Dear colleagues!
On 22 September 2014 the UNESCO/PhosAgro/IUPAC international awards ceremony for young
scientists who are researching ways to protect the environment and human health will take place in
Moscow.
This is the first extra-budgetary project being implemented with the support of a Russian company in
the history of UNESCO and the entire UN system. PhosAgro, one of the world’s largest producers of
mineral fertilizers, has provided the financing for this project.
This event is unique because the winners of the Green Chemistry for Life project have come up with
real solutions to global sustainable development challenges. As a reward, they will be able to
implement their projects with funding from a Russian business.
Over the course of the past year, an international jury consisting of representatives of leading
scientific research centres in Africa, Europe, North America and South East Asia reviewed 110
applications from young scientists from around the world to participate in the Green Chemistry for
Life project. The jury has now selected the six best applications.
The winners include young scientists from France, Ukraine, Egypt, Peru, Malaysia and China. Their
work is original and has clear potential to be of interest to both business and science. For example,
Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi from Malaysia is researching ways to use papaya waste as an adsorbent
to remove lead from wastewater, while also reducing food waste.
The initiative to support these scientific development projects is being implemented with the
support of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Federation
Commission for UNESCO Affairs.
The event will start at 10:00 on 22 September 2014 at the Y. V. Samoilov Scientific Research Institute
for Fertilizers and Insectofungicides at the following address: 55/1 Leninsky prospect, bldg. 1,
Moscow.
Journalists will have an opportunity to ask questions to the President of the Russian Academy of
Science and Vice Chairman of the RF Commission for UNESCO Affairs Vladimir Fortov, the UNESCO
Director for Scientific Policy and Development of Scientific and Technological Potential, Professor
Matsii Nalech, Member of the Executive Committee of the International Council for Science (“ICSU”)
and former President of IUPAC, Professor Nicole Moreau, the IUPAC Finance Director Jon Cornish,
and PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev.
We would like to invite you to participate in this event. Accreditation is being handled on behalf of
PhosAgro by Sam VanDerlip at EM: tel: +7 499 918 3134; email: vanderlip@em-comms.com. Please
respond by 19 September 2014, providing information about the media outlet you represent, names
and passport numbers of participants, as well as license plate numbers for cars and a list of
audio/video equipment you plan to bring (if applicable).