Frontiers of Chemical Sciences Research and Education in Middle East to the ACS’s International Activities the Middle East Committee and, subsequently, to the ACS Board of Directors, chaired by Dr. Nina I. McClelland. In the end, the conference was organized by ACS’s International by John M. Malin Activities Committee and co-sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and IUPAC. n regions where political and cultural conflicts are Wanting to also attract the attention of national overwhelming, can science improve the quality of governments, the organizing committee invited some Ilife? This basic question has been addressed of the best chemical scientists from the region along recently by a group of 57 scientists from 15 nations, with six Nobel Laureates: Dr. Claude Cohen-Tannoudji including 35 chemists and chemical engineers from spoke on “Cooling Atoms with Light: A Recent Middle Eastern countries who all met in neutral Application of Molecular Physics”; Dr. Dudley ground to discuss and share common problems. This Herschbach’s lecture on chemical education and first-of-its-kind meeting, held 6–11 December 2003 in research was entitled “The Impossible Takes a Little Malta, aimed to foster relationships among chemical Longer”; Dr. Roald Hoffmann discussed scientists from throughout the Middle East who oth- “Protochemistries for Antiquity—Teaching Tools for erwise might not have the opportunity to interact Today”; Dr. Yuan T. Lee spoke on “Dynamics of with one another. Attendees included six Egyptians, Chemical Reactions and Photochemical Processes”; three Iranians, seven Israelis, five Jordanians, and Dr. Jean-Marie Lehn discussed “From Molecular to eight from the Palestinian Authority. The rest of the Supramolecular Chemistry—Chemistry Beyond the participants were chemists and chemical engineers Molecule”; and Dr. Rudolph A. Marcus lectured on from Kuwait, Lebanon, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, “Unusual Isotope Effects in the Upper and Lower Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Atmosphere.” South Africa, Taiwan, and the United States. The organizers structured the conference to allow plenty of time for informal discussions among the par- In his letter of welcome, Guido de Marco, president ticipants. Each morning and afternoon session began of Malta, succinctly framed the issues that conference with a lecture by a Nobel Laureate, followed by a dis- participants faced: “Depletion of resources, environ- cussion session and a special follow-up lecture or a mental degradation, a widening gap in technology, working group meeting. The working groups, which and shrinking water supplies are an indication of the had open, rotating memberships, discussed applica- mammoth challenges facing this region . . .” But, de tions of chemical sciences in the Middle East. Working Marco added, “Collaboration and sharing of informa- group meetings were scheduled so that each tion among scientists of this region can make a world attendee had an opportunity to participate in every of difference . . . you can lead the change, you can be group. Each working group developed a set of rec- successful where politicians seem to be failing. ommendations that were presented in a plenary Improving the standards of living of the peoples in working session at the end of the conference. this region is after all the best way to fight terrorism. Many of the conferees were members or presidents . . . You are putting science to the service of humanity of their national academies of science and/or their by seeking how to, through research and education in the troubled region of the Middle East, convert fron- tiers into bridges; how to use science to improve the standards of living in this part of our world . . .”

Meeting Planning and Organization

The American Chemical Society’s (ACS’s) Subcommittee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights, chaired by Dr. Zafra M. Lerman, provided the impetus for the project. In 2002, the subcommittee Conferees at dinner, Ann Nalley, Sultan Abu-Orabi, Afsaneh brought the idea for a conference on chemistry in the Safavi, John Malin, Zafra Lerman, Hanan Malkawi, Boshra Awad, Isa Khubeis

CHEMISTRY International May-June 2004 7 Frontiers of Chemical Sciences

national chemical societies. In many cases, partici- • Cultural Heritage and Preservation of Antiquities pants were encouraged to attend by the ministers of (Roald Hoffmann and Venice Gouda) science of their respective countries. One, Dr. Venice • Environment, Water, and Renewable Energy (Yuan Gouda, is the former science minister of Egypt. T. Lee and Charles Kolb) Conferees presented some 30 papers in a well- • Research and New Methodologies in Science attended and stimulating poster session. Topics Education (Dudley Herschbach and Peter Atkins) included “Photooxidation Process Using Sunlight and • Medicinal and Natural Products (Jean-Marie Lehn Environmentally Friendly Sensitizers to Control and Ernest Eliel) Egyptian Schistosomes” (M. H. Abdel Kader, Egypt); • Research and Technology Transfer for Economies “Chemometrics and Environmental Pollutants” (Mehdi in Transition (Rudolph Marcus and Roald Jalali-Heravi, Iran); “The Environmental Protection of Hoffmann) Water Resources Shared by Israeli and Palestinians” • Use of the International Centre for Synchroton-light (K. H. Mancy, USA); “Chemistry Department Localities for Experimental Science and Applications in the and Their Intake Capacities in Iranian State Middle East (SESAME project, Herman Winick and Universities” (H. Zohoor, Iran); and “Contacts to Dincer Ulku) Molecule-Based Devices” (D. Cahen, Israel). In addition, invited scientists gave special lectures. Those committees produced a set of recommenda- Dr. Herman Winick of Stanford University spoke on tions, which are slated for follow-up: “The Impact of the SESAME Project on Science, Technology, and Society in the Middle East.” Prof. a. Establish a Web site for communication among Peter Atkins, of Oxford University and chair of the conference participants, which will eventually IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education, discussed include a database on instrumentation available in “Modern Trends in Chemical Education.” Dr. Charles the Middle East and opportunities for training in the Kolb, president of Aerodyne Research, Inc., spoke on use of that instrumentation. “Regional Air Quality and Climate Change: New b. Future Actions groups will work together to Insights and Research Tools.” encourage governments in the Middle East to develop collaborative research agreements among countries in the region. c. Participants will engage private companies in becoming involved in scientific collaborations in the Middle East. d. Funding agencies, governments and providers of journals should work together to make online pub- lications available to scientists in the region. e. Materials chemists are reminded that (1) solar cells, (2) catalysts and (3) membrane technologies are particularly relevant in the Middle East and should Professor Roald Hoffmann lectures on receive special attention. Chemistry of Antiquities f. Natural products chemists are encouraged to find useful opportunities in (1) screening of local natural Recommendations and Outcomes products for bio-activity; (2) studies of tropical dis- Although the conference was not a CHEMRAWN eases; (3) combining natural products with poly- meeting, the CHEMical Research Applied to World mers; (4) cosmetics; (5) nutrition; and (6) pesticides. Needs committee of IUPAC helped by obtaining a g. Chemists concerned with cultural heritage are contribution from UNESCO on behalf of the project. urged to help with preservation of precious Middle As in CHEMRAWN conferences, the conference work- Eastern artifacts by (1) encouraging the training of ing groups served as Future Actions Committees by conservers; (2) linking preservation with economic meeting to discuss recommendations in the following benefits; (3) involving the European countries areas: more; (4) fostering future events, such as an • Materials and Polymer Science (group leaders: upcoming workshop in Jordan on this topic. Roald Hoffmann and Helmut Ringsdorf) h. The Chemical Education group proposes to con-

8 CHEMISTRY International May-June 2004