Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS)

  Last updated on 20 June, 2001      

Federation of Asian Chemical Societies(FACS): 
Biennial Report 1997-1999

Biennial Report on FACS Projects for 1997 - 1999 by Co-ordinator of Projects, Barry N Noller

1. Introduction

FACS has, as one of its objectives, a requirement to develop links between Chemical Societies in the Asian-Pacific region. The FACS is able to provide an umbrella to allow specific subject areas to be developed and create networks between chemists in the region.

The specific requirements for the creation of a project or network under the FACS umbrella are as follows:

1. That the chosen area of Chemistry be of relevance to the region;
2. That chemists from 3 or more Chemical Societies in the region be involved;
3. That a lead person be identified to direct the project;
4. The FACS may provide seed money as an incentive for the Project Director to raise other funds but not to fund the project exclusively; and
5. A project may be terminated if it becomes inactive.

There is no requirement that FACS fund project activities. The onus is therefore on the Project Directors to raise funds for workshops, symposia and other project activities.

2. Projects

During 1997-99 FACS Projects have ranged from progressing with very satisfactory development to remaining static. The aim to secure and maintain relevant projects. The current projects are :

• ANAIC (Asian Network for Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry)
• APFAN(Asian Network for Food Analysis)
• CREN/Environment (Chemical Research and Environmental Needs)
• Asian ChIN (Chemical Information Networks)
• ACEN(Asian Chemical Education Network)
• LPLCE (Locally Produced Low Cost Equipment – sub-project of ANCE)
•  ANCP(Asian Network for Cleaner Production)
• Natural Products
• ANRAP (Asian Network Research on Antidiabetic Plants – subproject of Natural Products)

A list of reports of activities for the period 1997-99 follows together with a list of Project Directors and Co-directors.

Access to financial resources remains limited. There has been some success is securing funds across the interface of specialist areas and FACS projects. For example, Dr Howard Bradbury has continued to be successful is securing funds for the activities of APFAN from ACIAR and the Crawford Foundation. Other organisations such as IFS are also supportive.

The Chemical Societies of FACS are thus encouraged to consider how they might support the project activities of the FACS in the future.

3. Visits by Coordinator of Projects

The Coordinator of Projects is able to report on 2 visits of interest to Asian Chemists.

1. Indonesian National Seminar on Chemistry 25-27 November 1997, Bandung, Indonesia.

   Dr Barry Noller attended the Indonesian National Seminar on Chemistry on 26 November 1997. The conference was held at the premises of the Manpower Centre for Mines, Bandung. Dr Noller addressed the conference of about 300 Indonesian chemists on "Current activities of Chemistry in Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region". There was a strong local interest by Indonesian chemists to have involvement in the region. They have found it progressively more difficult to get support to attend international meetings. Nevertheless Chemistry is alive and well in Indonesia. This was a good opportunity to renew contact with the FACS.

2. Meeting with Bangladesh Chemists

Dr Barry Noller visited Dhaka, Bangladesh, 13-15 March 1998 and met with Professor M Mosihuzzaman who was formerly Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Dhaka prior to being made Chairman of the Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research late in 1997. Professor Mosihuzzaman is also Chairman of ANRAP, a sub-project of FACS.

The purpose of the visit and meeting held on Saturday 14 March 1998 was to begin to discuss the organisation of the ASOMPS X (Asian Symposium of Medicinal Plants and Spices) conference which is planned to be held in Dhaka late in the year 2000. Professor Stephen Hill, Director of the UNESCO Jakarta Office had given an invitation to Professor Mosihuzzaman to proceed with ASOMPS X. The meeting on 14 March considered matters which Professor Mosihuzzaman needed to raise with his Government. Subsequently the proposal to hold ASOMPS X was given official Government endorsement. This should be a major regional activity for natural products chemistry.

4. Project Director's Meetings

An inaugural Project Director’s meeting was held at Johor Bahru 18 November 1997 during the course of the 1997 Malaysian Institute of Chemistry Congress and CSC/Project CREN Workshop on “Chemical Emergencies and their Mitigation”. It was proposed that there be an annual meeting of the project directors. In order to monitor activities there should be a report by each project director every 3 months. The details covered at this meeting were an update of activities since the previous FACS EXCO covering activities, reports and newsletter details.

At a meeting with ChIN Directors at Hiroshima it was requested that details of Chemical Society’s email addresses and web pages should be sent to the ChIN coordinator. These details are still needed for the project pages. A web page can be designed for those societies who do not have one. The journal ACGC CRC has been placed on the WWW. It was suggested that FACS Newsletter also be placed on the WWW.

Sources of funds need to be identified. Collaboration is seen to be the key means of generating funds. The interaction of FACS with ACGC is seen to be the main forum available for generating interactions.

It was proposed that a follow-up meeting would be held sometime in Nov-Dec 1998. This was intended to be in conjunction with the APFAN Conference in Chiang Mai, November 1998. However, due to the Coordinator of Projects changing his place of employment, the meeting could not be organised. The Coordinator did in fact attend the Chiang Mai conference and address the delegates on APFANs future.

A project Director’s meeting was not organised in 1999 due to the proximity in time of 8ACC at the end of the year.

5. Project ChINs Lead Role with Information

Discussions regarding Project ChIN were held on 19 November 1997, Johor Bahru, Malaysia with Co-Director Dr D. Winkler and Assoc. Prof. Xiao Xia Li (representing Director Professor Zhihong Xu). The matters discussed were the updating of ChIN contact lists as the current ChIN list is held in Singapore. People in SE Asian countries need to be identified who can be contacts.

Electronic conferences are seen to be an item for development. This needs a web site with a good response. Journals on electronic mail were seen to be important and Dr Winkler asked that Professor Akimoto make contact regarding the placement of the FACS Newsletter on WWW. This was done subsequently.

WWW details for FACS were discussed and it was proposed that a pro-forma for details of FACS projects and member chemical societies be prepared. Institut Kimia Malaysia has its list of members on disc. ChIN could contacts to get the 1997 IKM Directory of Members.

The WWW should give details of the Executive, Chemical Society contacts, list of projects, details of meeting and details of electronic publications. The FACS WWW should be linked to all other relevant WWW pages including IUPAC, FECS, RSC, ACS, CIC and CSC. The FACS WWW should give the FACS history and list all awards, fellow and citations holders and life members. Some of these activities remain to be done.

A goal was suggested to establish an email listing of all members of FACS member societies. All new activities, societies and projects should be listed. Ongoing actions from EXCO meetings should be placed on the FACS page.

A WWW Domain Page was discussed and domain registration should be instituted to create a suitable domain name. ChIN was to cost domain registration.

Chemical Resources on the Internet are listed by ChIN, including a skill data base. A resource page for funding sources was suggested. A Disclaimer was required for the FACS page and included. People could list old journals for use in developing countries.

6. Role of Internet

An important, continuing development, therefore, is the use of the Internet and email for the promotion of FACS project activities. Project ChIN plays a major role in assisting with developing WWW page details for FACS projects. This has not proceeded at the pass envisaged over the last 2 years. However, steps are in place to allow Pject ChIN to make significant advances over the next 2 years.

Another important development to be undertaken by Project ChIN is to assist in creating “knowledge networks”. During the last 2 years Project CREN (ANEC) has demonstrated the usefulness of email “knowledge network” by creating a number of these as a result of training workshops. These networks enable people to stay in touch following workshops and allow access to other professionals who are working in similar areas. This is clearly a cost effective activity for FACS projects and a growth area.

7. Completion of Term

I cease to be Coordinator of Projects at this General Assembly, a position I have held since 1991, and then become President-Elect FACS. I therefore wish my successor every encouragement in continuing the development of FACS projects and associated activities.

Signed

Barry N Noller

18th November 1999 

Activities of Projects since May 1997

Back to FACS Newsletter TOC(2000/1)