Welcome from the South African Chemical Institute and the Local Organising Committee On behalf of the South African Chemical Institute and the Local Organising Committee, I welcome all our guests to South Africa and the 3rd Commonwealth Chemistry Conference. Our country is blessed with many gifts, boasting the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals alongside significant deposits of gold and diamonds. The complex arrangement of mountains, oceans, forests, deserts, and estuaries rivers, makes South Africa one of the world’s few megadiverse ecoregions and is a country of breathtaking beauty. This diversity is also reflected in our multicultural society which speaks 11 official languages, and whose citizens ensure that it punches above its weight in the global scientific (and sporting) arenas. The motto on our coat of arms written in I X am, translates to “diverse people unite” in English. However, the post-colonial history of South Africa and the deeply entrenched sociopolitical inequality amongst disadvantaged communities has left an indelible mark on our society, which persists well into the post-apartheid era, making the experience of living in South Africa inherently diverse. While idiosyncratically nuanced, this pattern is reflected in many other regions of the Commonwealth with their own stories of diversity and historical complexity. In the context of chemistry, the development of a fundamental understanding of atomic and molecular interactions has facilitated innovation in nearly all aspects of modern society. While the advances in areas such as health, agriculture, clean water, communication, and energy provision are undoubtedly considered positive, these societal benefits are not equally shared in all regions of the world and large groups of people experience hunger, poor health, and many forms of discrimination. These advances have also come at a price, with the footprint of the chemical industry contributing to global change, and alterations in weather patterns and ecosystems threatening economic growth, global health as well as food and water security. It is at this interface, where the Commonwealth Chemistry Conference finds itself. Through equal and inclusive representation of chemists across the Commonwealth, this conference seeks to harness the diversity of experiences of chemists, to foster collaboration for innovative and sustainable solutions to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and through chemistry, catalyse equality for all. To that end, this year we welcome close to 250 delegates, including over 100 Early Career Chemists, from 37 Commonwealth countries. Our schedule includes a blend of invited speakers, panel discussions, flash posters, and poster presentations, covering a wide variety of UN SDG-focussed scientific themes and sessions. Chemistry is an enabling, agile, and transformative science, and it is through continued collective efforts, that we can attempt to correct historical injustice and grow an equal and sustainable global community. In that spirit, we hope our guests enjoy the conference we have put together and use the opportunity to foster new or strengthen existing professional relationships for the longer-term benefit of our society, whilst experiencing what South Africa, and Stellenbosch in particular has to offer.
Professor Clinton Veale Chair, Local Organising Committee University of Cape Town, South Africa
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