About the Iranian Chemical Society

Since its inception, the Iranian Chemical Society has been involved in various areas of activity. Initially, these activities were limited to enacting statutes, consolidating the organizations within the Society, and holding scientific congresses and seminars, but later, the Society extended its areas of activity. Holding scientific congresses and seminars has been, by far, the Society's most important activity.

Background

Prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian chemists established an organization called "the Society of Iranian Chemists." They were able to extend the Society's résumé through activities such as holding the International Chemistry Congress in the University of Shiraz and the University of Tehran, attending academic conferences, and conducting regional meetings. 

The Foundation of Chemical Society in Iran 

Following the invitation of the Chemistry Department of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, a group of Iranian chemists convened several meetings, urging the inception of the Chemical Society. Evidently, Dr. Mahmoud Sabahi put forward the first proposal for establishing this Society, which was registered as “The Iranian Society of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering” and later its name altered to 'The Iranian Chemical Society.' Many professors participated in the meetings, including Drs. Ashnagar (Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz), Amirnasr (University of Mazandaran), Blourchiyan (University of Tabriz), Bani-Hashemi and Zeyni (University of Isfahan), Shaygan (Sharif University of Technology), Modarres (AmirKabir University of Technology), Mirmohammad Sadeghi (University of Isfahan), Nasehzadeh (Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman), Najafi (Sharif University of Technology), and Heravi (Ferdowsi University of Mashhad). Following an invitation extended by Dr. Maknoon, the Deputy of Research in the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education at the time, the next meeting of Iranian chemists was held at his office. Dr. Mozterzadeh (Department of the Exploitation and Qualities of Materials and Energy) also joined this meeting. As a result, this group was obligated to enact the statute and pursue the Society's inception. This group, which was later named 'the Founding Board of the Society' passed the statute enacted by some of the same group members and laid the foundations for the First National Congress of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in their following meetings held in 1984. The first congress was arranged to be held at the University of Isfahan from March 28 to March 31, 1985, after completing the preparations such as registering the participants and providing the book of abstracts. However, it did not take place due to the bombardment of Isfahan by Iraq's Baathist regime. During its next meetings in 1985, the Founding Board planned to hold the first Congress of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering anew, inviting colleagues, including Drs. Baghayi, Kargosha, Janzadeh, and Mr. Dashtarzhan to join the congress as founding members. This congress, in which 50 papers were presented and 470 Iranian chemists participated, was finally held at the University of Isfahan in 1986 from June 10th to the 12th. On the second day of the congress, the statute enacted by the Founding Board, which consisted of 31 articles and 25 notes, was approved by the General Assembly of the Congress. According to article 10, note 1 and article 11, note 2 of the statute, all founding board members were appointed as members of the Supreme Council of the Society. Simultaneous with the congress, they chose individuals among themselves to be members of the Board of Directors or serve as the inspectors of the Society for two years. Drs. Blourchiyan, Behrouz, Banihashemi, Ashnagar, Mozterzadeh, Zeyni, Sadeghi, Sattari, Nasehzadeh, Kargosha, and Janzadeh were assigned to the Board of Directors, and Dr. Najafi to the head of the Supreme Council. According to article 15, clause 1 and 2 of the statute, the new members of the Board of Directors selected Drs. Mozterzadeh, Janzedeh, and Sadeghi as the head, secretary, and treasurer, respectively. 

In 1988, the Society started to assimilate new members, and according to article 11 of the statute, the first general elections took place in 1991 within the framework of the Supreme Council's enacted bylaw. During these elections, the associate members of the Society's regional branches directly chose some individuals among themselves as new members of the Supreme Council. The sixth congress of the Society in the Technical Faculty of Tehran University coincided with the announcement of the votes, as a result of which, 17 people with the most votes were elected for four years. They had been elected from five regional branches of North, South, East, West, and Center. According to article 11, note 5 of the statute, six previous members of the Supreme Council of the Society were also selected at random to serve as Supreme Council members for two years. In a meeting held in October 1991, these 23 members of the Supreme Council appointed Dr. Blourchiyan and Dr. Shaygan as the head and the secretary of the Supreme Council for four years. Subsequently, Drs. Sarblouki, Mozterzadeh, Mirmohammad Sadeghi, Tarsali, Saeedi, Heravi, Kargosha, Janzadeh, and Chalousi were chosen as members of the Society's new Board of Directors for two years. In another assembly, these members appointed Drs. Mozterzadeh, Mirmohammad Sadeghi, and Kargosha as the head, treasurer, and secretary of the Society for two years, respectively. 

Since its inception, the Iranian Chemical Society has been involved in various areas of activity. Initially, these activities were limited to enacting statutes, consolidating the organs of the Society, and holding scientific congresses and seminars, but later, the Society extended its areas of activity. As mentioned above, holding scientific congresses and seminars has been the Society's primary form of activity. From 1986 to 2012, the Society has held 111 scientific congresses altogether in collaboration with universities and academic research centers. 

In 1988, the Society's Board of Directors decided to hold annual specialized congresses under the headings of organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry seminars, aside from its national meetings and congresses. The first one, named the first Iranian Seminar on Analytical Chemistry, was held in June 1989 at the Faculty of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology. 

In addition to the ones above, some other seminars have been held by this Society, such as the Biennial Seminar on Electrochemistry, Specialized Chemical Environmental, Chemo-metrical, and Macrocyclic Seminars, Student Seminars, one Specialized Seminar on Multi-Component Reactions, and the Seminar on Industrial Chemistry. 

Furthermore, the Society has organized academic conferences in collaboration with the Ministry of Education since 1997. Teachers and university professors involved in educational issues constituted the vast majority of participants and presenters in these conferences. 

To view a complete listing of past seminars held by the Iranian Chemical Society, please visit our seminar archive. 

Different Organizations within the Iranian Chemical Society 

Like other scientific societies, the Iranian Chemical Society is an association of experts in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering. At present, these chemists are collaborating with the Society under the headings of associate, affiliate, and student members. All students majoring in chemistry or chemical engineering can join the Society as student members. Those people who have at least an MA in one of the aforementioned majors or other affiliated majors, can join the associate membership of the Society. Those having a BA in chemistry, chemical engineering, or other related majors can apply for affiliate membership of the Society.

The principal organizations of the Society are as follows: 

  1. General Assembly 

  2. Supreme Council

  3. Board of Directors

  4. Regional Branches 

General Assembly consists of the associate members of the Society; it cannot hold a meeting without the Supreme Council's approval or the written request made by at least a quarter of its members. 

The Society's regional branches are currently composed of seven regions, namely, Northeast, Northwest, East, Southeast, Southwest, Center, and Tehran branch. According to the Supreme Council's election bylaw, from each region (dependent upon the number of associate members), one or more persons can be elected as a member of the Supreme Council. Four people from the northeast, five from northwest, two from both east and southeast, four from southwest, five from the center, and six from Tehran are currently members of the Supreme Council. Furthermore, there are two members as representatives of Islamic Azad and Payam-e Noor Universities. These members are chosen for four years by direct elections taking place simultaneously in each regional branch – either through manual balloting or online voting system. Immediately following the election, they nominate two people among themselves as the head and the secretary of the Supreme Council. The Board of Directors chooses the head, secretary, and treasurer among themselves. Moreover, the Board of Directors appoints two people as inspectors for two years. In fact, these members of the Society are chosen through a two-round system of voting. In the first round, the Supreme Council members are directly chosen by the associate members of the Society in a general election. In the second round, those elected choose the members of the Board of Directors among themselves. 

The head of the Board of Directors is the head of the Society, too. The Board of Directors itself is the Society's executive body and is entrusted with the organization, planning, execution, and prosecution of all the Society's activities. Albeit, the plans must be approved by the Supreme Council in the first place. 

For further information, please refer to the organizational chart of the Chemical Society.