MacDiarmid Institute presence at IUPAC International Conference on Chemistry Education - Annual Report 2024

1 July, 2025

In July our Deputy Director Outreach and Education, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago (UoO) based Principal Investigator Associate Professor Anna Garden, and UoO-based Institute Affiliate Dr Dave Warren travelled to Pattaya, Thailand, as invited speakers at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) International Conference on Chemistry Education 2024 (ICCE 2024). Anna presented a talk 'From kindergarten to KiwiNet - Outreach and Education in a Centre of Research Excellence'.

Associate Professor Anna Garden

The IUPAC audience was enthusiastic about the Institute's Discovery Scholarships, especially the different categories of awards catering for different types of learners. At the New Zealand ChemEd BioLive conference for secondary teachers this year, Anna presented to chemistry teachers a gold nanoparticle experiment she was introduced to in Thailand.

Slide included in Anna Garden's talk at the ICCE 2024 conference. The slide features a flowchart of steps to achieving a scientific workforce, with MI outreach and education activities shown as inputs.

In addition to highlighting the Institute to an international audience, Anna and Dave's trip was a useful chance to connect with colleagues in chemical education, and to begin discussions around ways to evaluate informal and non-formal modes of education. Anna and Dave made the first attempt at evaluation following a MacDiarmid Emerging Scientists Association (MESA) workshop and will continue work in this space with a view towards quantifying the impact of her portfolio's activities.