Today I was picked up at my accommodation by Professor Tie-Zhen Ren, and we battled the traffic to drive across town to Hebei Polytechnic University where she is based. Although Hebei Polytechnic University was noticeably less well funded and less prestigious than Nankai University, the staff and students were particularly welcoming and there was a large turnout to see my lecture. Before arriving in China I had provided the title of three possible lectures to all the Universities I was visiting, however virtually all of them asked to see my presentation on MOF chemistry. It seems that this field of chemistry has really taken off in China with many groups involved in research on crystal engineering, coordination polymers and MOFs. I am feeling confident that as a result of my trip I will be able to forge several new research collaborations in this area.
After my lecture I was able to talk informally to some of the undergraduate students and give them some advice and help with specific problems they were encountering, such as determining the topology of networked materials. I always enjoy talking to keen and enthusiastic students, and this was no exception. I also had a good chat with some of the staff about challenges facing academics the world over – namely funding and publications! I was very pleased to be able to recommend the RSC publications to them, not least because the RSC was sponsoring my trip to China, but also since the RSC now have several permanent offices in China and a constantly growing number of editors and reviewers based in the country.
In a change from the usual Chinese food, for dinner we went to a boutique pizza restaurant. This choice was particularly well received by Professor Ren’s young son who joined us, since pizza was one of his favourite foods (and mine too!).