An exclusive interview with Professor Omar M. Yaghi, 2025 Nobel laureate in Chemistry

01  Meeting at Luojia: A conversation crossing disciplines and generations

On July 5, 2026, Professor Omar M. Yaghi, the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry , was invited to give a keynote lecture at Wuhan University. To participants of the summer school course “Exploring the Porous World: An Introduction to Synthesis and Characterization of MOF/COF Materials,” he shared his academic journey, research philosophy, and reflections on science education in the AI era. Before the lecture, reporters from the 2026 Global Summer School conducted an exclusive interview with Prof. Yaghi.

02  The lecture: March forward bravely between skepticism and optimism

Prof. Yaghi began by recalling his childhood in a small town in Jordan, tracing the path through his studies, his research, and eventually the Nobel Prize. He spoke of his father’s lesson to “take charge of your own destiny,” and of the working creed he developed growing up: “things must be done in the best way possible.” The solitude of his early years, misunderstanding from those around him, rigorous training of demanding mentors, and the setback of his first research project collectively shaped his dedication to science.

He emphasized the value of failure on the journey of scientific research. When failure arrives, doubt asks “why,” while optimism asks “why not try.” Scientific breakthroughs often come from persistent inquiry into what others cannot yet understand. Failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of the way to comprehension, and it usually teaches a researcher far more than a smooth success. The point is not to copy someone else’s path, but to understand the system you are building, and find a direction of your own through repeated attempts.

In his view, the age of AI brings new opportunities, along with new challenges. Speaking about AI and materials chemistry, he introduced the new research paradigm he calls “AIMATRY” (AI Materials Chemistry), where AI, materials, and chemistry converge deeply together. Whereas machines can speed up repetitive work and uncover correlational relationships, the responsibility to pose high-quality questions, to distinguish fact from fiction, and to render value judgments still rests with human beings. The power of science lies both in its accessibility to all and in constantly demanding that researchers ground themselves in facts and test imagination against experiment.

03  The interview: On education, science, and the future

(The following is drawn from the interview transcript.)

Q: Sitting here at the foot of Luojia Hill, by the shore of East Lake, and talking with young university students — what strikes you most?

A: I think we, as educators and researchers focusing on discovering new frontiers of knowledge, enjoy working with younger generations very much — to prepare their minds on how to solve problems that have never been solved before, and how to think creatively. To me, this is one of the major responsibilities for educators and researchers.

Q: Your life story has inspired many young people. Looking back on your own journey, how do you understand education as a way to change one’s destiny?

A: Education really opens the door for countless opportunities. It is a passport to the world of knowledge, granting access to insights we could never gain otherwise. When I was young, we were constantly being reminded that education is the key to success, and the reason is that it elevates your way of thinking, also enabling you to make more rational, informed choices. So our life, the quality of our life, and our destiny are all factors that we control through what kind of questions we ask and how we go about answering those questions.

Q: You also described science as an equalizing force. Does that mean the scientific community should actively open doors and create more opportunities for young people?

A: Absolutely. I think the scientific community has a big responsibility to interact with the younger generation. Far beyond classroom teaching alone, we must take on the role of mentors, unconditionally sharing all our knowledge and experience. This allows young scholars to learn from the achievements and logic of prior generations, then forge their own unique research paths. We need to not just be teachers, but also mentors.

Q: On your long scientific journey, what strength has the beauty of science given you?

A: Beauty was always a target. I have always tried to craft elegant structures, from my student years to my early academic research at university, I was always attracted to beautiful things. Yet whenever we design or discover such beautiful structures, we must continuously ask ourselves: What practical value do they hold? Who can they benefit? Ultimately, society pays for our research. So discovery is not the only thing you want to do, but also how to take this discovery all the way from the laboratory to society.

Q: Could you use a vivid way to help students who aren’t studying chemistry understand MOFs?

A: I think every kid played with what’s called Legos. These are pieces that you can put together into different shapes. From a very young age, children take objects of different shapes, sizes and geometries to build bridges, houses and countless other structures—it is a natural way of thinking.
So what I did in my research is to use molecules as Lego pieces. These are the building blocks of everything living and nonliving, but we can’t see them with our naked eye. At the microscopic level, we arrange these molecular “Legos” to construct porous frameworks. These pores can store hydrogen for clean energy, capture CO₂ from the air to mitigate pollution, or extract drinkable water from the atmosphere. So it has a lot of different functions. I think not only was it important how to build the structures, but also how to design them with precision, how to modify them. We have reached a stage where nearly any imaginable structure can be synthesized, and targeted modifications can advance these materials toward commercial applications.

Q: You’ve proposed a new discipline called AIMATRY, showing how AI is fundamentally transforming the research paradigm of materials chemistry. What kind of judgment and responsibility must still remain with human beings?

A: AI can do a lot. It can handle lots of repetitive tasks. It can find many correlations between different things. It can help us with almost 80% of what we do.

I think we’re living in the age of AI — I call it the age of abundance — where any material you can think of can be made using AI and robotics. This future isn’t far from where we are right now. So in many ways, we’re moving from the age of scarcity into the age of abundance. But in this era, things don’t get easier; the difficulties just change. In a world full of countless answers, the quality of the questions we ask becomes really important. It’s also vital to dig deep and figure out what’s fact and what’s fiction. These are key skills students of future generations need to master. Thirdly, we need to focus on big questions that reshape entire systems, instead of only making small incremental changes in our work.

Q: Wuhan University has also valued the connection and the mutual goals between humanities and science. How should the university prepare young people to tackle the global challenges of the future? And as a final request, do you have a special message for students at Wuhan University?

A:Science is the bedrock of civilization that elevates humanity. It begins with questions and doubt, driving us to probe deeply into nature — yet it also demands optimism: the “why not” spirit that fuels every experiment. Asking “why” leads us to true understanding; saying “why not” pushes us to try new paths and make discoveries. When the two work in tandem, they serve humanity, which aligns with a university’s core mission: education, research, and service to broader society. There will always be two camps: those who deem a goal too difficult to pursue, and those who believe it is worth testing. Always lean toward running the experiment — that is how discoveries are born, and how the world changes. The power of the experiment is paramount.

04  Closing: Let One Attempt Be the Beginning of Changing the World

From education as a way to change one’s destiny, to science in service of society; from the beauty of molecular structures to a question-driven mindset in the age of AI, Prof. Yaghi’s answers keep pointing to one particular word: action. Facing the unknown, never stop asking when it’s hard, and do not give up on the experiment because of failure. Hold on to rigor when you doubt, and step forward with optimism.

By the foot of Luojia Hill, this conversation about science, education, and the future was more than an interview with a leading scholar. It was an invitation to young people，calling for everyone to start with a question that genuinely interests you, and stay with it — keep asking, keep testing, and keep making. Because every discovery that changes the world begins with one attempt you are willing to take.

Text: Li Sirui

Photography: Li Mingqian, Jian Fan

Copy-edit: Chen Ying, Zhang Juan

Review: Zhang Weixing

Translation: Limingqian