TY - CHAP
T1 - The Role of International Chemists in Developing Countries and the Pre-Requisite for Their Success
AU - Govere, Ephraim Muchada
N1 - Funding Information:
There are many other ways to promote chemistry education in developing countries. On April 6, 1991 at The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Conference on “Chemistry and Developing Countries”, the role of chemists to advance chemistry in developing countries was highlighted by Mr. Federico Mayor, then Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He demonstrated how just two professors from the world’s South and North took the initiative to transform chemistry education in India. They sought the support of UNESCO, RUPAC, the British Council, ICSU-CTS and the Commonwealth Foundation and successfully launched a chemistry project that sought to improve chemistry curriculum, increase availability of locally affordable and yet reliable and easy to maintain chemistry equipment and produced chemistry manuals and video-tapes (). Chemists can play a big role in the current push for microscale chemistry kits for developing countries (). For example, they can participate in the “Global Microscale Program and Access to Science For All” program jointly implemented by the International Union of Pure And Applied Chemistry’s (IUPAC), International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD), and UNESCO ().
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Chemistry is central to the sustenance of all lives, and all matter is nothing but a composition of chemical constituents. This makes chemistry a central science to all life sciences, and the role of chemists paramount and indispensable in removing constraints and impediments to worthwhile living. Citizens of developed counties benefit from the immense contribution from chemists in terms of chemical knowledge, processes, technology, and products. However, because of their small numbers and many impeding forces, chemists in developing countries have little impact and the overwhelming majority of living in these countries are being robbed of their lives due to abundance of diseases, malnutrition, and unhealthy environments. Chemists from developing countries can play a big role in these countries especially by improving chemical education and availability of food, safe water, and medicines. This is only possible if the chemists from developed countries are culturally competent enough to understand the needs of, and work in collaboration with, those who need the help. Good chemistry between those giving help and those receiving it is vital for a successful outcome. This chapter starts by shining light on the characteristics of chemists from developed countries by answering the question "What is a Chemist?" The second section of the chapter describes what is meant by the term "developing country". The third section presents chemical education, food and nutrition, and health problems of people living in developing countries and how chemist may help alleviate these problems. The last section challenges the chemist to become culturally competent as a pre-requisite to playing an effective role in developing countries. Only through understanding and collaborating with the people who need the help will the chemists' intentions in developing countries produce sustainable positive outcomes.
AB - Chemistry is central to the sustenance of all lives, and all matter is nothing but a composition of chemical constituents. This makes chemistry a central science to all life sciences, and the role of chemists paramount and indispensable in removing constraints and impediments to worthwhile living. Citizens of developed counties benefit from the immense contribution from chemists in terms of chemical knowledge, processes, technology, and products. However, because of their small numbers and many impeding forces, chemists in developing countries have little impact and the overwhelming majority of living in these countries are being robbed of their lives due to abundance of diseases, malnutrition, and unhealthy environments. Chemists from developing countries can play a big role in these countries especially by improving chemical education and availability of food, safe water, and medicines. This is only possible if the chemists from developed countries are culturally competent enough to understand the needs of, and work in collaboration with, those who need the help. Good chemistry between those giving help and those receiving it is vital for a successful outcome. This chapter starts by shining light on the characteristics of chemists from developed countries by answering the question "What is a Chemist?" The second section of the chapter describes what is meant by the term "developing country". The third section presents chemical education, food and nutrition, and health problems of people living in developing countries and how chemist may help alleviate these problems. The last section challenges the chemist to become culturally competent as a pre-requisite to playing an effective role in developing countries. Only through understanding and collaborating with the people who need the help will the chemists' intentions in developing countries produce sustainable positive outcomes.
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U2 - 10.1021/bk-2017-1268.ch003
DO - 10.1021/bk-2017-1268.ch003
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85106976133
T3 - ACS Symposium Series
SP - 21
EP - 48
BT - ACS Symposium Series
A2 - Grosse, Ronda L.
PB - American Chemical Society
ER -