The RSC’s International Section in Qatar celebrated ‘Arab Environment Day’ on October 14, 2012. The celebration commemorates the anniversary of the first Arab ministerial conference on Arab environmental issues that was held in Tunisia in 1986.

“Arab environment Day was celebrated in Bhavans Public School in Qatar in association with RSC, Qatar. A seminar on the topic 'GREEN CHEMISTRY - TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE CIVILIZATION' was presented by the International Representative of the RSC in Qatar, Mr Arunan Kattilaparambil. The seminar was attended by teachers and students. At the end of the presentation questions related to the topic were asked to the enthusiastic audience. The winners were presented with 'The Visual elements Periodic Table' published by RSC.”




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'Role of Chemistry Research in National Development'

Chemists from all over the world attended the International Conference on Chemical Sciences at Waters Edge and Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), Colombo, Sri Lanka from the 20^th to the 22^nd June (2012). Organised by the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (ICHEMC), with the theme ‘Role of Chemistry Research in National Development’, the conference brought together young chemists and those with much experience and expertise.

The 41^st ICHEMC Annual Sessions, 71^st Anniversary Celebrations, and the Annual Dinner (at which the new President of the ICHEMC, Dr S. Mohandas, was inducted) ran in conjunction with the conference.

Three days of focused activity provided participants with a wide range of ways to engage with one another, including; plenary lectures, invited lectures, keynote lectures, workshop panel discussions by distinguished, world renowned chemists, and presentations by young chemists supported by their supervisors. Five parallel sessions in different areas of interest maximised the number of each on offer. Immediate ICHEMC Past President Professor S. Sotheeswaran said “The enthusiasm with which sessions were attended was reward enough for the organisers. The only drawback was that parallel sessions, as always, meant that choices had to be made and some lectures missed out.”

The conference provided an excellent opportunity for chemists, environmentalists, food scientists, educators and other scientists to discuss how chemistry can tackle global challenges (including clean air and safe water, healthy food, and dependable medicine), the delivery of chemical education to meet the UN Millennium Development goals, and to exchange ideas. All the activities were tied into the greater discussion of the role of chemistry research in national development and will hopefully have fostered research collaborations.

Professor W.S. Fernando received the Distinguished Service Award for tireless and continued promotion of the aims of the ICHEMC, and Young Chemist Ms P. K. V. Ranji was awarded The Kandiah Award for Basic Chemistry and gave the Kandiah Memorial Lecture. Prizes and bursaries were awarded to the ICHEMC College of the Chemical Sciences’ brightest chemists, and the winners of a number of the ICHEMC’s Chemistry competitions organised for schools were presented with awards. Winners were from as far away as Bandarawela, Galle, Matara, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Kalmunai, Ibbagamuwa, and Ruwanwella.



The delegates of the International Conference and Annual Sessions were from all regions of Sri Lanka, representing 38 different institutions of higher education, and, internationally, from India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, the Fiji Islands, Australia, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, the UK, the USA and Canada. The organisers’ hope that the contacts made at the conference will be lasting and fruitful, facilitated by modern technology.

The ICHEMC thank all their sponsors, including major sponsors OPCW, IUPAC, Royal Society of Chemistry - UK, National Science Foundation – Sri Lanka, AMW, CIC Paints, and Multiform Chemicals.  Without their sponsors, the ICHEMC could not have achieved their goal of promoting Chemical Education and Research for National and International Development.

Members of the Mid-Wales Local Section and their guests met for lunch in Lampeter, and then braved the wettest September day for many years to visit the Dolaucothi Gold Mines (National Trust) at Pumpsaint, Carmarthenshire.  First worked as an opencast quarry by the Romans, and then forgotten for hundreds of years, the site was reinvestigated in the 18th century and worked as a gold mine for various periods in the 19th and 20th centuries, finally closing in 1938.  A well-informed guided tour took the group through the tunneled mine workings at various levels in the wooded mountainside overlooking the Cothi valley, but  no gold was found that afternoon.  The guide reminded us that “if it's gold you're after, you can find it in the shop”.

If you would like to find out more about the many activities in the Mid-Wales Local section please contact networks@rsc.org for more information.  Mid-wales also run a series of educational activities as well as public lectures and social trips like the one mentioned in this post.

The South Africa Section (North) is comprised of a relatively small number of highly committed individuals who work with some of the poorest communities in Africa in not only promoting Chemistry as a subject, but helping to educate underprivileged children to gain qualifications in the Chemicals Sciences.
 
Through a unique symbiotic relationship with the Sci-Bono Centre in Johannesburg (the major Science Museum in Southern Africa), they are making sure that every penny of their annual budget  is precisely targeted towards high priority educational needs.
 
The Local Section has also played a unique role in facilitating the interaction between the RSC and SACI, the South African Chemical Institute and this year the South Africa - North Section has been awarded an RSC President's Award for their contribution towards the advancement of the chemical sciences. more...

Way back in December 2011 the RSC answered a call for evidence from the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee upon the issue ‘Higher Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects’. Our response was wide ranging but we placed emphasis on a few key points. more...

Welcome to the final instalment of the 9 week series highlighting the schools and public events that were organised by our Local Section committees during the International Year of Chemistry!  This week we take a look at some of the work the  Local Sections in the North West have been doing during 2011. more...

Welcome to the eighth instalment of the 9 week series highlighting the schools and public events that were organised by our Local Section committees during the International Year of Chemistry!  This week we take a look at some of the work the  Local Sections in the Midlands region have been doing during 2011. more...

Welcome to the seventh instalment of the 9 week series highlighting the schools and public events that were organised by our Local Section committees during the International Year of Chemistry!  This week we take a look at some of the work the Eastern Local Sections have been doing during 2011. more...

The Chennai Section recently ran a Chemistry Festival at PS Secondary School in Mylapore as part of the RSC IYC Chemistry Challenge.