Bio
Prof. Dr. Dmitry Yu. Murzin studied chemical engineering at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow, USSR (1980–1986), and graduated with honors. He obtained his PhD and DrSc degrees at Karpov Physico-Chemical Institute, Moscow in 1989 and 1999, respectively. After postdoc stays in France and Finland (1992–1994), he worked at BASF from 1995 to 2000. Since 2000, Prof. Murzin has been the Borgström Chair of Chemical Technology at Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. He is an elected member of Academia Europaea and the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. In 2016, he became the Knight, First Class, Order of the White Rose of Finland. Prof. Murzin publishes journal articles and book chapters covering various aspects of industrial chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, chemical technology, and reaction engineering.

Talk
The Role of Green Ammonia in A Decarbonized Society

Bio
Prof. Laura Torrente Murciano leads the Catalysis and Process Integration research group at the University of Cambridge with expertise in reaction engineering, heterogeneous catalysis, Power-to-X and ammonia as energy carrier. Her group is pioneering the design of automated manufacturing technologies of materials and technologies to enable Power-to-X for long-term chemical energy storage. Prof. Torrente has a MEng degree in Chemical Engineering (University Rey Juan Carlos, Spain) and PhD (University of Bath, UK). After a short post-doctoral period at Imperial College London, she was appointed Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the University of Bath. In 2015, she moved to the University of Cambridge, promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and Full Professor in 2022.

Talk
Net Zero Dreaming: Fossil Fuels or Darkness and Hunger

Bio
Prof. Gregory Patience is a Canada Research Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. He is developing catalytic processes to convert biosubstrates into value-added chemicals and fuels: one application involves atomizing low-volatility compounds—fructose, glucose, HMF, DFF, vegetable oil, glucose, and lignin—in fluidized beds operating at over 150 oC. Professor Patience began his career at DuPont in 1990 after obtaining his PhD from Polytechnique de Montréal. He resided in Wilmington, DE (USA), until 1996, then moved to Asturias, Spain, for 4 years, followed by another 4 years in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to Canada in 1994. He obtained a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from the University of Calgary. His alma mater awarded him the alumni technical achievement award in 2020 and the OIQ selected him for the Honoris Genius—Social Engagement prize in 2022. In 2023, the Chemical Institute of Chemistry elected him as a fellow of the institute.