WCLM Generates Ideas for IYC 2011
by John Malin
Nov 1, 2009The World Chemistry Leadership Meetings have been a mainstay at IUPAC Congresses or General Assemblies for many years. This year’s event, held 4 August at the 2009 GA in Glasgow, may have been the most impressive of them all. The entire meeting was devoted to discussing the International Year of Chemistry in 2011 since, as IUPAC Past President Bryan Henry declared, “it is the most important thing IUPAC has been involved in over the last 20 years.”
Although some 90 conferees had indicated they would participate, strong interest in the forum’s topic attracted around 120 leaders of the chemical enterprise from industry, academia, government, and nonprofit sectors. Organized solely by IUPAC since 2001, the purpose of the WCLMs is to address special topical issues facing the world of chemistry and identify contributions IUPAC can make through projects or by working with others. Henry, who chaired the meeting, had a straightforward challenge to attendees: “How are you going to contribute to IYC2011 and how is your organization going to contribute?”
The breadth of responses was encouraging. An impressive lineup of speakers from all corners of the globe—Ethiopia, Spain, Malaysia, Poland, and more—shared their organizations’ IYC plans and suggested ways to unite the chemical community to carry forward the goals of the year.
Read more at Chemistry International, Nov-Dec 2009.