Vol. 27 No. 4
July-August 2005

Samsung Funds IUPAC Programs for Young Chemists

In 2003 the Samsung General Chemicals Co. (presently the Samsung Total Petrochemical Co. Ltd.) of South Korea donated USD 125 000 to the Polymer Division (then the Macromolecular Division) in order to help IUPAC stimulate polymer education and research in the world. This was the very first donation of its kind to IUPAC from industry. According to the agreement between the IUPAC Polymer Division and Samsung, only the interest earned from this endowment may be used for the following four areas:

From left, Won Lee (director, Samsung Total Petrochemical Research Center), Robert F.T. Stepto (president, IUPAC Polymer Division), Timothy Deming (recipient of the 2004 Samsung–IUPAC Young Polymer Scientist Award), Jung-Il Jin (vice president, IUPAC Polymer Division), and Jean-Pierre Vairon (chairman, Organizing Committee of WPC 2004).

1. Samsung–IUPAC Young Polymer Scientist Award
The winner of this award is chosen every other year right before the World Polymer Congress (WPC is the major IUPAC biennial conference in the field of macromolecules and polymers) from a pool of recommended candidates who are below age 40. The winner is honored with an award plaque and USD 2000 during the WPC. In July 2004, at the WPC held in Paris, Professor Timothy Deming of the University of California at Santa Barbara (USA) was the winner among six finalists.

2. Travel Grant for Students from Economically Disadvantaged Countries
The WPC Organizing Committee is given USD 3000 to help students attend the WPC. At the WPC in 2004, 15 students were selected by the organizing committee and each was given USD 200.

3. Support of the WPC Organizing Committee
The WPC Organizing Committee is given up to USD 2000 to defray the cost of plenary speakers.

4. Support of Education-Related Projects
One or two polymer education-related projects will be supported by the fund. Arrangements for implementation of this support will be finalized during the Polymer Division Committee at its next meeting at the IUPAC General Assembly this August in Beijing.

The endowment is managed by the Samsung–
IUPAC Polymer Division Fund committee whose members are Professor Robert F.T. Stepto (IUPAC Polymer Division president), Dr. William J. Work (Division secretary), Mr. Hong-Sik Ko (president of Samsung Total), and Professor Jung-Il Jin (Division vice president).