University Lecturer Gives Students “Green Chemistry” Challenge

The Chemistry department at the Tai Wai campus were very pleased to welcome Dr Samantha Tang from the University of Nottingham last week.

Her lecture, to Year 11 Chemistry students, was titled “Can Chemistry be Green?” In which she presented students with 3 cups – ceramic, disposable paper and polystyrene and asked them which was the most environmentally friendly. Dr Tang then proceeded to explain the energy costs involved in manufacturing each of them, including disposal of any waste materials.

Chemistry Teacher Jill Thomson said, “Having given us the facts and figures Sam [Dr Tang] then asked again which cup was the greenest and the answer surprised most of us.”

“She continued the discussion of Green Chemistry by telling us about a malaria drug being developed by Nottingham University Chemistry Department. Again we were all surprised, the greenest method of manufacture was not initially the most obvious.”

Dr Tang and her colleagues also spent time explaining what the Chemistry department looks for in its applicants and how to make a university application letter stand out*.

Jill Thompson, “A huge thank you to Dr Tang and her colleagues for making us think much harder about how we can all be more environmentally friendly, for making the students more aware about possible careers in the field of Green Chemistry and for such an entertaining presentation.”

Dr Tang, who is the Public Awareness Scientist for Nottingham University’s School of Chemistry was in Hong Kong as part of the British Council’s SPARK event.

*Nottingham University offers a grant of ￡6000 to students who get over 39 points at IB.