Common Challenges
From the presentations of the African
chemical societies certain common themes emerged with regard to the challenges
being faced. Prominent among these were the need to:
- enhance public and government recognition
of the societies and increase the influence they enjoy in these spheres;
- improve the sustainability of the societies,
including the financial basis on which they operate, such as by increasing
membership and attendance at meetings, and possibly by working more
closely with industry and providing value-added goods and services;
- become more active in popularizing chemistry,
in terms of increasing both student interest and public understanding;
- have a greater role in promoting educational
standards and providing educational materials; and
- establish more permanent headquarters, independent
of the contact coordinates of the whoever happens to be society president
at a given time.
