As invited by Profs. Janusz A. Kozinski (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead University in Canada), and Zheng Ying at the University of Western Ontario (the President of Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, CSChE), Prof. Zhen Fang and Dr. Cao Yang from Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU) participated in two academic events in Toronto from May 24 to 28, 2026: "The 2026 First Sino-Canadian Frontiers of Energy and Climate High-Level Forum" where they delivered a special invited lecture, and "The 2026 Joint Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Chemistry and the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers (CSC/CSChE 2026, x2026)" where they presented a session paper and served as the session chair.

On May 23, 2026, at noon, Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao departed from Nanjing Lukou International Airport, transited through Guangzhou and Seoul, and arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport on the evening of May 24, local time, after traveling thousands of miles. They then rushed to their accommodation in the downtown, Annesley Hall, a century-old female dormitory at the University of Toronto's Victoria College (recommended accommodation for conference delegates during the summer vocation, built in 1903 and a National Historic Site of Canada). While sleeping, Prof. Fang suddenly woke up in the small hours, as if seeing Dr. Banting, the "father of insulin," extracting insulin from a bloody dog pancreas in the campus, reminding him that his blood sugar must be high.

Early on the second day, the sky was clear and cloudless, and the overcast, rainy, and cold weather that had plagued Toronto for more than a week finally cleared up. Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao arrived at Western University's Toronto Space (130 King St. W., Suite 3400) from their base to participate in the First Sino-Canadian Symposium (2026) - Exploring the Frontiers of the Energy-Climate Nexus: Bridging Research, Innovation and Industry. The forum brought together researchers from Chinese and Canadian universities, industry leaders, and policymakers, focusing on the transformation of cutting-edge research results, the connection between industry, academia, and research, and commercial breakthroughs. It aimed to bridge the gap between technology from the laboratory to the market through interdisciplinary collaboration.

At 9:00 am, the keynote report session was chaired by Prof. Zheng, with Prof. Kozinski delivering the opening remarks. Eight university leaders, entrepreneur representatives from both China and Canada, and leaders from the Canadian Academy of Engineering gave presentations on topics such as energy transformation, grid innovation, critical minerals, biomass conversion, mine infrastructure, and industrial wastewater treatment. Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao jointly presented a special report on the conversions of biomass entiled "Efficient Conversion of Biomass into High-Value Products via Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Catalytic Upgrading". There were coffee breaks and midday exchanges in the morning; in the afternoon, two roundtable forums were held, inviting experts to discuss the transformation of green technology from production to research and development, as well as the sustainable development of energy and critical minerals. Participants mentioned that China and Canada are the two countries with the strongest complementarity, without any conflicts of national interests. The leitmotif of the Symposium was to build a high-end exchange platform in the energy field between China and Canada. After the meeting, a joint communique on China-Canada energy and climate cooperation was released, and an exchange reception was held. Profs. Jingxu Zhu and Ajay K Dalai specially came from the Venue of the CSC/CSChE 2026 to attend the lunch meeting and took photos with the experts. They also congratulated Prof. Pedram Fatehi on his recent election as fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

In the evening, at the invitation of Consul General Mr. Weidong Luo of the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto, Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao attended the "Sino-Canadian Industry-Education Integration Dialogue" hosted by the Consulate General. After the dialogue, they participated in the dinner and took a group photo. Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Members of Royal Academy of Sciences, entrepreneurs, presidents of many domestic universities, and representatives of well-known Profs. in various fields attended the event together. During the dinner, all parties shared in-depth views on the current development status and long-term direction of Sino-Canadian educational and academic exchanges, and discussed the path for deepening pragmatic cooperation in the fields of science and education between the two countries. Being able to participate in this formal exchange at the Consulate level was highly valued and inspiring. It deeply felt the importance and support of the country for Sino-Canadian scientific and educational cooperation, and gained a deeper understanding of the overall significance of international scientific and technological cooperation. After the dinner, on the way back to the residence, Prof. Fang pointed to the distant Toronto CN Tower and said, "Ten years ago, Prof. Kozinski (Dean of the School of Engineering at York University) stood as a Skywalker at this tower, showing his determination to inspire young people to realize their dreams of becoming engineers. We must have a brave heart."

From May 26^th to 28^th, Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao proceeded to attend the x2026 Conference held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This conference is the highest-level annual academic event in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering in Canada, aiming to promote interdisciplinary research and the integration of industry and research. On the afternoon of the 27^th, from 3:00 to 3:20 pm (Meeting Room 701B), Dr. Cao gave a 20-minute presentation on biomass hydrothermal liquefaction, reporting on her achievements in this area and elaborating on the technical route of microwave-assisted hydrothermal liquefaction system for depolymerizing lignin and preparing low-oxygen hydrocarbon fuels through in-situ hydrogenation. The presentation received positive feedback from the scholars present. During the conference, Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao had extensive exchanges with colleagues from various countries, tracking the frontiers of the discipline and expanding international cooperation. On the last day, the morning of May 28^th, Prof. Fang served as the chair of the Section on "Biorenewable Resource Conversion" and delivered a special report titled "Techniques and Practical Applications of Converting Biorenewables to Biofuels and High Value-Added Products". He systematically reviewed the key technologies and engineering applications for converting biorenewable resources into biofuels and high value-added products, showcased the research achievements of his research team, and highlighted the research level of China in the field of biomass energy.

During the visit, Prof. Kozinski provided warm and thoughtful reception throughout the entire process, from the coordination of forum agendas and academic exchanges to the arrangement of daily itineraries, showing the tacit understanding and friendship accumulated over years of cooperation. After the forum and annual meeting activities, Professor Kozinski sincerely invited Prof. Fang and Dr. Cao to his home. Prof. Kozinski and his wife carefully prepared a family dinner, during which both sides talked about their academic past and exchanged life experiences in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. The two sides exchanged commemorative gifts carrying their heartfelt wishes and further discussed subsequent cooperation plans such as joint talent training, joint application for international projects, and annual academic visits in a casual atmosphere, adding a touch of warm friendship across borders to the rigorous academic cooperation.

Looking back on our cooperation journey, Prof. Kozinski visited the Biomass Group at NJAU in 2016, while Prof. Fang visited Kozinski's research group in 2013 and 2017. In July-August 2025, supported the Foreign Expert Program of China, Prof. Kozinski visited NJAU for on-site exchange and guidance. During this period, both parties worked together to tackle key issues, jointly published 6 high-level academic papers, and co-organized multiple online international academic conferences, laying a solid foundation for cooperation in the fields of biomass energy and green chemical engineering. This reunion in Toronto is not only an affirmation of the past cooperation achievements but also elevates the partnership from academic peers to close friends, laying a foundation of emotion and trust for deeper and broader bilateral exchanges in the next stage. Through the presentations at the two international conferences, the academic influence of the Biomass Group at NJAU in the international energy field has been enhanced; secondly, it expands the Sino-Canadian academic cooperation network, establishing connections with multiple top scholars and institutions, creating conditions for joint project applications and personnel exchanges; thirdly, it grasps the cutting-edge trends of disciplines, providing references for the research group's subsequent research layout and interdisciplinary collaboration; finally, it deepens inter-university friendship and consolidates the long-term cooperation foundation with Kozinski's research group and Canadian universities and enterprises.

During their few days in Toronto, Prof. Fang and Dr Cao got quite tanned under the early summer sun and lost 2 pounds from exhaustion, yet they didn't even touch the wall of Geoff Hinton's office, the father of AI. Nevertheless, they happily accomplished the task they set for themselves, received praise from their families, and were filled with immense joy.

Toronto is a Legend！