The United Nations proclaimed 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements
News, 22 December 2017
The United Nations adopted the resolution proclaiming 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements.
Events in the frames of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements will demonstrate a crucial role of fundamental science and science education.
Press service of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science
O.Yu.Vasilieva, Minister of Education and Science of the RF, made the request in November 2017 to support Russian initiative to proclaim 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Olga Vasilieva headed the Russian delegation at the 39th Session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris.
Head of the Ministry of Education and Science O.Yu.Vasilieva commented on the decision of General Assembly of the UN: “2019 is proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. It was made in honor of the 150th anniversary of the periodic law discovered by Dmitry I. Mendeleev who significantly influenced the further development of chemical sciences and contributed into it. Dmitry I. Mendeleev, Mikhail G. Kucherov, Nikolay N. Zinin, Sergey V. Lebedev, Alexander M. Butlerov are only several names in the pleiad of eminent world-famous Russian chemists whose discoveries changed our world. Traditions of the national chemical school are not abandoned nowadays. Discoveries of new superheavy elements are made with participation of our scientists, and our students regularly achieve high results at international competitions.”
The event was also commented on by N.P.Tarasova, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Correspondent Member of RAS, Director of the Institute of Chemistry and Problems of Sustainable Development of Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. “The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry was glad to get the news that 2019 is proclaimed the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. In 2019, the 150th anniversary of the periodic law discovered by D.I.Mendeleev will be celebrated. The extreme importance of this discovery is highlighted by recent outstanding achievements in the field of new superheavy elements synthesis. It is necessary to remind that element 115 was called moscovium, and element 118 was named after the eminent scientist of our time Yu.Ts.Oganessian.
The resolution adopted at the yesterday’s UN General Assembly touches upon numerous scientific, technological and innovation problems of development. I firmly believe that events that will be held in the frames of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements will demonstrate a crucial role of fundamental science and science education in achievement aims of sustainable development and will popularize scientific knowledge in broad social community.”
In 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, large-scale events dedicated to the eminent scientist D.I. Mendeleev and his scientific achievements will be held in Russia and throughout the world.