On December 5, the Official Closing Ceremony for the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) was held place in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to Professor Natalia Tarasova, IUPAC Past President and IYPT Management Committee Co-Chair, several IUPAC officers attended the ceremony, including Professor Qi-Feng Zhou, IUPAC President and Professor Chris Brett, IUPAC Vice President.

“The closing ceremony of IYPT2019 gives us a chance to look back on the many activities that have been held around the world to celebrate the periodic table during IYPT2019” said Prof. Kohei Tamao, Chair of Executive Committee for IYPT2019 Japan. “These activities have celebrated the work of the scientists and engineers who contributed to the discovery and development of the periodic table, and the work of those who use the elements to contribute to our world. They also look to the future, to the next generation of scientists, who will use the hints given by the periodic table and the characteristics of the elements to create “future materials” that will further enrich our lives.” For example, in Japan, researchers from academia and industry published messages about the elements that are most important to them. There was also an essay contest for the next generation of scientists in schools and universities to tell us what the elements mean to them, and a “Special Exhibition Tour of the Periodic Table” travelled around the country to transmit the enthusiasm for the periodic table and science from one generation to the next and beyond.

Illustrating IUPAC activities related IYPT, Dr. Lynn M. Soby, Executive Director, IUPAC made a presentation on the IUPAC100 Periodic Table of Younger Chemists. During the year prior to the IUPAC centenary celebrations in July, outstanding young chemists were nominated and those selected were assigned one element of the periodic table. In this way, 118 elements of the periodic table were filled up with a photo and the research activities of 118 bright young chemists. Later in the ceremony, Prof. Christopher Brett presented the Periodic Table Challenge which so far has been played by thousands in 135 countries.

In her remarks, Professor Tarasova concluded that IYPT2019 has no doubt enhanced international cooperation by coordinating activities between learned societies, educational establishments and industry, focusing specifically on new partnerships and initiatives in the developing world, and established durable partnerships to ensure that these activities, goals and achievements continue in the future beyond the year 2019.

The full program of the closing is available online https://www.iypt.jp/en/program.html.
The ceremony was live streamed and well followed on social media @IYPT2919. Visit IYPT2019.org for more details.

 

 

 

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