This July, our student Julia Frąckowiak had the incredible opportunity to attend the International Symposium on Innovation and Future Perspective in Silsesquioxane Chemistry (IFSC2025), hosted at Shandong University in Jinan, China. Organised by Prof. Hongzhi Liu, the symposium brought together a global community of scientists working on silsesquioxane-based materials—from synthesis to real-world applications. She had a presentation, “Verification of the catalytic activity of palladium and platinum complexes with N,N- and N,S- donor ligands anchored on organosilicon cages in the hydrosilylation of olefins“, which sparked some great discussions with researchers from Japan, Korea, and France.

A Truly International Gathering

The conference featured outstanding speakers, including Prof. Richard Laine and Prof. Joseph Furgal (University of Michigan), Prof. Masafumi Unno (Gunma University), and Prof. Michel Wong-Chi-Man (CNRS, France). Their lectures offered deep insights into cutting-edge research on POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes) and hybrid materials, with implications for catalysis, nanotechnology, and environmental engineering.

Jinan is a beautiful host city, and Shandong University’s hospitality was exceptional. Beyond the academic experience, Julia valued the cultural exchange, shared meals, and late-night discussions that made this more than just a scientific meeting—it felt like becoming part of a global research community.