Following an invitation by the ACS governance, EuChemS Vice President Floris Rutjes, and Secretary General Nineta Hrastelj represented the European Chemical Society and its activities at various meetings and sessions in front of a U.S. and global audience – alongside a wide range of fellow EuChemS affiliated attendees.
Apart from bilateral meetings, EuChemS had invited talks in the presidential sessions “Collaborating Across Boundaries” and “Achieving Environmental Justice in the Chemistry Enterprise” chaired by the ACS President Mary Carroll. In the former, on 18 March, Floris Rutjes introduced EuChemS, discussed its activities, as well as its inclusion and diversity related actions, such as EuChemS’ participation in the Global Womens’ Breakfast initiative. During the same session, he gave a talk co-authored by Angela Agostiano and Nineta Hrastelj on “EuChemS’ perspective towards early career researchers” highlighting the EuChemS Young Chemists’ Network, amongst others. The following day, at the session on environment by ACS’s Division of Environmental Chemistry, one of the key topics were EuChemS’ science-policy activities, and the role of the chemistry community in the EU’s environmental and climate policy, which were discussed during the presentation titled “EuChemS activities in interfacing science, policy and sustainability”.
Alongside the sessions, a number of strategic and informal meetings were held. On 17 March, Floris Rutjes and Nineta Hrastelj met with ACS CEO Albert Horvath, Chief Operating Officer LaTrease Garrison and Global Engagement Manager Christina I. McCoy to further discuss the Menorandum of Understanding Between ACS and EuChemS, which was signed in The Hague, at the IUPAC CHAINS conference last year.
Zoe Cournia from the Association of Greek Chemists and EuChemS’ Division of Computational and Theoretical Chemistry was also present amongst others, demonstrating the scope of international scientific collaboration at the event.
Last but not least Floris Rutjes and Nineta Hrastelj attended the Board Dinner on March 16, as international guests, being invited by Wayne Jones, Chair of the Board of Directors.
As always, EuChemS was delighted to further the cause of international chemistry collaborations in New Orleans, and on the same note, looks forward to welcome representatives of the ACS in Dublin, at the 9th EuChemS Chemistry Congress.
