Swiss Chemical Society 5

Bronze für die Schweiz an Internationaler Chemie-Olympiade

Am Mittwoch ging in Aserbaidschan die 47. Internationale Chemie-Olympiade zu Ende. Knapp 80 Länder und rund 300 Jugendliche nahmen daran teil. Die Schweizer Delegation gewinnt drei Bronzemedaillen.
Gary Shang (International School of Geneva, GE) aus Onex, Ramon Kuster (Kantonsschule Wattwil SG) aus Unterwasser und Lukas Lüthy (Alte Kantonsschule Aarau, AG) aus Attelwil heissen die Schweizer Bronzemedaillengewinner der diesjährigen Internationalen Chemie-Olympiade IChO 2015 in Baku, Aserbaidschan. Fanny Tschopp (Gymnasium Münchenstein BL) aus Münchenstein komplettierte das Team. Sie alle konnten während 10 Tagen ihre Leidenschaft für Chemie unter Beweis stellen.

Chemie überall
Die jungen Teilnehmenden aus der ganzen Welt sind die besten ihres Landes. Sie mussten sich in einem nationalen Wettbewerb gegenüber ihren Kameraden aus der Mittelschule behaupten und ihr Wissen und ihr experimentelles Können unter Beweis stellen, bevor sie die Reise zur IChO in Baku antreten konnten. Gemeinsamer Nenner all dieser jungen Menschen ist ihre Leidenschaft für Chemie. An der IChO nahmen sie mit Freude zwei fünfstündige Prüfungen in Angriff, an denen ihre theoretischen und praktischen Kenntnisse getestet wurden. Für Gary Shang und Lukas Lüthi war es bereits die zweite Teilnahme an einer IChO, so wussten sie in etwa, was sie erwartet. Dennoch ist jede IChO ein einmaliges Erlebnis und ihre Freude über die gewonnenen Auszeichnungen ist gross. Dass man mit der Teilnahme an der IChO nicht nur in fremde Länder reisen kann, sondern auch Jugendliche aus der ganzen Welt trifft, erhöht zusätzlich die Begeisterung der Schweizer Delegation.

Wissenschaftliche Nachwuchsförderung
Die Wissenschafts-Olympiaden sind eine gezielte Form der wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchsförderung, die interessierten Mittelschülerinnen und Mittelschüler die Möglichkeit gibt, sich vertieft mit ihrem Lieblingsfach auseinander zu setzen, und die zusätzlich Gleichgesinnte aus der ganzen Schweiz und anschliessend aus der ganzen Welt zusammenbringt.

Die Schweiz führt 2016 gemeinsam mit dem Fürstentum Liechtenstein die 47. Internationale Physik-Olympiade IPhO 2016 an der Universität Zürich durch. 90 Länder und etwa 900 Gäste werden für eineinhalb Wochen an der Limmat erwartet.

Marco Gerber
Co-Geschäftsführer
Verband Schweizer Wissenschafts-Olympiaden VSWO
Universität Bern, Gesellschaftsstrasse 25, 3012 Bern

Fotos
www.olympiads.ch/fotos unter IChO 2015 Azerbaijan
Direkter Link: http://www.olympiads.ch/fotos/viewer.php?albid=1228&stage=2

Links
www.olympiads.ch – Verband Schweizer Wissenschafts-Olympiaden
www.swisscho.ch – Schweizer Chemie-Olympiade SwissChO
www.icho2015.msu.az – Internationale Chemie-Olympiade in Baku, Aserbaidschan
www.ipho2016.org – Internationale Physik-Olympiade 2016 in Zürich, Schweiz

Die Schwiezerische Chemische Gesellschaft gratulliert den Teilnehmenden und den Medaillengewinnern ganz herzlich für ihre Leistungen und hofft, das die Leidenschaft für die Chemie noch lange bestehen bleibt. Bravo!

Internationale Chemie-Olympiade IChO
Die Internationale Chemie-Olympiade IChO ist ein Wettbewerb für junge Chemikerinnen und Chemiker, die sich für mehr als den Mittelschulstoff interessieren. Die Schweiz nimmt seit 1987 an der IChO teil. Das Ziel der Olympiaden ist die Herausforderung und Ermutigung wissenschaftlich interessierter und begabter Mittelschülerinnen und -schüler sowie der internationale Austausch. Jedes der über 75 Teilnehmerländer kann ein Team von maximal 4 Jugendlichen unter 20 Jahren stellen, die in der nationalen Olympiade ihres Landes selektioniert worden sind. Die erste Runde der Schweizer Chemie-Olympiade SwissChO absolvierten rund 232 Schweizer und liechtensteinische Teilnehmende.
Die Organisation der SwissChO, die Teilnahme der Schweizer und liechtensteinischen Delegationen an den IChO sowie die nationale Vorbereitung übernimmt der Verein SwissChO und seine ehrenamtlich tätigen Mitglieder. Der Verein ist Mitglied im Verband Schweizer Wissenschafts-Olympiaden und dadurch in stetem Austausch mit den Olympiaden in Biologie, Geographie, Informatik, Mathematik, Philosophie und Physik. Start der nächsten Schweizer Chemie-Olympiade: Herbst 2015. Austragungsort IChO 2016: Kazan, Russland.

Internationale Wissenschafts-Olympiaden in der Schweiz
Der Verein Schweizer Physik-Olympiade SwissPhO und der VSWO freuen sich, zusammen mit der Universität Zürich als Gastgeberuniversität und dem Schulamt Liechtenstein, die 47. Internationale Physik-Olympiade IPhO 2016 in Zürich zu organisieren. Weitere Informationen zur IPO 2016 auf www.ipho2016.org
Nach dem Erfolg der Internationalen Biologie-Olympiade (IBO) 2013 in Bern werden die Organisatoren Delegationen an der IPhO 2016 etwa 90 Ländern und rund 900 Gäste aus nah und fern begrüssen dürfen. Auch 2017 wird die Schweiz als Gastgeberin fungieren und freut sich auf die 6th European Girls‘ Mathematical Olympiad, EGMO, die ebenfalls in Zürich stattfinden wird. Weitere Informationen zur EGMO finden Sie auf www.egmo.org

David Spichiger, SCS
31.7.2015

Basel Life Science Week & MipTec 2015

Basel’s annual MipTec conference on drug discovery draws 3000 participants from over 50 countries. Year after year, MipTec host over 100 scientific talks, 150 poster presentations, 10 industry symposia, and more than 100 exhibitors, covering a wide array of topics touching every facet of basic and applied research activities. A true reflection of the breadth of these activities compelled us to title the 2015 science conference as “Basel Life Science Week” and the MipTec Exhibition.

It is an exciting time for life science research, as many fundamental discoveries in laboratories around the world have transitioned into break through applications for human health.

The 2015 science programme will have multiple streams with leading science experts covering advances in Aging, Cell signaling, Medicinal chemistry, Synergy of combination drug therapies, Next Generation Sequencing applications, Information management, Stem cells, Peptide therapies, GPCRs and Translational Medicine. In addition, the annual MipTec Industry Exhibition, networking socials, lunch hour symposia, poster presentations, and pre-conference workshops will allow for enhanced learning.

Visit the event website on http://www.basel-life-science-week.eu

David Spichiger, SCS
30.07.2015

EuCheMS Brussels News Updates, July 2015

150728 Brussels NewsUpdate

General European Highlights

Luxembourg Takes the Presidency of the Council of the EU
Luxembourg is holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second semester of 2015. According to its programme, the Luxembourg Presidency will focus on innovation, research and the new technologies used in energy transition, essentially in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency and integrated resource management, as key catalysts for sustainable, green growth that will create wealth and boost employment throughout the EU. Also, in order to develop the European Research Area (ERA), the Luxembourg Presidency will strive to improve the coordination and coherence of research policies at European level and take full advantage of the diversity of national R&I systems. The Presidency will support and promote a culture of ‘scientific integrity’, with a particular focus on prevention and raising awareness. Gender mainstreaming in research will be examined with particular attention given to open recruitment procedures. The Luxembourg Presidency will also envisage completing the negotiations on the proposed Directive on Students and Researchers, which will facilitate scientific exchanges with non EU countries.
Source: http://www.eu2015lu.eu/

Scientific Cooperation between Latvia and JRC Strengthened
During the last month of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, Latvia and the Joint Research Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Brussels. This document establishes the basis for further scientific collaboration between the JRC and the Latvian counterparts in the fields of mutual interest. One of the focus areas will be energy, in particular security of supply, renewable energy including from biomass, smart grids and energy efficiency, taking into account the necessity to ensure the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions. Other fields of interest include science and technology development studies, and the implementation and monitoring of the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3).
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

A New Start for Europe: Opening up to an ERA of Innovation
During the opening of the conference, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas mentioned the need of open innovation (where researchers, consumers, companies, and legislators work together), open knowledge (with a European Science Cloud Project setting standards in management, interoperability and quality of scientific data), and openness to the world (with the EU leading global research partnerships).The conference targeted a broad range of topics such as boosting excellence, the next generation of talents for research and innovation, harnessing research infrastructures for stepping up Open Science, and the European innovation ecosystem.
Source: http://europa.eu/

Renewable Energy Progress Report
The European Commission has published the progress report on 2020 renewable energy targets showing that the EU is on track to meet its 20% renewable energy targets. 25 Member States are expected to meet their 2013/2014 national targets. The fact that Europe is ahead of other global competitors in terms of renewable energy presents new market and technology opportunities for EU research and companies, namely in the field of chemistry whose past discoveries have opened the many green possibilities for the future. EuCheMS is discussing greener and more efficient solutions through Solar-Driven Chemistry initiative.
Source: http://europa.eu/

MEPs Call for a Systemic Change to Address Resource Scarcity
The EU needs to use natural resources more efficiently - a 30% increase in resource productivity by 2030 could boost EU´s GDP by nearly 1% and create an extra 2 million sustainable jobs, said the Members of the European Parliament in a resolution voted earlier this month. To achieve this growth, it needs binding waste-reduction targets, change eco-design laws and measures to uncouple growth from resource use, they add, calling on the European Commission to table the new circular economy legislation by the end of 2015.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/

First European Transnational Laboratory in Nano-medicine is Launched
The European Nano-Characterisation Laboratory, funded by Horizon 2020, was launched on the 1^st of July. The laboratory is a cooperative arrangement between Europe and the United States and the first European transnational infrastructure in nano-medicine. The laboratory aims at fostering innovation by sharing knowledge between academia and industry and will contribute to the competiveness of nano-medicine products and facilitate their regulation in Europe.
Source:https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

New European Professional Card to Help Professionals Work in Other EU Countries
From January 2016, the European Professional Card (EPC) will help professionals work in other EU countries on the basis of the qualifications they have received at home. It simplifies the recognition of professional qualifications, enhances transparency for EU citizens and increases trust among authorities across the EU. The EPC is an electronic procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications between EU countries. Chemists are not in this first list of professions to use this card but the EPC may be extended to other professions in the future.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/

A Youtube for Science!
The TIB|AV-Portal provides access to high grade scientific films from many scientific fields, namely chemistry. The website, run by the German National Library of Science and Technology, allows citing of films and film segments through DOI and invites researchers to upload their own videos.
Source: https://av.getinfo.de/?0

Reception of First European Employment Survey
The first European employment survey for chemists and chemical engineers report is being really well accepted. According to the Wiley-VCH statistical score, the report ranks 6th compared to all 2,554 articles ever published in Chemistry – A European Journal; and is in the 98% percentile compared to all 3,937,345 articles ever tracked by this statistical tool.
The article is published on Chemistry- a European Journal under DOI: 10.1002/chem.201501364 and it´s freely available here.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/news/

Upcoming EuCheMS Recognised Events

15^th European Conference on Solid State Chemistry
23 - 26 August 2015
Vienna, Austria
Website: https://ecssc15.univie.ac.at/

WIFO 2015 - GDCh Chemistry Forum
30 August - 02 September 2015
Dresden, Germany
Website: http://www.wifo2015.de/

10^th European Conference on Computational Chemistry
31 August - 03 September 2015
Fula, Germany
Website: http://www.euco-cc-2015.org/

International Symposium on Synthesis and Catalysis 2015 - ISySyCat2015
2 - 4 September 2015
Évora, Portugal
Website: http://isysycat.eventos.chemistry.pt/

EuCheMS-CNC talks @ Expo 2015: Fritz Frimmel, Water - Basis for life
2 September 2015
Milan, Italy
Website: http://www.euchems.eu/

International School of Organometallic Chemistry 2015
5 - 9 September 2015
Camerino, Italy
Website: http://d7.unicam.it/isoc/

EuroAnalysis 2015
6 - 10 September 2015
Bordeaux, France
Website:http://www.euroanalysis2015.com/

Chemical Biography in the 21^st Century
9 - 12 September 2015
Aveiro, Portugal
Website: http://10ichc-2015.web.ua.pt/

6^thEuCheMS Conference on Nitrogen Ligands
13 - 17 September 2015
Beaune, France
Website: http://www.nligands2015.com/

1^st European Conference on Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
14 - 18 September 2015
Catania, Italy
Website: http://www.1stphyschemconference.unict.it/

9^th International Conference on "Instrumental Methods of Analysis-Modern Trends and Applications"
20 September 2015 - 24 September 2015
Kalamata, Greece
Website: http://www.ima2015.teikal.gr/

58^th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Polish Chemical Society
21 - 25 September 2015
Gdańsk, Poland
Website: http://ptchem2015.ug.edu.pl/

15^thEuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment
22 - 25 September 2015
Leipzig, Germany
Website: http://www.icce2015.org/

EuCheMS-CNC talks @ Expo 2015: Rosangela Marchelli, Molecular Secrets of the Italian Gastronomy
29 September 2015
Milan, Italy
Website: http://www.euchems.eu/

Forthcoming Events

Food Safety and Nutrition in 2050
17 July 2015
Milan, Italy
Website: http://europa.eu/newsroom/

Soil – Where Food Begins
7 – 9 August 2015
Milan, Italy
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

2^nd International Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering and Life Science
20 – 22 July 2015
Hokkaido, Japan
Website: https://www.euagenda.eu/

3^rd International Symposium on Engineering and Natural Sciences
12 – 14 August
Beijing, China
Website: https://www.euagenda.eu/

JRC - IIASA Summer School on Evidence and Policy
2 – 4 September 2015
Laxenburg, Austria
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

Food Futuring Tours @Expo - Milan
10 September
Milan, Italy
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
14 - 18 September 2015
Hamburg, Germany
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

Science Meets Parliaments
15 September 2015
Brussels, Belgium
Website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/

Sustainable Places
16 – 18 September 2015
Savona, Italy
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Information day on the Horizon 2020 work programme 2016-2017 ‘Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy’
14 – 15 September 2015
Brussels, Belgium
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/

5^th International Conference on Lignocellulosic Ethanol
15 – 17 September 2015
Brussels, Belgium
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/

The Chemist Towards Europe and the World @ Expo 2015

2 September 2015, 11:00 @ EU Pavilion
Water - Basis for life, Fritz Frimmel, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology ( KIT ) Germany
Website: http://www.euchems.eu/

6th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress

11 - 15 September 2016
Seville, Spain
Website: http://euchems-seville2016.eu/

EuCheMS Newsletter

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David Spichiger, SCS
28.07.2015

Fall Meeting 2015: detailed program and poster catalog are online

The SCS Fall Meeting 2015 offers again a very diversified program with lectures in two blocks of eight parallel sessions and two plenary sessions as well as an extenden poster session

Program overview, SCS Fall Meeting, 4 September 2015, EPF Lausanne
09.45 Conference opening and moring plenary session
11.15 Morning parallel sessions
12.45 Poster session
15.00 Afternoon parallel sessions
17.15 Afternoon plenary sessions