From July 28th to 31st, the "15th National Symposium on Physical Organic Chemistry" hosted jointly by the Physical Organic Chemistry Professional Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society and Lanzhou University was held at Lanzhou University. The theme of this conference was "Unfading: Inheritance and Development of Physical Organic Chemistry." The conference was chaired by Academician Yun-Dong Wu from Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School and Academician Jin-Pei Cheng from Tsinghua University, with Professor Wei Wang from Lanzhou University serving as the chairman of the conference organizing committee.

The conference was attended by distinguished experts and scholars, including former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Jinpei Cheng from Tsinghua University; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher Zhenhe Tong from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Physical Organic Chemistry Professional Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society, and Professor Yundong Wu from Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Yongqiang Tu from Lanzhou University; academician of the Royal Society of Canada and Professor Chaojun Li from McGill University; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Wei Hai Fang from Beijing Normal University; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Xiaoming Feng from Sichuan University; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Weihong Tan from the Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice Chairman of the Physical Organic Chemistry Professional Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society, and researcher Lizhu Wu from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Meixiang Wang from Tsinghua University.During the conference, nine renowned experts from both domestic and international institutions gave keynote presentations, including Academician Chaojun Li, Academician Wei Hai Fang, Academician Xiaoming Feng, Academician Weihong Tan, Academician Meixiang Wang, Researcher Minghua Liu from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Zhanting Li from Fudan University, Professor Jun Li from Tsinghua University, and Professor Sanzhong Luo. In addition to these keynote presentations, 23 outstanding scholars in the field of physical organic chemistry were invited to give talks, and 27 young scholars delivered oral presentations, including 13 presentations in the Young Scientist Forum. The conference also featured poster presentations by nearly 50 young researchers and student representatives.

During the opening ceremony of the conference, Academician Yundong Wu began by reviewing the development of physical organic chemistry research in China. He emphasized the significant role that Lanzhou University has played in this field and extended best wishes for the successful outcome of the conference. Academician Jinpei Cheng provided insightful commentary on the unfading in physical organic chemistry, expressing his earnest expectations for the continuity and development of this field in China.Vice President Baotian Pan, representing Lanzhou University, warmly welcomed and thanked the distinguished guests and representatives attending the conference. He highlighted the achievements in the field of physical organic chemistry research at Lanzhou University in the new era and conveyed his optimistic wishes for the future prospects of physical organic chemistry in China.

During the conference, an award ceremony for the "Chinese Chemical Society Physical Organic Chemistry Awards" was held. Professor Wei Wang announced the list of winners and read the citation for the 2022-2023 awards. Academician Jinpei Cheng and Academician Yundong Wu presented the "Chinese Chemical Society Physical Organic Chemistry Awards" to Academician Wei Hai Fang and Professor Sanzhong Luo, respectively.Additionally, Professor Guo Qingxiang from the University of Science and Technology of China and Professor Jianbo Wang from Peking University awarded the "Chinese Chemical Society Physical Organic Chemistry Young Investigator Awards" to Professor Yu Lan from Zhengzhou University and Associate Professor Lei Jiao from Tsinghua University, respectively. Finally, Professor Zhanting Li from Fudan University and Professor Haiping Xia from the Southern University of Science and Technology presented the "Chinese Chemical Society Physical Organic Chemistry Emerging Investigator Awards" to Assistant Professor Guijuan Cheng from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and Researcher Liang Zhang from East China Normal University.

Nearly 500 researchers from over 110 universities, research institutes, and companies across the country participated in this conference. The 16th National Symposium on Physical Organic Chemistry, hosted by the Chinese Chemical Society, is scheduled to be held in Zhengzhou, Henan in 2025. Zhengzhou University will be responsible for organizing the next conference.