The official launch ceremony of the International Year of Chemistry was a great event -wasn't it? The Unesco, Iupac and SCF organisers arranged an excellent mix wich dealt with the essentials, showing the capability of solving problems using in-depth chemical knowledge. This was demonstrated e.g. by solar energy conversion used for cooking at night in Indian areas that had not had electricity up to now. It was also impressive to see the huge efforts and success to desalinate water for the use of everyone in deserts e.g. in Arabian countries.
Outstanding people joined the celebration and everybody loved it. Some of our colleagues took their students to the event and it was amazing to see people of every age group from petrol companies, energy deliverers, traditional chemical industry to worldwide cosmetics producers. Academia was also present.
The Palais des Affaires Étrangères, Quaid d'Orsay is the center of the communication of the French people to the world. Usually diplomacy is resident there. For the reception vening it hosted representatives of the chemistry community, invited to contribute to mutual understanding too. Many tools were presented to explain and to make visible the service that chemistry offers to our planet.
Erich Leitner in EuCheMS newsletter, may 2011
| < Vorige | Volgende > |
|---|
