IUPAC, or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, is a scientific organization that promotes chemistry and its applications worldwide. IUPAC was founded in 1919, and its headquarters are currently located in London, England. IUPAC’s activities include publishing scientific journals and databases, organizing conferences and workshops, conducting education and training programs, advocating for science funding, and promoting international cooperation in chemistry research. IUPAC is also responsible for developing the internationally recognized system of chemical nomenclature known as the International System of Units (SI).
IUPAC’s membership consists of chemists from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations from around the world. Individual members can belong to one or more of IUPAC’s commissions which focus on specific areas of chemistry research. These commissions develop guidelines and recommendations for best practices in their field, which are then published by IUPAC. Some examples of recent publications include: “Guidelines for Naming Organic Compounds” (2015), “Recommendations for Characterization of Nanomaterials” (2016), “Principles Governing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Systems” (2017).
The work of IUPAC is overseen by an Executive Committee consisting of elected officers from member countries. This committee sets priorities and directs the strategic plan for IUPAC’s activities. The current president of IUPAC is Dr. Tetsuo Hatsuda from Japan.
IUPAC has played a major role in setting global standards for chemical measurement and terminology. For example, in 1971 IUPAC published the first edition of the SI Unit Symbols & Abbreviations List; this list has been updated regularly since then to keep pace with changes in SI units themselves as well as additions/changes to unit symbols used throughout the world. In 2010-2011, working with UNESCO’s International Bureau of Weights & Measures (BIPM), I UP AC coordinated an international review process that resulted in a significant update to this list – the 8th edition was published in 2014 . Other notable achievements include development of standards for atomic weights , naming organic compounds , characterizing nanomaterials , greenhouse gas emissions trading systems ,and much more .
As a scientific organization with global reach ,I UP AC plays an important role in advocatingfor science funding at both nationaland international levels . For example ,in 2015 IU PAC issued a statement urging G20 nations to increase investmentin research & development(R&D)to promote economic growth& solve grand challenges facing society such as climate change& energy security .
IU PAC is also active inthe areaof public outreach & education about science . In addition to producing educational resourcesfor use inschools& universities ,I UP AC operates several social media channels that provide accurate information about chemistryto nonscientists . These channels include Chemistry World magazine(> 1 million followers ),the @ChemistryWorld Twitter account(> 80K followers ),and various Facebook pages .