Keynote Speakers
Professor Mohamed Eddaoudi
King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)
Ibn Alhaytham Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at KAUST and Chair of the Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Platform. A pioneer of metal–organic framework (MOF) chemistry and reticular design, he has transformed the rational construction of functional porous materials for energy and environmental sustainability, including hydrogen storage, CO₂ capture, and gas separations. A Highly Cited Researcher for over a decade, he has authored 350+ publications with more than 108,000 citations (h-index 130) and holds 50+ patents.
Professor Omar K. Farha
Northwestern University
Chair of Chemistry and Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor at Northwestern University, and a global leader in metal–organic framework (MOF) science. He also serves as Executive Editor of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and Chief Scientific Officer of Numat Technologies. His research addresses critical challenges in energy, sustainability, and defense through advanced porous materials. With over 730 publications, 20 patents, and 126,000 citations (h-index 175), he has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for more than a decade.
Professor François Peeters
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Distinguished theoretical physicist and Full Professor at the University of Antwerp. He earned his Ph.D. in physics in 1982 and conducted postdoctoral research at Bell Laboratories and Bell Communications Research in the United States. His research focuses on computational modeling of mesoscopic and nanoscopic systems, including quantum dots, superconducting nanostructures, graphene, and other two-dimensional materials. A Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the European Physical Society, he has published over 1,000 papers with more than 75,000 citations (h-index 124).
Professor Emmanuel Stratakis
Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Greece
Research Director and Acting Director of the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) at FORTH. A leading authority in ultrafast laser micro- and nano-processing of materials, he heads the Ultrafast Laser Micro- and Nano-processing Laboratory and directs the Nanoscience Facility of FORTH. With over 300 SCI publications, 17,000+ citations, and an h-index of 71, his work has significantly shaped advanced materials engineering. An OPTICA Fellow and European Innovation Council Ambassador, he has coordinated major European projects and delivered 150+ invited talks worldwide.
Professor Hani M. El-Kaderi
Virginia Commonwealth University
Professor of Chemistry and Director of Sustainable Energy Systems at Virginia Commonwealth University. An internationally recognized leader in porous materials chemistry, he contributed to foundational developments in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) during postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan and UCLA. His work focuses on the design and synthesis of porous organic polymers, COFs, and advanced carbon materials for clean-energy applications, including CO₂ capture, rechargeable batteries, capacitors, and catalysis. A recipient of the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize and multiple research excellence awards.
Professor Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez
University of Sharjah
Professor of Physics at the University of Sharjah and internationally recognized expert in quantum materials under extreme conditions. He earned his Ph.D. from Dresden University of Technology and has held research positions in Germany, China, Sweden, and the United States, including at Harvard University and HPSTAR. His work explores superconductivity, charge density waves, magnetism, and topology in quantum materials, particularly under high pressure. Recipient of the German Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, he has published over 115 peer-reviewed papers.
Professor Bhagwati Prasad
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Infosys Young Investigator and faculty member in the Department of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He leads the DEMAND Group, pioneering research in spintronics, magnetoelectrics, quantum and electronic materials for beyond-CMOS computing, neuromorphic systems, and energy-efficient memory technologies. A Ph.D. graduate of the University of Cambridge, he has held research positions at UC Berkeley, the Max Planck Institute, and Western Digital. With 50+ high-impact publications, 40+ patents, and 4,000+ citations, his work bridges fundamental materials science and next-generation nanoelectronic device innovation.
Professor Serkan Ateş
Sabancı University, Türkiye
Associate Professor at Sabancı University, Türkiye, where he leads the Quantum Photonics Systems Laboratory. His research advances quantum optics and nanophotonics using solid-state platforms such as quantum dots, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), and wide-bandgap defects for emerging quantum technologies. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Stuttgart and held research positions at the Technical University of Denmark, NIST (USA), and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM. Founder of QLocked Quantum Technologies, he is a recipient of the TÜBA-GEBİP Presidential Young Researcher Award and the BAGEP Young Scientist Award in Physics.
Professor Lin Ke
Shandong University of Science & Technology
Leading researcher in terahertz photonics and topological electromagnetic fields. Her work focuses on compact and scalable platforms for terahertz beam engineering, symmetry-broken metasurfaces, and spatiotemporal topological field manipulation. She has pioneered innovative approaches for generating controllable Meron and Skyrmion electromagnetic states, advancing high-dimensional information encoding and next-generation sensing technologies. Through her research, Prof. Ke bridges fundamental topological optics with practical applications in beam shaping, material characterization, and integrated photonic systems.
Professor Valentyn S. Volkov
XPANCEO / Centre for Photonics and 2D Materials
Founder and CTO of XPANCEO and leading expert in quantum and nanophotonic materials. With a Ph.D. in physics from Aalborg University, he has held academic positions across Europe and directed the Centre for Photonics and 2D Materials. Now based in the UAE, his research spans 2D materials, van der Waals heterostructures, quantum materials, biosensing, plasmonics, and nano-optics. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications with more than 11,000 citations.
Professor Rahul Banerjee
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata
Professor and leading authority in porous materials chemistry. His research focuses on the design and synthesis of structurally robust covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and other advanced porous materials for applications such as CO₂ capture and sustainable technologies. In collaboration with TATA Steel, his group is developing scalable processes for chemically stable COFs, considered a global breakthrough in porous materials research. With over 190 publications, 24 patent applications, and an h-index of 96, he is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Professor Panče Naumov
New York University Abu Dhabi
Full Professor of Chemistry at NYU Abu Dhabi and Director of the Center for Smart Engineering Materials. A global leader in smart and responsive materials, he also serves as Global Network Professor at New York University and Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. His Smart Materials Lab is widely recognized as a leading research group in the UAE, contributing a significant share of the country's high-impact chemistry publications. With over 300 publications, extensive international awards, and leadership roles across major scientific organizations, his work advances crystal engineering, photochemistry, and functional materials design.