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Report from IUPAC-Sponsored Symposium

 

Chemistry and Quality of Life
8th International Chemistry Conference in Africa (8 ICCA),
30 July-3 August 2001, Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Sénégal.

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by Stanley S. Langer

Almost 150 people attended the 8th International Chemistry Conference in Africa (8 ICCA) held 30 July-3 August 2001 at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Sénégal. Fifteen African countries and ten other countries were represented at the conference, the latest in a triennial series.

Shaking hands are Stanley Langer (left) and President Abdoulaye Wade. On the left side of Langer is Prof. Trevor Letcher and on the left side of the President is Prof. M. Sourang.

The meeting was opened by the President of Sénégal, H.E. Abdoulaye Wade, who flew in specially from meeting his counterpart in Côte d'Ivoire. His inspiring address was much appreciated by all those present. Over 250 people attended the opening ceremony, including Professor M Sourang (Minister of National Education) and Professor A. K. Boye (Chancellor of the University). The major theme for the conference centered on Chemistry and the Quality of Life, with 10 plenary talks dealing with environmental issues, health and agriculture, water quality, natural products, chemical education, and African chemistry in a societal context. In addition, there were many short talks and excellent poster sessions that provoked much animated discussion. As might be expected, anti-malarial chemistry and AIDS were two of the predominant areas for discussion, both within the main sessions and at informal gatherings. All the plenary lectures were published in the July 2001 issue of Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC, Vol. 73, No. 7, pp.1147-1223).

Associated with the meeting was a three-day workshop organized by the ACS in cooperation with ICCA and the African Association for Pure and Applied Chemistry (AAPAC). The workshop, which dealt with environmental chemistry, specifically exploring collaborative opportunities to improve water quality, attracted almost 50 attendees.

The hospitality accorded to the participants at the conference was much appreciated and the success of the meeting was due largely to the organizational skills of Libasse Diop and Abdoulaye Samb. Thanks for financial and other support are also extended to the Université Cheikh Anta Diop, the Government of Sénégal, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and UNESCO. It is hoped that the many positive outcomes will be reflected in the programme for the next conference in the series to be held in 2004 in Tanzania.

Stanley S. Langer is secretary, UK NAO to IUPAC, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, England.

 

> Published in Chem. Int. 24(4), 2002


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