IYC Closing Ceremony

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Activity by Paul Baekelmans | added on Jan 25, 2010 | International Official_iyc_logo

Sponsor(s): BASF, DOW, DuPont, GSK, McKinsey & Company, UCB, CEFIC, SOLVAY

The IYC - a year-long celebration initiated by IUPAC and UNESCO - will culminate with a unique closing event in Brussels, Belgium marking the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize Award to Marie Curie and the 100th anniversary of the most significant scientific meetings of all times, the Solvay Conferences.

It was in 1911 that Ernest Solvay laid the cornerstone of modern science by gathering prominent scientists for a new type of scientific dialogue. All the participants could express themselves to open a scientific dialogue that would accelerate scientific progress. His vision included the establishment of the International Institute of Physics, which a year later was followed by an International Institute of Chemistry. Also in 1911 he supported the creation of IACS which will later develop into IUPAC.

Under the patronage of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry the celebration will blend the past and present, academic, and industrial, social and political to celebrate and echo the motto of the IYC: Chemistry - our life, our future.

After an opening address by his Royal Highness, Prins Philip of Belgium and a recap by IUPAC President, Professor Nicole Moreau, of the main exhilarating events of the IYC in the world, a team of young people/scientists will open a debate and introduce their expectations from the lifesciences and chemistry, industry and governments to build a better world in 2050.
Eminent players from academia will share their views how chemists and chemistry are the "solutions providers" to the major challenges facing mankind, and a round table composed of scientists, politicians, CEOs from the Industry and NGO will build on and debate interventions. The closing event will also emphasize how important chemistry is for the economy and the society throughout the world. The event will take place at the Square Brussels Meeting Centre.

A VIP gathering will also take place at the Hotel Metropole, site of the famous first Solvay Conference where Marie Curie and other famous scientists -eleven of them will be Nobel laureates- met in 1911.

The event has already attracted the sponsorship of BASF, DOW, DuPont, GSK, McKinsey & Company, UCB, CEFIC and SOLVAY.

For more details, visit http://iyc2011.conceptum.eu

For questions, please contact:
Paul Baekelmans
Belgium National Committee for Chemistry
Solvay
tel + 32 2 264 27 40
Paul.Baekelmans@solvay.com

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Comments

Fabienne Meyers | Dec 06, 2011 03:35PM

The event on 1 December 2011 was a great success. It was wonderful to see such interest in the creativity and the potential of chemistry to address the challenges facing our societies. High level speakers and young leaders explored and debated how chemistry is vital for solving our most critical global problems including food, water, health, energy, habitat, and more. To see the album photo of the closing at the Square, link here.

IYC doesn’t stop here; follow the Young Leaders and join them on Facebook for further suggestions, questions and comments on how chemistry can improve our lives by 2050: http://www.facebook.com/IYCYL !

Fabienne Meyers | Dec 07, 2011 09:14PM

In ChemViews, on Dec 3, Javier Garcia Martinez reported on the closing and said it right: "This Is Not The End, But The Beginning ..." [read more]

Fabienne Meyers | Dec 20, 2011 05:34PM

"The closing ceremony [...] didn’t feel like a winding down – rather the start of a new phase in the chemical industry’s future. That future is one in which the chemical industry increasingly is recognized as being at the heart of technological progress in the world." This is what Alex Scott wrote in Chemical Week, Dec 14. Read all at chemweek.com.

Terry Oggel | Sep 13, 2012 06:10AM

The closing event will also emphasize how important chemistry is for the economy and the society throughout the world. jocuri mario and jocuri cu tractoare