2011 is the International Year of Chemistry. To celebrate the significance of chemistry in our lives, in 2011 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) together with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be holding a range of Chemistry-related activities in numerous countries around the world. In Taiwan, a series of activities have also been organized to coincide with the International Year of Chemistry. The organizers include the Chinese Chemical Society in Taipei, the National Science Council, and Tamkang University. Together, these institutions held an opening ceremony (May 7) to officially get the Year of Chemistry celebrations under way in Taiwan.

The Taiwanese organizers have a clearly-defined theme for the planned activities: “Chemistry – Our Life, Our Future”. They hope to make chemistry more accessible to the average student. To do so, they have deployed a Mobile Chemistry Lab, a 3.5 ton wagon with a gull-wing door that opens on to a small-scale, fully-equipped chemistry lab. The Mobile Chemistry Lab will visit cities and towns throughout Taiwan to promote chemistry and demonstrate to Taiwanese youth that science, too, can be fun.