IUPAC President Meets with the Japanese Chemistry Community

doi:10.1515/ci-2023-0308

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IUPAC President Meets with the Japanese Chemistry Community

Published/Copyright: August 14, 2023

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From the journal Chemistry International Volume 45 Issue 3

Abstract

On a visit to Japan, Javier García-Martínez, President of IUPAC, met with representatives of the Chemical Society of Japan and the Science Council of Japan at the Chemical Society of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on February 15th, 2023. His visit provided a great opportunity for the chemical community to learn more about IUPAC´s ongoing work and to discuss potential areas of collaboration. The Chemical Society of Japan is one of the oldest and largest scientific societies in Japan, with a membership of over 30 000 researchers, engineers, and students who are actively engaged in various areas of chemistry.

The meeting started with the introduction of the participants which included Kazuyuki Tatsumi (former President of IUPAC, Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University), Kazue Kurihara (Tohoku University), Miki Hasegawa (Aoyama-Gakuin University), Christine Luscombe (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology), Ken Sakai (Kyushu University), Hiroko Tokoro (University of Tsukuba), and Chiharu Tokoro (Waseda University).

The Chemical Society of Japan Executive Director, Mitsuo Sawamoto, provided some background information and recent data on the Chemical Society of Japan and noted that Japan’s participation as an IUPAC NAO is financially supported through industry contributions. Then, IUPAC President, Javier García-Martínez gave a presentation outlining the main activities of IUPAC. He started by describing the rationale behind the recent changes in the organizational structure and the next steps involving the creation of the funding Executive and Science Boards. The presentation also covered several key areas of IUPAC’s work, including the organization’s efforts to promote scientific collaboration and communication across borders, the development of standards and best practices for chemical research and industry, and the advancement of education and training in the field of chemistry. Javier García-Martínez highlighted some of the recent initiatives undertaken by the Union, such as the Global Women’s Breakfast program, which was held the day before that meeting and aims to connect women in chemistry across the world and promote gender diversity in the field. He also discussed IUPAC’s role in addressing issues such as sustainability and climate change, including the development of guidelines for the use of renewable energy sources in chemical production. He also highlighted efforts led by the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN), ChemVoices, as well as activities that were initiated as part of IUPAC 100 including the Periodic Table Challenge and the Top 10 Emerging Technologies.

From left, Ken Sakai (Elected member on IUPAC Bureau), Christine Luscombe (President of the IUPAC Polymer Division), Hiroko Tokoro (Associate member on the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division), Kazue Kurihara (Recipient of IUPAC 2013 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering), Javier Garcia Martinez (IUPAC President), Kazuyuki Tatsumi (former IUPAC President, in 2012-2013), Miki Hasegawa (National Representative on the Inorganic Chemistry Division), and Chiharu Tokoro (Organizer of GWB at Waseda University)

The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives from the Chemical Society of Japan and the Science Council of Japan to learn more about IUPAC’s work and to discuss potential areas of collaboration. Martínez expressed his appreciation for Japan’s contributions to the field of chemistry and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges. He also mentioned the 26th International Congress of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which was held in Tokyo, Japan, from 4–10 September 1977, and shared some original memorabilia of that occasion, such as the greetings of the then IUPAC President, Georges Smets. The presentation was followed by a cordial and lively round of questions and answers related to the sustainable development of chemistry, the role that IUPAC should play, and some specific ideas on how to further strengthen the already excellent relationship between Japanese chemists and IUPAC.

Javier García-Martínez presented the representative of the Chemical Society of Japan with a signed copy of the latest version of the IUPAC periodic table and all the attendees enjoyed a wonderful lunch when they had the opportunity to continue the conversation.

Online erschienen: 2023-08-14

Erschienen im Druck: 2023-07-01

© 2023 IUPAC & De Gruyter. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For more information, please visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ci-2023-0308