Recently, Professor Max Lu, Provost and Senior Vice President of the University of Queensland, visited the College of Engineering, Peking University, and gave two invited lectures. Over 50 university teachers and students participated in the communication. The lectures were hosted by Prof. Steven Feng Chen, associate dean of the College of Engineering.

In his first talk “Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Storage: Challenges and Opportunities”, Lu reviewed the advances in using nanomaterials for energy storage, particularly from the materials synthesis and surface chemistry perspectives. Examples of nanomaterials they have developed were used to illustrate the importance of new synthesis method, surface functionalization and hybridization in enhancing energy conversion efficiency or storage capacity and durability.

In his second talk “Towards Excellence in Science: Development of World-Class Scientists”, he addressed the important issues on culture of scientific excellence and integrity, and the significance of mentoring and collaboration in developing world-class scientists with some examples. The key attributes that are necessary for a top researcher were also illustrated.

The lectures generated great interests among the attendees, who raised many related questions, such as academic questions in the fields of materials and energy, as well as on the topics of the growth paths for young researchers and female scientists, and Prof. Lu answered them accordingly.

Professor Max Lu is currently Provost and Senior Vice President of the University of Queensland, and a leading expert in the areas of materials chemistry and nanotechnology in Australia. He is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and Academy of Technological Science and Engineering.

The lectures fell under the umbrella of "Peking University Distinguished Overseas Lectures", an initiative of the university to invite well-known scholars in various disciplines and leaders in cutting-edge fields to give lectures, in order to accelerate the university’s pace towards a world-class institution, strengthen the training of international talents, and enhance the university’s status and influence in the international academic world.