On April 23, the "BNU Master Distinguished Lectures" was held at Beijing Normal University (BNU). Zou Xiaodong, a member of both the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, as well as a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, was invited to give a keynote report titled "Approaching Nobel Prize". Over a hundred attendees, including BNU President Yu Jihong, relevant heads of the Institute for Advanced Study, the College of Chemistry, and Office of Science, as well as faculty and student representatives, participated in the event. The report was chaired by Mao Lanqun, Dean of the College of Chemistry.

Prior to the lecture, Yu Jihong met with Zou Xiaodong and expressed a warm welcome for her visit. Yu Jihong introduced BNU's educational framework, educational philosophy, and recent development achievements, and engaged in an in-depth exchange with Zou Xiaodong on topics such as discipline development.

During the report, Zou Xiaodong systematically recounted the establishment history, award categories, and the nomination and selection mechanisms of the Nobel Prize, explaining the great significance of the award ceremony as a scientific and cultural grand event. She shared the profound impact the Nobel Prize has had on her own scientific growth, particularly mentioning the important inspiration she drew from the two achievements of "quasicrystals" and "cryo-electron microscopy". Building upon this, she led her team to develop electron crystallography methods, establishing systematic technologies for the precise determination of the atomic structures of nanocrystals.

Zou Xiaodong highlighted a variety of emerging electron diffraction technologies developed by her team, including three-dimensional electron diffraction (MicroED/3DED), serial electron diffraction (SerialED), and serial rotation electron diffraction (SerialRED). These technologies can be applied to the structural analysis of samples ranging from inorganic to organic materials, revealing extensive fine structural information at the atomic scale; some have achieved in-situ observation, which is of great significance for the synthesis and functional development of materials.

During the interactive session, the faculty and students on site eagerly asked questions. Zou Xiaodong encouraged everyone to establish the determination to solve scientific challenges, be brave in innovation, persevere, strengthen international communication, and move forward steadfastly on their scientific research paths.

After the lecture, Yu Jihong presented the "Jingshi Lecture Hall" commemorative plaque to Zou Xiaodong on behalf of the university, expressing sincere gratitude for the wonderful report and academic inspiration she brought.