We are very delighted to be able to present the 2nd IYCN Newsletter on our webpage. In this issue, Hooi-Ling Lee reports about the IYCN at the ICYC2017 in Malaysia, new volunteers are introduced and information about the IYCN-IUPAC relationship is given. Thanks to editor Sebastian Weber and all contributors!
If you want to contribute to the IYCN newsletter, please be referred to the submission guidelines on Dropbox or contact the following mail address:
We would like to encourage you all to provide us with interesting content about your work in the subcommittees, presence of IYCN at conferences, ideas for a fruitful inter- national cooperation, your visions for the network, and/or interesting reports about IYCN related topics. Only with your help we can establish an interesting newsletter which provides you useful information about the organization and recent progress within.
We are excited to launch our first issue of the IYCN Newsletter. The Newslet- ter is part of the pioneer projects of the Social Media subcommittee and is aimed at disseminating information about key activities/projects within the IYCN, interesting topics, general advertisements and announcement of future events. In the first few volumes editions we would keep the newslet- ter as a platform to share information across the different subcommittees within the IYCN. We hope that after the first few publications, we will find a better way of repositioning the Newsletter and its contents.
In the future the newsletter should be able to inform everyone who is interested or members of the supporting country and specific organizations about our work. We will try to establish a platform where people can find contacts or ideas for their collaboration within the scientific and especially chemical community. In a more and more globalized world it is totally necessary to stay in contact across boarders and help each other in managing the problems of the future. As scientists, we should be able to interface contact ”the normal” society in case of scientific related questions. This is becoming more necessary in a fast changing world with more and more scientific and technical devolpements in the light of sociopolitical problems.
As young chemists we have a role to play in the advancement of chemistry and science generally, especially in the communication of our achievements.
The need for scientists to take their stand led us to Earth Day and the March for Science. The feeling I had walking into Denver Civic Center warmed me more than the Colorado sunshine eventually did. Seeing so many scientists who were concerned for our world was an indescribable emotion.
There were people from every discipline, culture, and walk of life. There were all kinds of signs, from those addressing the existence of dinosaurs to others explaining why our kids need to be inspired by science. My experience with sign making was my first step to realizing how impactful the march would truly be for me, my friends, and fellow scientists. Personally, I went pretty chemistry based (pictured above) by drawing out Grubbs second generation ruthenium catalyst so we could all, as I said before, be catalysts for change. I knew it was a risk to put molecules on there, but I had two main reasons for this: it’s a March for Science, people should totally understand it. And, if they didn’t, it was a great icebreaker, a fantastic introduction into a conversation about the wonders of chemistry.
There were cheers for permanent funding, the acknowledgment of climate change, and increased focus on STEM education. It made me realize that we should all be STEMinists. This was the first step for more scientists making a break into politics, or just talking with the people around us, not only in different scientific disciplines but also in different fields all together.
So with that, I want to say thank you. Thank you not only to the scientists, but also the listening politicians, police force, moms, dads, siblings, and friends of us all. You came out, supported us and you helped our voices grow louder. From France to the United States, Australia to Germany, thank you, and let the March for Science continue!
Younger chemists from Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, and Vietnam, all winners of the first fellowship award organized by the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) and the German Chemical Society (GDCh), have just returned from Mainz, Germany where they participated in an international Spring Symposium “JCF-Frühjahrssymposium 2017” and visited famous global industries.
Prior to the start of the conference, awardees visited Merck, the world's oldest chemical-pharmaceutical company, in Darmstadt. The main activities of the company include but are not limited to, high-tech materials (liquid crystals, OLED screens and solar panels), biopharmaceuticals and life-scenes (laboratory equipment). In addition, Sanofi AG, the German branch of one of the world's leading pharmaceutical corporations, named "Hoechst Industrial Park" opened its doors to the IYCN fellowship recipients.
The industrial park is surrounded by the city of Frankfurt, a major logistics center at the intersection of road, air and railway. More than 80 large and small chemical enterprises have facilities, large investments and are the residents of this site.
During the conference JCF-Frühjahrssymposium 2017 in Mainz, the birthplace of the first printer Johann Gutenberg, fellowship winners presented posters on their scientific achievements and gained valuable experience in the NMR interpretation workshop.
As a result of this one-week physical exchange, the laureates of the first IYCN and GDCh fellowship got acquainted with the current and cutting edge trends in the chemical industry, while having the opportunity to joined the chemical community on a global platform.
Join the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) to connect with a global community of early-career chemists. As a non-profit organization, the IYCN provides opportunities for networking, professional development, and volunteer work. Access like-minded peers, global projects, and experienced mentors in the chemical sciences. Join the IYCN today and help build a global network of early-career chemists towards a sustainable future.
