JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 6 – The Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials (CSNano), Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (ISI-SIR), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), strengthened its international research network by serving as a co-host of the Porous Materials Workshop 2026, hosted by Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand.

Conducted in a hybrid format, the workshop brought together researchers, academics, and students from multiple countries. The main physical venue was the Faculty of Science at Chiang Mai University, while CSNano UTM coordinated a co-hosted live participation room at the Ibnu Sina Institute, UTM. The workshop attracted more than 271 registrations from over 16 countries and territories and more than 55 institutes and organizations, reflecting strong international interest in porous and advanced functional materials.

The full-day workshop focused on porous nanostructured materials, covering rational material design, advanced synthesis strategies, structural modification, functional groups and structure–property relationships. Discussions also addressed applications in catalysis, chemical sensing, energy storage and conversion, environmental technologies, gas storage and sustainable functional materials. The scientific program featured eight distinguished keynote and invited speakers. Keynote speakers included Prof. Armando J. L. Pombeiro, Prof. Dr. Apinpus Rujiwatra, whose presentation was delivered by Dr. Thammanoon Chuasaard, Prof. Alexander A. Solovev, and Prof. Dr. Brij Briz Mohan.

The workshop also brought together co-hosting institutions from Malaysia, Thailand, and India, along with international collaborators from Portugal, China, Australia, Azerbaijan, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, future joint research and publications, student engagement and broader institutional collaboration. Some researchers and students from CSNano and the Faculty of Science at UTM participated in the program.

Such international engagement aligns closely with CSNano’s mission to advance knowledge through innovative research in sustainable nanomaterials and to strengthen UTM’s global research visibility. CSNano UTM expressed its appreciation to all speakers, participating institutions, organizers, researchers and participants whose contributions supported the successful implementation of the program.

Prepared by: Bon Shin Er, Nurul Adhah Saini, Nur Isarah Che Raimi