Conferences

International Symposium «Celebrating D.I. Mendeleev’s Periodic System. A Historical Perspective»

Satellite symposium to XXI Mendeleev Congress, 10-13 September 2019, Saint Petersburg State University.

The XXI Mendeleev Congress is held under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The symposium is supported by the EuChemS – Working Party on the History of Chemistry, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society, the St. Petersburg State University and the Russian Chemists Union.

The satellite symposium will be held on the Saint Petersburg State University campus on Vasilievsky Island, while the other venues of the Mendeleev Congress will include the Saint Petersburg Mining University (also known as Gorny) and conference rooms at the Park Inn by Radisson Pribaltiyskaya St Petersburg.

The Mendeleev Congress traditionally maintains an interdisciplinary program and in the frame of the International Year of the Periodic Table, it is only fitting to have a satellite symposium celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the D. I Mendeleev’s Periodic System (PS) of the elements. This innovative and ground breaking new way of classification of the elements created the iconic Periodic Table (PT) which under different forms and presentations is still in use in every classroom around the world.

But how did this idea emerge and take form? What is the historical context of the discovery of PS? Who were the chemists involved, besides D.I. Mendeleev? How were the ideas and concepts discussed, criticized or appropriated? How did the core ideas of PS and PT develop through the 150 years that separates us from the initial publications? And how is this universal device used and accommodated for teaching, and research? How did it work in classrooms and textbooks, or appear in more popular culture as an icon of chemistry and science?

The Symposium “Celebrating D.I. Mendeleev’s Periodic System. A Historical Perspective” will gather scholars to tackle these questions pertaining to the historical emergence, development and use of the PS, and the most powerful scientific icon, the PT. While there are still much debates and ongoing discussion about the nature of the PS, the best arrangement of the elements, and the underlying laws that govern such the periodic classification, this symposium will specifically hold a historical perspective. Beyond the story of discovery, and its context, it will also examine the response and the appropriation processes that explain the longevity of this classification across time, space and culture. In particular, this symposium aims at providing space for less discussed topics such as the use of PT in textbooks and the pedagogical context, the presence of the PT in popular culture, and the role of women scientist in the development of the PS/PT.

In addition to the scientific program, the congress will include social events.

Key-Note Speakers:

Prof. Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne, France

Mendeleev’s notion of chemical element: a key actor in the construction of the periodic table

Prof. Helge Kragh, Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark

Astrochemistry, New Elements, and Mendeleev’s Periodic Table

Prof. David E. Lewis, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, USA

Mendeleev, Markovnikov and the Zhurnal Russkago Khimicheskago Obshchestva: Celebrating Three Sesquicentennials

Prof. Martyn Poliakoff, University of Nottingham, England

Mendeleev’s gift to Education

Registration and conference fees:

The participants to the satellite meeting should register at the Mendeleev Congress.

Registration fees for the Mendeleev Congress. The conference fees for the satellite symposium are 250 euros.

In case of problems with the registration or payment, contact Yulia Gorbunova (yulia[at]igic.ras.ru) or Elena Baum-Zaitseva (baumzai]at]mail.ru).

 Contact address:

mendcongress.histsymposium[at]gmail.com

Secretary of the symposium: Dr. Elena Baum-Zaitseva

Symposium website: https://hystsymposium.wordpress.com/

ICHCs

The 12th International Conference on History of Chemistry will take place in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from 29 July till 2 August, 2019.

The Conference will be hosted by Maastricht University (UM), a young university, founded in 1976, with a very international student population, and a strong research group in Science, Technology and Society (STS), including the history of science and technology. The conference will be sponsored by UM, the Royal Dutch Chemical Society and several other organizations.

The conference programme will include scientific sessions, key-note lectures, the WP business meeting, as well as social events such as excursions, receptions, and a conference dinner banquet. Key-note lectures will be given by Marco Beretta (Bologna University), Carsten Reinhardt (Bielefeld University) and Lissa Roberts (Twente University).

The Steering Organizing Committee consists of Christoph Meinel, Universität Regensburg, and Ignacio Suay-Matallana, Universidad Miguel Hernández (chairs of the committee), Cyrus Mody, Maastricht University (Steering Organizing Committee), Brigitte Van Tiggelen, Science History Institute (chair of the WPHC), and Ernst Homburg, Maastricht University (chair of the Local Organizing Committee).

For more information about session or paper submission, deadlines and practical arrangements can soon be found on: www.ichc2019.org

Contact information for practical questions:

Past conferences: