Dr. Günther Weymans, head of the Technical Rubber Products business unit of LANXESS, has been awarded the honorary title of Professor h.c. by the Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, China. The presentation ceremony was held during the LANXESS Rubber Days held in Beijing at the beginning of December 2011.

At the beginning of 2008, LANXESS set up its Rubber Research Center Qingdao (RRCQ) in the immediate vicinity of QUST. The center’s employees work closely with QUST experts. Overall, the company has invested around USD 16 million in this project. In 2009, the center expanded with the addition of an in-house pilot facility for the modeling of new rubber synthesis processes and production of new rubber grades and a new state-of-the-art rubber test lab that is now seamlessly integrated into the LANXESS R&D network.

During the LANXESS Rubber Days a substantial extension of the cooperation with QUST was announced. As part of a Rubber Excellence Partnership initiative LANXESS, together with the German Institute for Rubber Technology (DIK) based in Hanover, Germany, is supporting the writing of master dissertations at QUST.

Günther Weymans, born in Sevelen, Germany, in 1957, studied at the University of Bonn, where he obtained his doctorate in theoretical physics. He began his career with Bayer AG in 1985. After five years as a project manager in polymer research, he served in various management positions. Since 2004, Günther Weymans has headed the Technical Rubber Products business unit at LANXESS.

• LANXESS AG, Leverkusen, Germany