International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements being observed

#IYPT2019; #PeriodicTable, #Chemistry, #UN; UNESCO

New York, Jan 30 (IBNS): International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019) was launched yesterday United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its headquarters in Paris, media reports said.

IYPT2019. Image credit: Facebook Page

Discovery of the Periodic System by Russian scientist, Dmitri Mendeleev was done in 1869.  2019 will be the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and has therefore been proclaimed the "International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019)" by the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO.

IYPT is an opportunity for us to develop new resources and raise awareness, to inspire people of all ages, experience and backgrounds.

The Periodic Table of Elements is a great teaching tool and probably the most recognisable thing in chemistry.

In recognition of IYPT's importance of the periodic table as “one of the most important and influential achievements in modern science, reflecting the essence not only of chemistry, but also of physics, biology and other basic sciences disciplines,” United Nations (UN) General assembly two years back had decided to hold year-long events and activities all over the world.

The launch event, which was held in Paris, was inaugurated by UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay and was attended by many scientists and representatives of the private sector including notable persons such as Mikhail Kotyukov, Russia’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Pierre Corvol, the President of the French Académie des Sciences, and Professor Ben Feringa, 2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.

Among the notable activities organized throughout the year include, symposiums in Paris, France, and Murcia, Spain, and an online competition to test the knowledge of secondary education students on the subject as well as to stimulate their curiosity. 

Other exciting and diverse activities that would be held throughout 2019, including public lectures, teacher resources, public outreach, grants to our member networks and communities to fund IYPT specific activities for their respective communities, themed journals and books.

International symposium “Women and the Periodic Table of Elements” would be held on 11-12 of February 2019 at ​University of Murcia, Murcia (Spain)

An interactive exhibit was also planned at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris until yesterday.

Over the course of the IYPT, our publications will be publishing themed collections of articles relating to specific elements or areas of the periodic table. We are also sharing a list of articles on some of the rarer elements.
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UNESCO will present its educational initiative, 1001 Inventions: Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry, designed to help young people in schools all over the world improve their understanding of chemistry and its numerous uses.