Vol.
25 No. 2
March-April 2003
From
the Editor
Many
aspects of Chemistry at the Interfaces will be addressed at
the IUPAC Congress in Ottawa this coming August. There is
yet another interesting interface that will unveil itself,
one not explicitly spelled out in the program, which relates
to the views of the field by different age groups and generations.
The
Youngprofessionals below the age of 40have
clearly gotten the attention of the Congress organizers, who
secured funds to subsidize the travel of more than 60 young
scientists from academia, government, or industry. They will
be coming from all over (about 44 countries so far) to present
their latest research. It
should be no surprise that the theme of "Chemistry at the
Interfaces" is attracting many young researchers.
The "interfaces" are in a way what make chemistry
a central science in a wide range of fields, and what make
interdisciplinary research the major tool today for exploring
the frontiers of scientific knowledge and developing products
and materials that better our lives.*
The
Younger chemists, while fewer, will also get a spotlight,
as the nine winners (four in 2002 and five in 2003) of the
IUPAC Prize for young chemists will be awarded at the opening
ceremony of the Congress. The prize was established in 2000
to encourage outstanding young research scientists at the
beginning of their careers, and is given for the most outstanding
Ph.D thesis in the general area of chemical sciences. Look
for them in Ottawa; they will also present their work as posters.
The
Youngeststudents between the ages of 10 and 16will
have a chance to present their thoughts and ideas on all aspects
of pure and applied chemistry. In collaboration with Science
Across the World, a competition is now open for these young
students to feature in a poster their view of the importance
of chemistry in their daily life. All winning posters will
be exhibited at the Congress in Ottawa in a display that will
coincide with the launch of IUPACs Public Understanding
of Chemistry initiative (read more
on page 13).
The Congress in Ottawa promises to be an
interesting event where ideas will be exchanged on many levels.
Whatever your specific interest, be prepared to engage the
young, younger, and youngest scientists; they will benefit
tremendously, and everyone just might learn something new!
Fabienne
Meyers
[email protected]
www.iupac.org/publications/ci
*inspired by the comment of Paul R. Jones,
University of North Texas, published in C&EN, 23
Sep
2002, p. 112, and titled "You Are the Catalysts for Chemistry".
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