Prof. Ferdi Schuth is Director of the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung in Mulheim an der Ruhr since 1998 and Vice President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft in Munchen since 2014. He studied Chemistry and Law at the Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat of Munster and received his doctorate in chemistry in 1988. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. L. D. Schmidt at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (USA). At the same time he continued his studies of Law and passed the First State Exam in 1989. From 1989 to 1994, he was scientific assistant at the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat of Mainz and visiting assistant professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara (USA) in 1993. From 1995 to 1998, he was a full professor for Inorganic Chemistry at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universitat in Frankfurt. He received several awards, Award of the Stifterverband der Deutschen Wissenschaft in 2001, Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Award of the DFG, Wohler-Award, Hamburger Wissenschaft-Award, and Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsacker-Award. His research field comprises energy, biomass conversion, crystallization processes, synthesis of catalyst materials, catalysis, zeolites, ordered mesoporous materials and hydrogen storage materials. He has about 430 publications, 50 plenary lectures, 220 contributions to conferences and approx. 30 patents or patent applications.

Prof. Baojian Shen is a faculty member at the China University of Petroleum at Beijing, China. He is the director of University Key Lab for New Material Research and the executive deputy director of Key Lab of Catalysis of CNPC (PetroChina). He is a Member of Academic Committee of China University of Petroleum-Beijing and director of the Academic Committee of College of Chemical Engineering of this university. Now, he is also the Member of Academic Committee of Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and Key Laboratory of Clean Fuel of CNPC (PetroChina). He received his PhD degree from Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991. Then he obtained the position at Petroleum Refining Research Institute/Luoyang Petrochemical Engineering Corporation (LPEC) /SINOPEC. In 1993 and 1995, he was promoted to the Senior Engineer and Vice-chief Engineer. In 1997 to 1999, he had a postdoctorate position at Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Japan (with Prof. Tamotsu Takahashi). In Jan. 2000 he became the full professor at College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing. In recent years his interest focuses on the research of catalytic materials. He has 50 published papers and 30 granted patents.

Prof. Eduardo Falabella Sousa-Aguiar is Professor of Department of Organic Processes in Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and also a Senior Advisor in Petrobras Research Centre (CENPES). He has 39 years experience in the field of catalysis and catalytic processes. He has been involved in many research projects and activities and spent quite some time as member of the team that has transferred the technology of cracking catalysts from AKZO Nobel to FCCSA. He has also worked some time as a research fellow in the AKZO Research Centre in Amsterdam, in the University of Brunel, UK, in the Technical University of Vienna and in the Texas Ketjen Plant in Houston, USA. Prof. Falabella is a prolific writer, having authored over 300 scientific papers, two books and several patents. In 2011, he became a member of the Scientific Committee of ICS-UNIDO. In 2010, he was elected a member of the Council of International Zeolite Association. He has also received many awards, e.g. Plinio Cantanhede Award in 1994, Governador do Estado Award in 1998, Golden Retort in 2000, the prestigious Brazilian National Technology Award in 2008, James Oldshue Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2012, and FISOCAT International Award in 2014.

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