By Armando M. Guidote Jr.
As a high point to research in the Asia-Pacific region, the Asian Chemical Congress (ACC) held from 19-23 August 2013 at the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore provide chemists with an opportunity to meet, network and learn what’s trailblazing in their areas of interest. This year, the 15th Congress came full circle and returned to where it was first organized by the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC). A contingent of Filipino chemists coming from the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Central Bicol State University of Agricultural, DepEd, DOST, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, University of the Philippines Manila and the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod attended the event.
The Conference which attracted approximately 1,650 participants from all over the world had three Nobel Prize winners among the Plenary Speakers: Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Prof. Akira Suzuki and Prof. Ei-ichi Negishi.
Prof. Akira Suzuki, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry 2010, with Dr. Regina So of Ateneo de Manila University and Dr. Rap Espiritu of De La Salle University Manila.
The ACC is a biennial conference hosted by member countries of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS) which comprises 30 chemical societies of countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines hosted the ACC way back in 1995. The 2017 ACC will be held in Bangladesh while the 2019 ACC will be in Hokkaido, Japan.
Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry 2004, with Ms. Krishna De Guzman (left) and Ms. Ofelia Silverio (right).
Aside from the plenary talks, special symposia, parallel talks and poster sessions, there were also an Editors’ Forum (Angewandte Chemie, Nature Chemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society and Green Chemistry), Pioneers from Asia Lectures and the Asian Rising Star Lectures.
ACC participants from the Department of Science & Technology.
Prof. Ei-ichi Nigishi, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry 2010, with Prof. Luchie Ilao and Dr. Noel Quiming of University of the Philippines Manila.