Continuing on from 2011’s International Chemistry Year activities, TKU’s mobile chemistry lab last week visited a high school on the outskirts of Hsinchu City, Northern Taiwan.

Last year, as part of a prolonged tribute to Marie Sklodowska-Curie – who broke a host of records by being the first person to receive two Nobel prizes –the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) together with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a range of Chemistry-related activities in numerous countries around the world.

This year, TKU’s Department of Chemistry once again launched the 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 purpose of the lab is to enhance access to the wonder of chemistry among children from rural areas around Taiwan. The first stop on the new journey was Nei Hu High School in Hsinchu, where local students got the chance to take part in numerous fun experiments. The person responsible for the lab, the Dean of the TKU College of Science, Dr. Bo-Cheng Wang, commented: “giving the local students access to chemistry is like giving plants a ray of sunlight. All these students need to grow into successful scientists or experts in the field is knowledge and the chance to become familiar with the amazing world of science”.

During the activity, the Mayor of Hsinchu City, Hsu Ming-tsai, presented organizer and host, Dr. Wang, with a certificate of appreciation.