Purchasing, Servicing and Maintenance of Scientific Equipment 5-8 November 2002, Cameroon

doi:10.1515/ci.2002.24.4.33a

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Purchasing, Servicing and Maintenance of Scientific Equipment 5-8 November 2002, Cameroon

Published/Copyright: September 1, 2009

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From the journal Chemistry International -- Newsmagazine for IUPAC Volume 24 Issue 4

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Conference Announcements

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Purchasing, Servicing and Maintenance of Scientific Equipment 5-8 November 2002, Cameroon

The International Foundation of Science (IFS) is holding a meeting from 5-8 November 2002 in Cameroon on purchasing, servicing, and maintenance of scientific equipment. The meeting is being organized in collaboration with the International Science Program in Uppsala (ISP), the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS), the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD), and the Buea University in Cameroon, which is also hosting the meeting. The Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) also has expressed interest in being involved in the meeting. Although the lack of funds has been identified as the main constraint to scientific research being carried out in developing countries, the lack of functioning scientific equipment comes a close second. Technical infrastructure and well functioning instrumentation play a crucial role in the successful execution of research projects, but are often less than optimal at universities and research institutions in developing countries.

The purpose of the meeting is to bring together stakeholders in the region who are involved in the purchasing, and servicing and maintenance of scientific equipment (eg policy makers at government level, management from institutions and universities, and the technical staff, teachers, and researchers who are ultimately responsible for the utilisation and repair of the instruments/equipment) with organisations with experience in the maintenance of scientific equipment, and potential donors for future activities. The discussions at the meeting will be focused on the particular situation in the region. Topics to be discussed are as follows:

Reviewing the problems that various parties have experienced regarding the purchasing, servicing and maintenance of scientific equipment;
Reviewing previous approaches that have been made to address the identified problems;
Identifying new approaches that might be taken to address the identified problems;
Reviewing the activities of organisations and networks that are tackling these issues; l Preparing strategies, involving the various parties in the region, to tackle the identified problems;
Discussing and developing policies for scientific equipment at the university or institutional level;
Providing an e-mail discussion group.

Contact: Dr. Cecilia Öman

International Foundation for Science

Grev Turegatan 19, SE-114 38 Stockholm, Sweden

Tel.: +46 8 545 818 07

Fax: +46 8 545 818 01

E-mail: cecilia.oman@ifs.se

<www.ifs.se>

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Conference Announcements in Brief

Green Solvents for Catalysis

13-16 October 2002

International Symposium on Green Solvents for Catalysis (DECHEMA e.V.)