by Stanley S. Langer
Almost 150 people attended the 8th International Chemistry Conference
in Africa (8 ICCA) held 30 July-3 August 2001 at the Université
Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Sénégal. Fifteen African
countries and ten other countries were represented at the conference,
the latest in a triennial series.
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Shaking
hands are Stanley Langer (left) and President Abdoulaye Wade.
On the left side of Langer is Prof. Trevor Letcher and on
the left side of the President is Prof. M. Sourang.
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The meeting was opened by the President of Sénégal,
H.E. Abdoulaye Wade, who flew in specially from meeting his counterpart
in Côte d'Ivoire. His inspiring address was much appreciated
by all those present. Over 250 people attended the opening ceremony,
including Professor M Sourang (Minister of National Education) and
Professor A. K. Boye (Chancellor of the University). The major theme
for the conference centered on Chemistry and the Quality of Life,
with 10 plenary talks dealing with environmental issues, health
and agriculture, water quality, natural products, chemical education,
and African chemistry in a societal context. In addition, there
were many short talks and excellent poster sessions that provoked
much animated discussion. As might be expected, anti-malarial chemistry
and AIDS were two of the predominant areas for discussion, both
within the main sessions and at informal gatherings. All the plenary
lectures were published in the July 2001 issue of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (PAC,
Vol. 73, No. 7, pp.1147-1223).
Associated with the meeting was a three-day workshop organized
by the ACS in cooperation with ICCA and the African Association
for Pure and Applied Chemistry (AAPAC). The workshop, which dealt
with environmental chemistry, specifically exploring collaborative
opportunities to improve water quality, attracted almost 50 attendees.
The hospitality accorded to the participants at the conference
was much appreciated and the success of the meeting was due largely
to the organizational skills of Libasse Diop and Abdoulaye Samb.
Thanks for financial and other support are also extended to the
Université Cheikh Anta Diop, the Government of Sénégal,
the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and
UNESCO. It is hoped that the many positive outcomes will be reflected
in the programme for the next conference in the series to be held
in 2004 in Tanzania.
Stanley S. Langer is secretary, UK NAO
to IUPAC, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, England.
