The International Polymer Colloid Group (IPCG) was founded in 1972 as a global forum for the exchange of ideas and emerging research activities for scientists and engineers from both academia and industry who study or use polymer colloids.

It is a vibrant scientific international community who normally meet face-to-face every two years to discuss the latest global developments related to polymer colloid science (2013 Shanghai, 2015 New Hampshire, 2017 the Basque Country, 2019 Singapore).

As a result of the global COVID19 pandemic, prof. dr. ir. Stefan Bon came up with the idea to take the IPCG forum online with a series of weekly scientific webinars, called the i-PCG 2020 Webinars. Anyone who is interested in science can participate as audience member, or even better, as presenter. Expect to interact with the world top in polymer colloid, with expert participants from industry, academia and enthusiasts. All is free.

Fabienne Bachtiger, part of the Sosso group, presented her research to dozens of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of the poster competition STEM for BRITAIN, on Monday 9th March in the House of Commons. The competition was strong but she won a Silver award for the excellence of her chemistry research, walking away with a £1,250 prize and medal.

The dedication of Warwick Chemistry to provide a rich and inclusive learning environment has shone through in the 2019 NSS results which reveal over 96% satisfaction.

In testament to a student-focussed approach, the department has seen the highest Russell Group scores for availability of academic staff when needed, feeling part of a community, and other key measures such as receptiveness and responsiveness to student views and course feedback.

Head of Chemistry, Professor Mike Ward, commented:

“We are delighted that our students are so happy with their experience in this department, awarding us one of the top scores for overall student satisfaction in the Russell Group. We work hard – in partnership with the student body – to ensure that our students have the best possible learning opportunities and leave us ready for their future challenges.”

Full 2019 NSS results are available at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/national-student-survey-nss/get-the-nss-data/

Congratulations to Warwick Chemistry Student Ambassador, Joe Crowther, who won the Unitemps Student Employee Outstanding Performance Award. Our Student Ambassadors play a key role hosting prospective students and their guests at Open Days, providing an insight into the course and life at Warwick, and leading tours of the Department and campus. Joe was nominated by the Chemistry Department Admissions Team for his dedication and commitment, noting positive feedback from visitors, and describing him as a “delight to work with” and “a great asset to the team and the University”. Joe and his Personal Tutor, Dr Gabriele Sosso, attended the awards evening held at Radcliffe Conference Centre on Thursday 20 June.