Cambridge science park reception underlines chemistry links with China

The Royal Society of Chemistry will forge another link with China at an event being staged on 7 September at the organisation's Cambridge Science Park offices.

Principal guest will be Dr Baoqing Wang, Minister-Counsellor for Science and Technology at the People's Republic London embassy.

The event will also see the Royal Society of Chemistry commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Graham, the scientist after whom its Cambridge building is named.

Joining Dr Wang will be the RSC President Dr Simon Campbell, officers of the society and guests drawn from the science community, the science park and the regional business and political communities.

The reception comes a few months after a group from the RSC travelled to China to develop relationships with universities and scientists there, exploring ways of increasing the flow of scientific papers to the organisation's stable of chemistry journals.

Counsellor Wang will speak about developing UK China relationships and will be introduced by Dr Campbell, a well-known name of the world of drug discovery who led the Viagra discovery team at Pfizer. Also expected to be at the event are guests from the University of Cambridge, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Due to begin at 2.45pm, the reception will also involve the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the late Professor Sir Derek Barton, former President of the RSC and winner of the Nobel Prize. The plaque will be unveiled by eminent chemist Sir Jack Baldwin of Oxford University. Professor Sir Jack Baldwin is the Waynflette Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Oxford, a position he has held for over 20 years.