Santiago de Compostela was filled with science on 30th and 31th March and 1st April with the I Symposium "Chemistry At The Frontier" organised by CiQUS of USC. The event took place in the Fontán Building at Cidade da Cultura and was attended by more than 250 scientists of various nationalities. The scientific meeting was organised to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Centre, the first Singular Centre of the USC.
10th anniversary of CiQUS
The Singular Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials of the USC celebrated its 10th anniversary, positioning itself as a benchmark for cutting-edge science at national and international level. To commemorate this 10th Anniversary, the I Symposium "Chemistry at the Frontier" was held, which had as guests renowned world leaders in various fields of chemistry, including the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2021, David MacMillan.
"In ten years CiQUS has positioned as a centre of excellence with great international recognition and is evidenced by its competitiveness in European calls for projects, including prestigious projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC)," says Luis Oro, a member of the CiQUS external scientific advisory committee.
Antonio Echavarren, president of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ), adds: "In just a few years, they have this level of excellence, thanks to the scientific leadership of its directors and a policy of incorporating young talent that should be imitated by other Spanish institutions. Given the level of its research groups, it is clear that CiQUS is still far from reaching its top, so it is to be expected, therefore, that its scientific impact will continue to grow in the coming years".
Pole of attraction for talent
Santiago de Compostela became an international scientific focus thanks to this event organised by CiQUS. The scientific programme of the meeting included 15 top-level scientific conferences, including the 2021 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry David MacMillan.
The invited speakers are leaders in the three strategic research areas of CiQUS and represent the Centre's commitment to young talent and gender balance. Among them, scientific personalities such as professors Helma Wennemers from University of Zurich or Harry Anderson from University of Oxford, as well as different young researchers, including CiQUS principal investigators Diego Peña, Martín Fañanás and Beatriz Pelaz.
"An event like this shows, at all levels, including the international level, that it is possible to be at the frontier of chemical knowledge in a singular centre in Santiago de Compostela. The presence of prestigious speakers, including the 2021 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, David MacMillan, is a proof of this," says Luis Oro.
At the opening ceremony (together with José Luis Mascareñas, scientific director of CiQUS), were present Antonio Echavarren, president of RSEQ; Vicente Pérez Muñuzuri, vice-chancellor of USC; Román Rodríguez, conselleiro of Culture, Education and University; and Alberto Núñez Feijóo, president of Xunta de Galicia. In his speech, Núñez Feijóo congratulated the CiQUS for its ten years of life at the service of knowledge, for its excellent track record and for its leadership in the number of researchers in the European Research Council. For his part, Pérez Muñuzuri said that "betting on research is a winning horse" since "it has been demonstrated that quality science can be done from the corner of Europe".
The scientific meeting also included a guided tour of the CiQUS facilities and a celebratory social programme.
