On Dec. 23, world-renowned physicist Professor Sumio Iijima as well as Japan Academy Fellow, Foreign Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fellow Academician of US National Academy of Sciences visited School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and made a wonderful speech entitled "Discovery of Carbon Nanotubes".

Executive Vice-Dean  of our college Professor ChenJie sheng met Professor Sumio Iijima and his colleagues in the conference room of our college , on behalf of our college , Professor  Chen extended cordial welcome to these distinguished guests and introduced the general situation of our college . Professor  Chen pointed out that with the development of our college  in recent years, every educational indicator of our college  has been enhanced  and we have been maken  every effort to set up the top-ranking chemistry discipline. Professor Sumio Iijima expressed his delightfulness of visiting SJTU, appreciating and experiencing the charm of this century-old famous university,  he  hope  have  more opportunities of academic exchanges with SJTU in the future. Whereafter, Professor Sumio Iijima and the teachers of our college  had a  discussion on the topics of interest with him. 

In the afternoon , Professor Sumio Iijima, as a guest of “Masters’ Lecture in SJTU”, delivering a splendid lecture entitled “Discovery of Carbon Nanotubes”. Before the  this lecture start, Academician Professor Jie Zhang, President of SJTU arrived on the scene and awarded Professor Sumio Iijima the  appoint  certificate on inviting him to be the honorary professor in SJTU.
At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Sumio Iijima mentioned the importance of measuring methods. He introduced the relations among Astronomy, Geology, the scaly structure of butterfly wings and their colors. He stressed that in the process of observing natural phenomena, as a scientist, only being curious and having the determination of getting the root of a matter, he can achieve higher level and  obtain greater accomplishments until  the final success. In order to make the students know the “micro world” of carbon nanotubes better, Professor Sumio Iijima displayed the electron microscopic photographs of metal oxide ceramics and graphene around the year of 1970 with high resolution. The electron microscopic photographs taken by him ,  played an important and direct role in the discovery of C60,  which won the Nobel Prize in 1985. the discovery of carbon nanotubes is accompanied by the discoveries of other nano materials, such as graphene, C60, nanogold, and also by the simultaneous development of the electron microscopy techniques. Professor Sumio Iijima said the discovery of carbon nanotubes was by accident, but there was still inevitability in the “chance”. In the field of observation, chance favors those who are well-prepared. Fools are apt to miss opportunities, while wise men are adept at seizing opportunities, and achievers are good at creating opportunities. Professor Sumio Iijima showed us the process of carbon nanotubes’ growing, moulding, mending and the application of metal catalysts in this process, from which our students appreciated the amazing change of the nanoscale world.
After the lecture, Professor Sumio Iijima left his fingerprint on the hand- board with a good grace and gave the word “challenge” to the students , encouraging them to take adventures and conquer the higher peeks .