Recently, Professor Yuly Kusumawati from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in Indonesia visited our university to deliver a lecture. Professor Kusumawati engaged with our faculty and students on the application of photocatalytic materials in hydrogen production and sustainable energy. Her lecture was titled "Photo(electro)catalytic Materials for Sustainable Hydrogen Production." The seminar was chaired by Professor Jizhou Jiang from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and was attended by several faculty members including Professor Yang Xia from the School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Professor Jiangbo Xi from the School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Professor Liuyong Hu and Professor Xiang Peng from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, along with over sixty graduate students.

In her lecture, Professor Yuly Kusumawati centered on the frontier research of photocatalytic hydrogen production and functional materials. Starting from the fundamental design logic of nanostructured semiconductor materials, she addressed underlying scientific issues such as the precise regulation of band structures, the controlled synthesis of micro-morphologies, and the rational design of surface defects, systematically elucidating the intrinsic mechanisms governing the generation, separation, and transport of photogenerated charge carriers, and clarifying the structure-activity relationship between the intrinsic structure of materials and their catalytic performance. Building on this foundation, she further extended to diversified technical pathways for optimizing photocatalytic performance, delving into the technical principles and application potential of cutting-edge strategies such as heterojunction interface engineering, cocatalyst modification, and the synergistic enhancement of reaction systems. These insights offered fresh approaches for overcoming the current efficiency bottlenecks in photocatalytic hydrogen production and advancing the technology toward practical application. The entire exchange was anchored in probing the fundamental scientific questions while also addressing the industrial demands of green hydrogen production, clearly demonstrating the significant value of this research direction in the sustainable development of hydrogen energy.

After the lecture, the attending faculty and students engaged in an in-depth and lively discussion with Professor Yuly Kusumawati. They raised questions about their own research topics, focusing on frontier scientific issues in photocatalysis and practical technical difficulties in material preparation. Professor Kusumawati answered each question in detail, drawing on her profound academic expertise and rich research examples to clarify thoughts and point directions for the participants. The entire exchange was filled with a vibrant academic atmosphere. This face-to-face discussion not only helped resolve practical puzzles encountered during their research but also opened up new perspectives and ideas for their future scientific work.

This exchange combined both academic depth and broad cooperation potential, featuring the sharing of cutting-edge material design theories as well as practical planning for collaborative pathways. It will help both sides fully grasp international frontier research ideas and lay a solid foundation for future international project cooperation.