A case for chemistry

To promote awareness about Chemistry, admittedly not among the most popular subjects of study, Indian scientists, research scholars and students have joined hands with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) which is spearheading the celebration of 2011 as the year of chemistry.  Under the unifying theme, ‘Chemistry — our life, our future’,  the IUPAC has begun celebrating IYC 2011 to bring about awareness of  the achievements and contributions made by this important branch of science to the well-being of humankind. The IUPAC-Unesco  initiative which has the support and cooperation of several chemical societies, academies, and institutions worldwide, will offer a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational events and activities for all ages throughout 2011. Activities, such as lectures, exhibits, and hands-on experiments, will explore how chemical research is critical for solving our most vexing global problems involving food, water, health, energy, transportation, etc.

As a chemistry lover, you are in a unique position to help students learn about and love the science. You can get involved in IYC 2011 (http://www.chemistry2011.org) by submitting and sharing an idea, and record the details of the activity that you plan to host in 2011. You could also visit the Ideas section to find out what people are thinking about, or browse the Activities section to see what people are actually planning.  Here are some activities and ideas people committed to promoting chemistry propose to do during 2011-

- Enhance the public appreciation and understanding of chemistry in meeting world needs
- Encourage the interest of young people in chemistry
- Celebrate the role of women in chemistry or major historical events in chemistry, including the centenaries of Mme. Curie's Nobel Prize and the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies

You could also help hold events or activities at the local, state, regional, or national level, like:
- Treating all levels of students, from preschool children to university students, to chemistry demonstrations at appropriate levels
- Organising visits for members of the public to industrial sites, including manufacturers, chemical producers, or metal and petroleum refiners
- Publicizing the contributions that chemistry makes to the global economy by submitting articles to newspapers and magazines or developing television and radio programmes
- Sponsoring poster exhibitions highlighting the usefulness and wonder of chemistry
- Organising problem-solving projects through which students can use their knowledge of chemistry to develop solutions to local problems
- Publicising the contributions that chemistry has made to improve lives, particularly recent developments in chemical research
- Holding career fairs at schools at which professionals show how they use chemistry in their jobs.
- Organising hands-on activities and demonstrations to help participants gain an understanding of what it would be like to work in a chemistry-related field
- Interacting with government leaders to underscore the importance of a strong chemical enterprise
All active researchers in Chemical Sciences in India who have a postgraduate degree can consider joining the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) which is spearheading the celebration of IYC 2011 in India. The CRSI will celebrate the IYC 2011 with a wide range of activities, including demonstrations, workshops, prize rewards to chemistry teachers at the university level, partnerships with industry for creation of national wealth and popularisation of achievements in the field to the public. For more on membership contact Prof. S. Chandrasekaran,Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, Bangalore - 560 012 ( Email:[e-mail])

IUPAC was formed in 1919 by chemists from industry and academia. For nearly 90 years, the Union has succeeded in fostering worldwide communications in the chemical sciences and in uniting academic, industrial, and public-sector chemistry in a common language. IUPAC is recognised as the world authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology, standardised methods for measurement, atomic weights, and more. The celebration of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 which has begun all over the world would also endeavour to enhance international cooperation by serving as a focal point or information source for activities by national chemical societies, educational institutions, industry, governmental, and non-governmental organisations.