On April 12th, a special lecture on cultivating a scholarly atmosphere among graduate students, hosted by the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and the College of Materials Science and Energy at Lanzhou University, was held in the 101 Lecture Hall of the Second Chemistry Building. Dr. Li Dan, the dean of the College of Chemistry and Materials Science at Jinan University, was invited to deliver a keynote presentation on the topic of "Excellence in Research and a Fulfilling Life." President Yan Chunhua of Lanzhou University attended the conference, which was chaired by Vice Dean Tang Yu of the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Over 500 graduate students from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and the College of Materials Science and Energy watched the live broadcast online.

At the beginning of the lecture, Li Dan pointed out the importance of innovation in research work. He emphasized the need for graduate students to learn the process of transitioning from original innovation to accumulated innovation and finally to integrated innovation. Li Dan centered his discussion around innovation, focusing on three aspects: the process of innovation, outstanding innovative achievements, and the sources of innovative thinking. Through research cases from his own research group, he shared valuable experiences accumulated over many years, clarifying how graduate students should stablish a strong foundation in the present and find the right path for research innovation and academic development. Regarding how to enhance the ability for research innovation, Li Dan expressed, "I hope students can learn more and improve themselves; when facing problems, they should think critically and avoid preconceived notions."

At the end of the lecture, Li Dan emphasized the importance for graduate students to cultivate good personal qualities and combat academic misconduct during the research training process. Li Dan provided a detailed interpretation of the regulations on academic misconduct set forth by the China Association for Science and Technology. He cautioned students to "button up the first button of life" and emphasized the importance of handling experimental data with rigor, urging them not to overlook minor details that may lead to significant consequences.

During the interactive session, when asked about “how to deal with experimental failures” by Tang Yu, Li Dan shared his own experiences with the students. Li Dan stated, "Firstly, chemistry is all about continuous experimentation. The best way to deal with experimental challenges is to try again and again. Secondly, it's important to make friends. Negative emotions resulting from experimental failures can be alleviated through communication with friends. Thirdly, actively communicate with your supervisor. When encountering problems, proactively seek guidance from your supervisor to find solutions, discuss experimental details together, and constantly optimize the experiments."

The successful organization of the graduate thematic seminar on cultivating a scholarly atmosphere has provided a learning and communication platform for our graduate students. It further promotes the standardization and professional development of our graduate community. This event will continue to inspire and motivate our graduate students to immerse themselves with even greater enthusiasm in their future academic pursuits and overall learning experience.