Bonding the World with Chemistry

Ekasith Somsook

doi:10.1515/ci-2018-0102

Article Publicly Available

Bonding the World with Chemistry

Ekasith Somsook
Ekasith Somsook <ekasith.som@mahidol.ac.th> was a member of the steering committee and of the organizing committee of the 49^th IChO. In 1990, he participated as a student from Thailand in the 22^nd IChO at Paris. He earned a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 2001. He is now an associate professor of chemistry at NANOCAST Laboratory, Center for Catalysis Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Thailand. His research interest is the design of nanocatalysts for organic transformations.

Published/Copyright: February 5, 2018

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From the journal Chemistry International Volume 40 Issue 1

Abstract

The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is an annual competition for the world’s most talented chemistry students at the secondary school level. The goals for IChO are to promote international contacts in chemistry, friendships between young scientists of different nationalities, and the exchange of pedagogical and scientific experience in chemistry. The first Olympiad took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1968, with delegations from three countries. The number of participating countries has grown ever since. Thailand first participated in the 22^nd International Chemistry Olympiad, held in Paris, France, in 1990. Then, in 1999, Thailand received the great honor to host the 31^st International Chemistry Olympiad. Held in Bangkok, the 31^st IChO welcomed 196 students from 51 countries. In 2017, as part of the celebrations for Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol’s 60^th birthday, Thailand hosted the 49^th International Chemistry Olympiad welcoming this time nearly 300 students from from 76 countries. The auspicious event was held 6-15 July 2017 at Mahidol University’s Salaya Campus in Nakhon Pathom.

Mahidol University is proud to be a part of the 49^th International Chemistry Olympiad and to witness student achievement through hard work, strong determination, and a sense of purpose. The university is named after His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, who is the father of the late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Through selfless dedication and many pioneering works, His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla is revered as the Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health in Thailand. His Royal Highness once remarked, “True success is not in the learning, but in its application to the benefit of mankind.” This wisdom of His Royal Highness, together with the university’s motto: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” was a message shared with all participants.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn presided over the opening ceremony held on 7 July 2017 at Prince Mahidol Hall.

Below left: Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn with the IChO2017 organizing committee.

Below: Students in Thai tradition costumes at Rama II Park

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn presided over the opening ceremony, held on 7 July 2017 at Prince Mahidol Hall. The organizing committee from the Ministry of Education, the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), Mahidol University, the Promotion of Academic Olympiad and Development of Science Education Foundation (under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra), and the Chemical Society of Thailand (under the patronage of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol) made joint efforts to ensure a fair competition in this outstanding event.

An exhibition, “The Chemistry and Innovation of King Rama IX”, was organized as part of the 49^th International Chemistry Olympiad opening ceremony to honor His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX). The exhibition presented three successful projects, out of 4000 Royal Initiative Development Projects, which highlighted the applications of chemistry, technology, and innovation to improve the quality of life of people not only in Thailand but also in other parts of the world. The first project presented was “The Royal Rainmaking Technology” which was successfully developed to help alleviate the hardships caused by drought for people in Thailand. The second project presented was “The Trick of the Soil Project”, which the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej initiated to remedy the problem of acidic soil and turn swamp areas into arable land by alternately drying and wetting the land and then adding lime to increase the pH of the soil. The third project presented, “Alternative Energy for Agriculture” decreased Thailand’s dependence on foreign-imported fossil fuels.

Top right: “Chemistry and Innovation of King Rama IX” Exhibition.

Right: All delegates in front of Prince Mahidol Hall

Below: Practical exam in the recently renovated laboratory of the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus.

In addition, an exhibition, “Princess Scientist of Thailand”, was organized to celebrate the 60^th birthday of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand, who is a World Renowned Professor of Chemistry. Her special research interests are in the chemistry of natural products and Thai medicinal plants, the environmental health problems of developing countries, and cancer research. She was the third person to be awarded the UNESCO’s Einstein Medal for her continuous efforts in promoting scientific collaboration in Asia and the Pacific. She has always recognized the important role of science in social and economic development.

The 49^th IChO logo symbolizes a touch of Thai culture. It features the hand of a traditional Thai dancer. Thai traditional dance is popular for its delicate and graceful movements, which reflect the kindness and generosity of the Thai people. As the host country, Thai people welcomed all our guests with hospitality. The test tube in the hand of the Thai dancer signifies “Chemistry,” the heart of this event. The three bubbles denote three elements which must be balanced in our present world: security, prosperity, and sustainability. We must apply and expand our knowledge to balance these elements. The theme of the Olympiad this year, “Bonding the world with Chemistry," reinforced the notion that bonding may be what the world needs to meet its increasing demands and challenges. The orange color imparts enthusiasm, liveliness, and potential. According to Thai belief, orange is also the color of Thursday, the birth day of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol. The blue color discloses wisdom, peace, discretion. In addition, blue is the color of Friday and the birth day of the late King Bhumibol’s father, His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, after whom Mahidol University is named.

Below: Scientific committee at the Practical Exam. Dr. Tienthong Thongpanchang (in blue lab coat) was the secretary of the IChO2017 scientific committee.

Top: 3 Gold Medalists: from left to right, Yuan-Chen Yeh (China/Taipei), Alexander Zhigalin (Russia Federation), and Amirabbas Kazeminia (Iran).

Student sightseeing at the Grand Palace

This year we welcomed a total of 296 students, 75 head mentors, 75 mentors, 58 scientific observers, and 24 guests from 76 participating countries and two observing countries. Over 9 days, the young contestants had a chance to create long-lasting friendships through various activities and also to participate in both practical and theoretical exams. During these exams, their knowledge, creativity and analytical skills were intensively tested and carefully evaluated. The practical exam was held on 9 June at Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus. The Chemistry Laboratory was recently upgraded. The renovation was completed in June, one month before the competition. There were 196 fume hoods available for 296 participating students. Two students shared each fume hood, with plenty of space for both. The exam started with the practical exam, containing 36 pages for the official English version, with three tasks: Tasks 1A, 1B, and 2. Students had 15 minutes to read this exam booklet before starting the experiments. Students received the exam translated by their mentors. The official English version of this examination was available on request only for clarification. In the exam time, students had a total of 5 hours to complete all practical tasks. For Task 1A, students were asked to work with acid-base indicators in order to determine the pK_a of indicators by spectrophotometry. For Task 1B, students were asked to determine the K_sp of calcium iodate by titration. For Task 2, students were asked to transform commercially-available p-chlorobenzaldehyde and 3-pentanone to a more elaborate structure. Most students performed very well, with good scores achieved in the practical exam.

Students had one day off for sightseeing before taking the theoretical exam on 11 July 2017 at the Siriwittaya Building, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus. For the official English version, the theoretical exam booklet contained 54 pages, with 11 problems in total. Students had 15 minutes to read this exam booklet before starting the exam. Students received the theoretical exams translated by their mentors. The official English version of this examination was available on request only for clarification. Students had a total of 5 hours to complete the exam. The theoretical exam topics were the production of propene using heterogeneous catalysts, kinetic isotope effect and zero-point vibration energy, thermodynamics of chemical reactions, electrochemistry, phosphate and silicate in soil, iron, chemical structure puzzles, silica surface, into the unknown, total synthesis of alkaloids, and twist and chirality. Similar to the practical exam, most students performed very well with good scores in the theoretical exam.

In addition to the scientific activities, students went out sightseeing in Bangkok and its vicinity, visiting attractions such as The Grand Palace, Damnern Saduak Floating Market, Rama II Park, Ayutthaya, and an organic farm in Nakhon Pathom. The competiti on was certainly a life-defining moment, as students worked very hard to earn the chance to represent their countries. Awards were given based on the results of students’ overall performances. The gold medalists were Alexander Zhigalin (Russia Federation), Yuan-Chen Yeh (China/Taipei), and Amirabbas Kazeminia (Iran). On behalf of the Organizing Committee, acknowledgements go to the Ministry of Education, the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), Mahidol University, the Promotion of Academic Olympiad and Development of Science Education Foundation under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, and the Chemical Society of Thailand under the patronage of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol for their support.

Right: Student sightseeing at an Elephant School at Ayutthaya

Belwo: Excursion committee with all liaisons.

IChO2017 website: https://icho2017.sc.mahidol.ac.th

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icho2017

About the author

Ekasith Somsook

Ekasith Somsook <ekasith.som@mahidol.ac.th> was a member of the steering committee and of the organizing committee of the 49^th IChO. In 1990, he participated as a student from Thailand in the 22^nd IChO at Paris. He earned a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 2001. He is now an associate professor of chemistry at NANOCAST Laboratory, Center for Catalysis Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Thailand. His research interest is the design of nanocatalysts for organic transformations.

Published Online: 2018-2-5

Published in Print: 2018-1-1

©2018 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-2018-0102