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 News & Notices

President's Report on the State of the Union

This address is presented by IUPAC President Professor Joshua Jortner at the 40th IUPAC Council Meeting on 13 August 1999 in Berlin, Germany.

  1. MISSION STATEMENT AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN
  2. INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES AND HORIZONTAL PROGRAMS
  3. CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF IUPAC'S SCIENTIFIC WORK
  4. SCIENTIFIC CORE ACTIVITIES
  5. IUPAC'S PUBLICATIONS
  6. INITIATIVES OF INTEREST TO INDUSTRY
  7. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
  8. SERVICE OF CHEMISTRY
  9. IUPAC ACTIVITIES IN LESS -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
  10. GLOBALIZATION

EPILOGUE
The future message of IUPAC should rest on:

  • Openness to the fast expansion of the borders of the chemical sciences;
  • Response to conceptual and structural changes in chemical research and technology;
  • Perpetuation of interdisciplinary unification, high quality, relevance, and the global dimension in activities;
  • Contribution to the globalization of the scientific endeavor;
  • Recruiting "Human Capital" for IUPAC;
  • Adherence to the principles, norms, values, and ethics of science.

Chemistry historically emerged and developed as an interdisciplinary scientific field, with a broad definition of its borders. Paraphrasing Linus Pauling's definition of the chemical bond "whatever is convenient to the chemist to define as a bond", chemistry can be defined as a discipline encompassing all areas which are of interest for chemists and where molecular science makes significant contributions. The rich and diverse world of modern chemistry encompasses remarkable intellectual accomplishments, scientific creativity and originality, and the generation of new knowledge. The quality, relevance, and remarkable scope of modern chemistry all point toward a bright future of the chemical sciences as a central scientific discipline.

IUPAC serves the international scientific endeavor in the dual function of a basic science and a mission-oriented Union. The Union is in a unique position to contribute to the central interdisciplinary chemical sciences. Strengthening international chemistry, striving toward inspiring high standards of excellence and relevance in academic and industrial research, and promoting the service of chemistry to society and to global issues--these are the visions that shape IUPAC's activities toward the 21st century.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to all my colleagues in the Union, particularly the present and former Officers and Members of the Bureau and the Executive Director, who have given me invaluable assistance and advice. It is a privilege to extend deep appreciation to the "IUPAC Family" and to all the volunteers all around the world, for their personal commitment to the objectives, goals, and activities of IUPAC. Their contributions do and will promote, enhance, and perpetuate the impact of the Union's activities on the international level, both in scope and in intrinsic significance. It is by the expertise and dedication of these extensive and intensive voluntary activities that IUPAC served and will continue to serve, with the proper necessary modifications in its structure and function, the world chemical research and industrial community as the outstanding international authority on the Pure and Applied Chemical Sciences.



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