Dow sponsors the 51st International Chemistry Olympiads in Paris

 Building on its long-standing commitment to support sciences and technology education, Dow announced it will be a key corporate sponsor of the 51st International Chemistry Olympiads(IChO), an annual competition gathering the most talented high-school chemistry students from around the world.

From July 21 to July 30, 2019, 320 high-school students from 80 countries around the world will meet Paris to take part in this annual competition. Each participating country will send a team of four of their best students who will have the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in chemistry during a practical test performed in a lab and a theoretical one.

“We applaud the highlight given to chemistry and material sciences, two scientific domains which are essential to our everyday life, meeting societal challenges and protecting health and the environment,” said Pierre Burelli, President of Dow France. “The International Chemistry Olympiads are an occasion to showcase the vast positive impact chemists make every day, along with the breadth of career opportunities these fields have to offer to future chemists, scientists and others. As such it is very logical that our Dow team participates with great enthusiasm in this event and that we are all looking forward to interacting with the participants.”

“We are very proud to host this 51st edition of the International Chemistry Olympiads during France’s National Year of Chemistry thanks to the support of committed institutional and private partners such as Dow, who are highly dedicated to supporting training and research within the industry,” said Anne Szymczak, from the French Ministry of education and youth. “This international competition, which achieved a record number of applications in 2019, is an opportunity to show young people and the general public alike, the interconnection and passion bringing all chemists together: students, professors, technicians, engineers and researchers, from schools, universities and the industry. By advancing our understanding of the way matter behaves, this community continuously paves the way to critical innovations helping to solve some of humanity’s most pressing environmental, energy, health, and economic challenges.”

2018-2019, National Year of Chemistry from primary school to university
In addition to the IChO, France will also host the 47th worldwide scientific chemical congress of the International Union of Pure Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in July, of which Dow is a partner as well. Both events are part of various initiatives aimed at promoting chemistry during the academic year of 2018-2019, which was named “Year of Chemistry, from primary school to university” by Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister for education and youth and Frédérique Vidal, Minister for higher education, research and innovation.

Long-time player in the promotion of STEM careers
Dow aims to build an inclusive and diverse workforce of tomorrow by empowering teachers, motivating student achievement, developing careers, and collaborating with communities to transform education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) into a driver for innovation, manufacturing and economic prosperity. To learn more about Dow’s commitment to STEM education visit https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/about/global-citizenship/workforce

Dow started its operations in France in April 1963 and has been a dynamic player in the French industrial and economic landscape ever since. The Company today operates three manufacturing plants located in Villers-Saint-Paul (Oise), Lauterbourg and Erstein (Bas-Rhin). Amongst other initiatives, Dow has been a partner of the National Chemistry Olympiads in France for more than 20 years, and maintains strategic partnerships with select scientific universities around the world, including the European School of Chemistry, Polymer and Materials of the Strasbourg University (ECPM).

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines one of the broadest technology sets in the industry with asset integration, focused innovation and global scale to achieve profitable growth and become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for our customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 113 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,000 people. Dow delivered pro forma sales of approximately $50 billion in 2018. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com