Perspectives from the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) - ACS

Chapter 10

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Perspectives from the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) Adriano D. Andricopulo* Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP 13566-970, Brazil *Email: [email protected].

Since its creation, the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ, Sociedade Brasileira de Química) has been working with Brazilian scientific community to promote the progress of chemistry in all areas through a number of regional, national and international programs. SBQ has established a solid platform to become a scientific society of the future, with excellence in all academic and scientific activities, while contributing to the development of chemistry with growing political and social clout. SBQ is constantly committed to identifying and encouraging new international collaborations to build bridges for further development and improvement of the quality of life through chemistry. One of our most important activities is to build international collaborations with other scientific societies and promote a wide range of activities, including meetings, special programs, and large conferences in all areas of chemistry. An excellent example is the successful “Science Without Borders” program from the Brazilian Federal Government (via CAPES and CNPq). In 2017, Brazil will host for the first time the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress, on the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of SBQ. This initiative is expected to bring an entire contingent of chemists in Brazil closer to the global chemistry community.

© 2015 American Chemical Society In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


Overview of the Brazilian Chemical Society The SBQ was founded in July 1977 and is the leading chemical society in Brazil. It is also one of the largest scientific societies in Latin America, with over 5,000 members. The SBQ is devoted to the development and growth of the Brazilian chemical community, the dissemination of chemistry information, and the use of chemistry to develop the country and improve the quality of life. The SBQ is governed by elected officials, currently comprising President Adriano D. Andricopulo (University of São Paulo - USP), President-Elect Aldo J. G. Zarbin (Federal University of Paraná - UFPR), Vice-President Luiz H. Catalani (University of São Paulo - USP), Secretary-General Luiz F. da Silva Jr. (University of São Paulo - USP), Secretary-Adjunct Silvio D. Cunha (Federal University of Bahia - UFBA), Treasurer Rossimiriam P. Freitas (Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG), and Treasurer-Adjunct José D. Figueroa Villar (Instituto Militar de Engenharia - IME). The SBQ is also governed by an advisory board composed of Vanderlan da S. Bolzani (UNESP), Fernando Galembeck (UNICAMP), Marília O.F. Goulart (UFAL), Antonio L. Braga (UFSC), Maria D. Vargas (UFF), Hans Viertler (USP), and Vitor F. Ferreira (UFF). A majority of the SBQ’s administrative activities are organized and carried out by the Executive Office, located in São Paulo. The SBQ holds annual meetings, generally in the last week of May. It is the largest chemistry event in Latin America, attended by about 2,500 – 3,000 researchers, teachers and students. While most of the annual meetings have taken place in Águas de Lindóia – SP (Figure 1), the 34th meeting was held in Florianópolis – SC. The 38th Annual Meeting of the SBQ will take place on May 25-28, 2015 in Águas de Lindóia – SP.

Figure 1. Águas de Lindóia is located in Sao Paulo State- Brazil. Reproduced with permission from Sociedade Brasileira de Química. The SBQ has 13 scientific divisions to cater to a diverse range of member chemistry interests. These divisions are inorganic chemistry, materials, medicianl chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, natural products chemistry, photochemistry, physical chemistry, education, 104 In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


catalysis, electrochemistry, and food & beverages. Several divisions promote international biannual meetings (e.g., BMOS, BrazMedChem, and BMIC). The board of directors for each scientific division consists of a director, a vice-director and a treasurer, who are elected by the full members every two years. The SBQ has 22 regional offices located throughout Brazil. Each regional office has a board of directors with a secretary, a vice-secretary, and a treasurer. The regional offices offer a diverse and comprehensive collection of activities to serve chemists and other professionals in different regions of Brazil. SBQ Regional Meetings are hosted and supported by the Regional Offices to disseminate information to members. SBQ Publications (PubliSBQ, Figure 2) is an organ of the SBQ used to communicate scientific activities, technical and educational interest articles, and related news. Its main mission is to produce publications of interest to the national and international chemical community: chemistry professionals from universities and industries and chemistry students at the high school, college, and graduate levels. It also serves as an outreach mechanisms for the layman and young people. SBQ edits and publishes four journals: The Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society (JBCS), Química Nova (QN), Química Nova na Escola (QNEsc), Revista Virtual de Química (RVq), along with a weekly digital edition, Boletim Eletrônico, and Química Nova Interativa (QNInt), the latter of which is designed for teaching students at the middle and high school levels. In addition, QuiD+ is an interactive site which provides children and prospective students with information for the study of chemistry. These publications can be accessed by visiting http://publisbq.org.br/

Figure 2. The SBQ Publications homepage. Reproduced with permission from Sociedade Brasileira de Química. 105 In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


SBQ International Activities SBQ believes that education, science, technology and innovation are strategic drivers in ensuring the social and economic advancement of the country. During the last few years, the SBQ has become more and more active internationally, with conferences, workshops, and other activities. Globalization is increasingly connecting people and ideas across cultural, political, social, economic and geographic divides, and SBQ recognizes the importance of having a strong global network. It is increasingly important to further international interactions with other chemical societies around the world and the chemical science community, as there are many common challenges, responsibilities and interests amongst these organizations. It is also necessary to be constantly open to new information and willing to listen to different perspectives. In addition, it is particularly important to stimulate and promote the creation and use of new scientific information to advance the health, prosperity, and quality of life for all people around the world. Chemistry will continue to be central to achieving these goals. Relevant SBQ activities can be broadly grouped into three categories:

1. 2. 3.

Innovation and international collaboration in areas of mutual interest Joint conferences, symposia, workshops and related events (both in Brazil and abroad) Education and training of students and young Brazilian scientists

Science Without Borders Program Funded primarily by the Brazilian Government, the Science Without Borders scholarship program was launched in July 2011. The Science Without Borders Program aims to boost Brazilian science, technology, innovation and competitiveness through the promotion of international mobility. It increases the presence of Brazilian researchers and students at various education levels at academic and research institutions abroad. Additionally, Brazilian institutions provide similar opportunities for foreign scientists and students in Brazil. It increases the innovative expertise of personnel from technological industries and attracts young scientific talent and highly qualified researchers to work in Brazil. The program follows the national development strategy of investing in people, i.e., developing the skills and competence needed to be successful in today’s knowledge based economy. This strategy focuses on national challenges, such as expanding engineering and other technological areas. The program also promotes industrial research, development, and investment. The priority areas for the program are engineering and other technological areas, natural sciences, health and biomedical sciences, computing and information technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, sustainable agricultural production, oil and gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, minerals, biotechnology, nanotechnology and new materials, technology for prevention 106 In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


and mitigation of natural disasters, biodiversity and bioprospection, marine sciences, technologies for the green economy, new technologies for constructive engineering, and capacity building for technical personnel. Presently in Brazil there are 2,377 higher education institutions, with 7.2 million enrolled undergrads, a million of which graduate annually. There are 190,000 graduate students pursuing Master’s or PhD degrees, with 43,000 Master’s program graduates and 14,000 PhD graduates annually. PhD students participating in the Science Without Borders can enroll in a “Sandwich” Fellowship, where they earn a “sandwich” PhD. Students begin their academic and research activities in Brazil, continue their academic and research activities at an institution abroad, then finish their academic and research activities/ PhD theses back in Brazil. As part of the program, undergraduate students go abroad for 12 months, or possibly longer if an internship in a laboratory or industry is included. PhD students receive support for doctoral academic degrees abroad, either in full PhD programs or in 12-month “sandwich” stays. Postdoctoral fellowships at institutions abroad are also available for candidates with doctorate degrees, for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 24 months. Young post-docs working abroad, who excel both qualitatively and quantitatively in their scientific or technological careers, are qualified to receive funding and resources to perform one- to three-year research projects in Brazil. There are also opportunities for Brazilians or foreigners from abroad to come to Brazil for academic or research purposes. Senior researchers/leaders can receive support to perform joint projects with research groups in Brazil and can work in the country for up to three months every year over the course of three years. PhD students and post-docs are also encouraged to work on projects both in Brazil and abroad. The benefits of participating in this program include the coverage of travel and living expenses, post-doc and PhD fellowships, and funding for the local laboratory and the individual researchers. The program aims to send 101,000 Brazilian students to study internationally by 2015. 64,000 of these students will be undergraduates in “sandwich” fellowships, 15,000 will be PhD students in “sandwich” fellowships, 4,500 will be full PhD students studying abroad, 6,440 will be postdoctoral fellowships abroad, and 7,060 will be fellowships for industrial scientists and engineers. In addition, Brazil aims to bring 2,000 talented, young individuals to the country to study and 2,000 leading scientists to visit Brazil. About 75,000 of these fellowships will be funded by the Brazilian government and 26,000 by the private sector. Brazilian students are currently enrolled in fellowship programs in 30 different countries around the globe. The main travel destinations of these students include the United States, followed by the UK, Canada, France, and Australia (Figures 3 and 4).

107 In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


108 Figure 3. The distribution of Brazilian students abroad in the Science Without Borders program. Reproduced with permission from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


109 Figure 4. Geolocations of Brazilian students studying abroad through Science Without Borders fellowships in the U.S. Reproduced with permission from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

In Jobs, Collaborations, and Women Leaders in the Global Chemistry Enterprise; Cheng, H. N., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015.


IUPAC 2017 The 46th IUPAC World Chemistry Congress will take place for the first time in South America, July 3-11, 2017. The organizing committee for the 46th IUPAC consists of Adriano D. Andricopulo (Chairman), Vitor F. Ferreira, Fernando Galembeck, Vanderlan da Silva Bolzani, Jailson Bittencourt de Andrade, Luiz Henrique Catalani, Lui Fernando da Silva Jr., Aldo José G. Zarbin, Claudio José de A. Mota, Adriano L. Monteiro, Maria Domingues Vargas, Rochel Montero Lago, Fernando Figueiredo, and Paulo Coutinho. The organizing committee will work jointly with SBQ to oversee an international advisory board, IUPAC secretariat, the scientific committee, and the financial committee. The venue chosen for IUPAC 2017 is the Transamerica Expo Center. This location features state-of-the-art technology and modern infrastructure, covering an area of 100,000 square meters, thus making it one of the best Convention and Exhibition Centers in Brazil. It offers a variety of services such as coffee shops, restaurants, convenience store, foyer, printing services, telephone/internet services, courier, beauty salon, cafeterias, and airline offices. As part of the World Class Program, SBQ will conduct the IUPAC General Assembly, IUPAC Congress and SBQ 40th Congress in parallel. The logistics will be carried out by the Congress Organizing Committee and SBQ. The Transamerica Expo will easily accommodate the technical programs and the General Assembly running side-by-side. The Brazilian Chemical Society will provide the IUPAC congress with interesting and valuable scientific programs. SBQ will invite prominent speakers from all over the world in academic and industrial fields of chemistry and related disciplines. Many international scientists will be invited to chair sessions in their specialties. SBQ is expected to have eight to ten plenary lectures and around forty symposia in several scientific areas, and four poster sessions. Six to eight Nobel laureates will be invited to participate in the 2017 IUPAC Congress.

Conclusion SBQ, with all of its activities and the challenge to host the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress 2017, has shown that it is not just a chemistry leader in Latin America, but a potential global chemistry leader of the future. SBQ’s strong efforts to spur the scientific education and international collaboration of its youth, as well as its focus on research, development and investment, make it well positioned to take on the chemical and scientific challenges of the future. SBQ is a good example of how international collaboration and investment in the people can lead to successful research endeavors and a dynamic chemistry community.



Additional Reading 1. For more information on Science Without Borders, see the following link: http://www.cienciasemfronteiras.gov.br/web/csf-eng/ (accessed 8/14/15). 2. Science Without Borders Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ); http:// www.cienciasemfronteiras.gov.br/web/csf-eng/faq (accessed 8/14/15). 3. Science Without Borders International Unit; http://sciencewithout borders.international.ac.uk/about.aspx (accessed 8/14/15). 4. Science Without Borders (SwB); http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ brazil-bresil/study-etudie/swb-ssf.aspx?lang=en (accessed 8/14/15). 5. Brazil extends Science Without Borders with 100,000 new scholarships. ICEF Monitor; http://monitor.icef.com/2014/07/brazil-extends-science-withoutborders-with-100000-new-scholarships/ (accessed 8/14/15). 6. For more information on IUPAC 2017, see the following link: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2H3y56w-2A (accessed 8/14/15).


Perspectives from the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) - ACS

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