Join the Ceremony for the Conferment of Tsinghua University Honorary Professorship on Menachem Elimelech on January 5th!Organized by the Office of International Affairs, the School of Environment. and the State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability, this event features a special keynote addressed by Professor Menachem Elimelech of Rice University on “Membrane Technologies for a Water-Scarce World.”

Water scarcity is one of the most urgent global challenges, increasing the supply of safe water beyond what the natural hydrological cycle provides has become essential. Seawater desalination and wastewater reuse, largely enabled by membrane technologies, offer scalable and transformative pathways to increase water security. This presentation will critically examine research efforts over the past 15 years aimed at improving the performance of desalination and water purification membrane technologies. Several examples of such advancements will be highlighted, including highly monovalent-ion-selective nanofiltration membranes; chlorine- and fouling-resistant polyester reverse osmosis membranes; reactive nanofiltration membranes capable of targeting small neutral organic contaminants; and compaction-resistant RO membranes designed for brine management. We will show that breakthroughs in molecular design and bottom-up membrane engineering, rather than top-down incorporation of nanomaterial additives, are essential for meaningful technological progress.

speaker

Menachem Elimelech

Menachem Elimelech is the Nancy and Clint Carlson Professor at Rice University. Professor Elimelech’s research focuses on membrane-based processes for energy-efficient desalination and wastewater reuse, advanced materials for next-generation separation and water decontamination technologies, and environmental applications of nanomaterials. Professor Elimelech was the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his research contributions. Notable among these awards are the 2005 Clarke Prize for excellence in water research; election to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2006; Eni Prize for ‘Protection of the Environment’ in 2015; and election to the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2017, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 2021, the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2022，and Korean National Academy of Engineering in 2022. In recognition of his excellence in teaching and mentoring, he received the W.M. Keck Foundation Engineering Teaching Excellence Award in 1994, the Yale University Graduate Mentoring Award in 2004, and the Yale University Postdoctoral Mentoring Prize in 2012.

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Time: Monday, January 5, 2026, 10:30–11:30 (No entry after 10:15)

Venue: Reception Hall, Main Building, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Organizers: Office of International Affairs, Tsinghua University School of Environment, Tsinghua University State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability

Scan the QR code to join. Please bring your Tsinghua Campus ID for entry.