The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) was a year-long commemorative event for the achievements of

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...

and its contributions to humankind.About IYC: Introduction.
July 9, 2009. Retrieved on July 22, 2009. The recognition for chemistry was made official by the United Nations in December 2008. Events for the year were coordinated by the

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...

(IUPAC), and by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.United Nations Resolution 63/209: International Year of Chemistry.
February 3, 2009. Retrieved on July 22, 2009.

Background

The UN resolution calling for the International Year of Chemistry in 2011 was submitted by Ethiopia and co-sponsored by 23 nations. A case was made that chemistry makes a vital contribution towards achieving the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005–2014.

Theme

The theme of IYC2011 was "Chemistry–our life, our future". It focused on the "achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind." It aimed to raise awareness of chemistry among the general public and to attract young people into the field, as well as to highlight the role of chemistry in solving global problems.
UNESCO News Service press release. December 30, 2008. Retrieved on July 20, 2009.

Events

IYC 2011 events were organized by national chemical societies, such as the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

, the

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Royal Inst ...

, the Brazilian Chemical Society, the

Society of Chemical Industry The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Offices The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-i ...

and the

Royal Australian Chemical Institute The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) is both the qualifying body in Australia for professional chemists and a learned society promoting the science and practice of chemistry in all its branches. The RACI hosts conferences, seminars and ...

, and by regional chemical federations, such as the

European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences The European Chemical Society (EuChemS) is a European non-profit organisation which promotes collaboration between non-profit scientific and technical societies in the field of chemistry.Dr. John V. Holder, ''The European Association for Chemi ...

and the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry.About IYC: Background.
Retrieved on July 22, 2009. IUPAC selected 25 women for the Distinguished Women Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Award.
Distinguished Women Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Award These included Ada Yonath of Israel, Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand,

Lesley Yellowlees Lesley Jane Yellowlees, (born 1953) is a British inorganic chemist conducting research in Spectroelectrochemistry, Electron transfer reactions and Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) Spectroscopy. Yellowlees was also elected as the presiden ...

of the UK and Joanna S. Fowler of the US. The IYC holds a full list of events on its website. Events scheduled were billed as: conferences, congresses, symposia, fairs, exhibitions, expositions, grand openings, lectures, meetings, open discussions, workshops, celebrations, shows, art exhibitions, and quizzes, The IYC Closing Event was held in Brussels, Belgium on 1 December 2011.

Some notable events

* See the IYC website for
full list

France

The official launch ceremony of the IYC 2011 took place on 27–28 January in Paris at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was attended by 1,000+ delegates from 60 countries. Four Nobel Prize Winners attended. UNESCO Director General

Irina Bokova Irina Georgieva Bokova ( bg, Ирина Георгиева Бокова; born 12 July 1952) is a Bulgarian politician and the former Director-General of UNESCO (2009–2017). During her political and diplomatic career in Bulgaria, she served, a ...

delivered the opening address.

Switzerland

In February 2011

Swiss Post Swiss Post (french: La Poste suisse, it, La Posta Svizzera, german: Die Schweizerische Post, rm, La Posta Svizra) is the national postal service of Switzerland. A public company owned by the Swiss Confederation, it is the country's second lar ...

issued a postage stamp bearing a depiction of a model of a molecule of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

to mark the International Year of Chemistry. Swiss chemist

Tadeus Reichstein Tadeusz Reichstein (20 July 1897 – 1 August 1996) was a Polish-Swiss chemist and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (1950), which was awarded for his work on the isolation of cortisone. Early life Reichstein was born into a Po ...

synthesised the vitamin for the first time in 1933.

United Kingdom

The

celebrated IYC 2011 by reviewing the most significant chemical advances since the millennium.

Australia

An international conference was held as an official IYC event at the

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Po ...

between 14 and 18 August entitled 'Towards Global Artificial Photosynthesis: Energy, Nanochemistry and Governance.'Towards Global Artificial Photosynthesis: Energy, Nanochemistry and Governance (accessed 23 March 2011)

Canada

Canada had many demonstrations for the year of chemistry. 32 universities all around Canada participated.

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offer ...

made a "chemistry rendezvous" for 7 May. It included a tour of the chemistry lab, food and demonstrations.

References

External links

IYC 2011 Home page

International Year of Chemistry Global Experiment
{{DEFAULTSORT:International Year Of Chemistry 2011 in science 2011 in international relations Chemistry events Chemistry, International Year of Observances about science