-3366-2545 #242; Email: tzuhungyu@ntu.edu.tw)