7月8日上午，欧洲科学院院士、全球催化、生物质领域权威专家Bert Sels教授应张香平院长和张振磊老师的邀请访问中国石油大学（北京）化学工程与环境学院，在化工楼B403会议室作题为《催化推动循环经济：生物质转化前沿进展》的学术报告。本次报告由化学工程与环境学院院长姜桂元教授主持，几十名师生积极参与。
Sels院士现任比利时鲁汶大学CSCE研究中心主任，2021年起连续入选科睿唯安全球高被引学者，在《Science》《Nature》等顶刊发表论文400余篇，持有40余项专利，并联合创立分子筛技术企业Zeopore。报告中，他系统阐释了催化技术在生物精炼中的核心作用，重点介绍其团队开发的"木质素优先"生物精炼技术（RCF）的创新突破。该技术通过耦合技术经济分析（TEA）与生命周期评估（LCA），实现了独特木质素油和高纯度纸浆的联产，为生物质资源高值化利用开辟新路径。
在讨论环节，姜桂元院长和张振磊老师代表学院向Sels院士致谢，并组织师生就技术产业化关键问题展开深度交流。与会者聚焦反应放大、工业化、产物的手性问题等方向踊跃提问，Sels院士结合其团队在沸石催化体系、生物质转化和碳循环领域的二十年研究积累，给出了具有实践指导意义的解决方案。
本次学术交流有效促进了本学院在绿色催化与可持续发展领域与国际顶尖团队的对话合作，为推进"双碳"目标下的科技创新注入新动能。
On the morning of July 8, Professor Bert Sels, Academician of the European Academy of Sciences and a globally renowned authority in catalysis and biomass research, visited the College of Chemical Engineering and Environment at China University of Petroleum (Beijing) upon the invitation of Dean Xiangping Zhang and Professor Zhenlei Zhang. He delivered an academic lecture titled "Advancing the RCF lignocellulose Biorefinery: From Molecula!Insights to Practical Safer Applcation" . The lecture was chaired by Professor Guiyuan Jiang, Dean of the College, with active participation from dozens of faculty members and students.
Academician Sels currently serves as Director of the CSCE Research Center at KU Leuven and has been consecutively recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2021. With over 400 publications in top-tier journals such as Science and Nature, 40+ patents, and co-founding the molecular sieve technology company Zeopore, he systematically elucidated the pivotal role of catalysis in biorefining during his lecture. He highlighted the groundbreaking innovations of his team’s "lignin-first" biorefinery technology (RCF), which couples techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to enable the co-production of unique lignin oils and high-purity pulp, opening new pathways for high-value utilization of biomass resources.
During the discussion session, Dean Jiang and Professor Zhang expressed gratitude to Academician Sels on behalf of the College and facilitated in-depth exchanges on key industrialization challenges. Attendees actively engaged with questions focusing on reaction scaling, industrial deployment, and product chirality. Drawing on two decades of research expertise in zeolite catalysis, biomass conversion, and carbon circularity, Academician Sels provided practical and insightful solutions.
This academic exchange significantly strengthened collaboration between the College and world-leading research teams in green catalysis and sustainable development, injecting new momentum into technological innovation aligned with carbon neutrality goals.
