Bruxelles, 4Bruxelles, 4thth October 2012 October 2012

Youth Group of the Italian Youth Group of the Italian Chemical SocietyChemical Society

(GG-SCI)(GG-SCI)-An overview on the activities--An overview on the activities-

Massimiliano Lo Faro Chair of the Youth Group of the Italian Chemical Society

Researcher of CNR-ITAE Institute, Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse, 5 – 98126 Messina Italy

mailto: lofaro@itae.cnr.it

- The International Contest (Trends)

- The National Contest (Opportunities)

- Contribution of “Young Italian Chemists” (Awards and Grants)

PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE IN THE PACIFIC BASIN FOR A HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE

FUTURE

Pacifichem 2010 was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, December 15 – 20, 2010 with a record number of 12,520 attendees, 163 Exhibitors, 235 symposia, and 13,268 abstracts.

Core areas of chemistry: Analytical, Inorganic, Macromolecular, Organic, Physical, Theoretical and Computational

Multi- and Cross-Disciplinary Areas of Chemistry: Agrochemistry, Biological Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Materials and Nanotechnology Challenges and Opportunities for Chemistry:Alternate Energy Technology, Chemistry outreach to the Community, Health and Technology, Security.

• Molecular design more and more defined

• Loosing the gap between natural and synthetic products

• Supramolecular chemistry: beyond self-assembly (self-organization/dynamic-self-assembly)

• Bridging Chemistry with Biotechnology, Electronics, Material Science and Nanotechnology

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Annually, the faculties of chemistry have a number of women student of about 35-40% more than men

•The industrial chemistry has about twice male students than females•Number of graduates: about 107 per year (based on the interview)•Average grade:104.5/110•University student who has passed all his exams within the prescribed period of time: 76%•Who works: 31% in 1 year

65% in 3 year85% in 5 year

Source MIUR

Source MIUR

Source Almalaurea

Source Almalaurea

opening of The Scientific Degrees Project

GGSCI is a non-profit-making organisation.

The Group aims to stimulate, promote and improve

research activities of Younger Chemists.

Its duty is to carry out, spread and transfer of chemistry

knowledgement (from didactic and scientific points-of-view)

The Young Chemists Italian Group (Gruppo Giovani della Società Chimica Italiana; GGSCI) has been instituted by 19/06/02

The GGSCI is directed by the Chair and the Steering Committee. Each member is elected in representation of each Division of SCI (12).

The adhesion to GGSCI is free.

What about the GG-SCI

The GGSCI provides a focus for the interests of members aged 35 and under. It has an interdisciplinary character since the whole members has to be associated at least to one of the Divisions of SCI.

Farmaceutic15%

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Organic27%

Industry8%

Research Institute & CNR 6%

University84%

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12 divisions19 territorial sections3 logistic Hubs

Activities

Web site: information forum and networking (www.soc.chim.it) …..it is

moving on a new platform

Spreading of chemical science and its importance in the modern

society: GGSCI supports the Games of Chemistry into the secondary

schools.

Mobility fellowships

Grants

Editorial – publishing points of view of Younger Chemists’ on

important problems (La Chimica nella Scuola, La Chimica e l’Industria)

Internationalisation (by the Younger Chemists European Network).

The choice of the finalists has been a difficult task. About 50 candidates have been considered at top level.

Some relevant sentences from the supporting letters:

“She is a first rate organic chemist. She has a keen intellect”. “She is a leader and has already established herself as an outstanding researcher. Her work is characterized by its quality as well as its breadth”. “He was an exceptional talented young scientist”. “Besides his contributions to establish a industrial process his pioneering research resulted in a number of paper in top journals”. “He performed his research in a professional and highly independent manner and was highly capable of guiding young students during their research projects. His exceptional talent is further illustrated in the large number of projects and grants he was involved in”. “It is my firm opinion that he has the capabilities to soon become one of the leaders of the younger generation of chemists in Europe”.“He is one of the most promising young scientists of his generation world wide. I believe that he has the drive, creativity, and track record of accomplishment that suggest he is highly worthy of the European Young Investigator Award”. “He was one of the best associates that I have had in my career. He has extraordinary laboratory skills and he manages to obtain high quality data as a result of careful experimentation” “Unusually talented chemist who has obtained extraordinary good results in her career. First class chemist has talent and ambition”. “I recommend him in the strongest terms”. “Such deep and insightful investigations are refreshing and invigorating in my view, especially in times that tend to favor simple, phenomenological results”. “He has been the intellectual driver and forged all the necessary collaborations to address this complex problem” “He should be a compelling and deserving candidate of the European Young Chemist award”.“He is for sure one of the most outstanding and promising young researchers that I know in the field of molecular science. Despite being young, he has a lot of experience and high motivation. He is excellent in the lab extremely smart person. In all his papers one can really appreciated the scientific rigor and quality of his excellent work”. “Astonishing level of productivity, the work has very high caliber”. “My continued enthusiasm about working with him. He is a charming outgoing fellow”.“She was creative in the way she thought about her science”.

European Young Chemist Award 2012

To showcase and recognise the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working

in the chemical sciences

• A dramatic aspect that must be strongly emphasized is that unfortunately many

chemical researchers are already abroad and many are leaving. It is not the fact

that in some aspects appreciated that many young people turn to Europe with

the programs such as Erasmus, Marie Curie or the Socrates; but rather they go

away from Italy with no hope of return back due to the lack of prospects they

have in this country.

 

• Indicators on scientific excellence, that may be recognized easily, are the

funding programs and awards such as the ERC starting grant, the PRIN and

FIRB, the European Young Chemists Awards (EYCA) and the Levi prize.

Suggestions for the network

For scientists: Prof Kassen (GYA) point out that the scientific community is wrong if they think that "science will be given a privileged voice on an issue.... From a politician's point of view, science is an interest group like any other.“

For Industries:•In order to increase his wealth of knowledge, the Chemical Industries should engage more graduates and PhDs.

•The chemical industries should promote courses in chemistry from secondary schools.

•Financial support for ideas, also through the establishment of foundations.

•Training of existing staff and growth of chemical knowledge and the risks involved in working in the chemical sector