The International Year of Chemistry 2011

In December 2008, the General Assembly of the United Nations approved the proposal of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and UNESCO, for the year 2011 to be designated the International Year of Chemistry (IYC2011).

The IYC2011 is a celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contribution to the welfare of humanity. Under the theme “Chemistry – our life, our future”, the IYC2011provides an array of interactive, fun, interesting and educational activities for all ages. The activities of the IYC2011 can be found throughout the world, at local, regional and national levels. They stress the importance of chemistry to the welfare of mankind today, reinforcing the idea that it is to chemistry and its applications that we owe medical drugs, fuels, metals, and virtually all manufactured products.

We attribute great responsibility to chemistry in resolving global problems of our world. In fact, the United Nations believe that education in chemistry and the development of this science are vital to tackle challenges such as climate change, to ensure sustainable sources of energy, food and drinking water and to keep the global environment for the well-being of the populations.

In this framework, the Chemistry Department of the University of Aveiro decided to undertake an ambitious science communication project for the general public, which is available in several media and platforms, under the general title “The Chemistry of Things”.