YSU hosts discussions on contemporary trends in chemistry

Armen Galstyan, Dean of the YSU Faculty of Chemistry, said that participants included high school students interested in chemistry from Yerevan and Vanadzor, YSU students, and young researchers from various scientific institutions, including the Scientific-Technological Center of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the A. B. Nalbandyan Institute of Chemical Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

"The science school will become a regular event. Unlike the 'New Trends in Chemistry' conference, which is purely scientific and co-organized by YSU, the Chemistry Mall science school is more educational. Leading specialists present their knowledge in an accessible way so that young people can better understand the specifics of the field and make informed choices about their path in modern science," Galstyan said.

He added that renowned scientists from several countries had joined the program, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Germany.

Highlighting the importance of such initiatives, YSU Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs Rafayel Barkhudaryan noted that chemistry continues to serve as a cornerstone for addressing humanity's global challenges.

"From sustainable energy and environmental protection to advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, scientific progress across all fields depends on three key factors: curiosity, creative thinking, and collaboration. Science schools such as this provide an excellent environment for nurturing all three," he said.

Valentine Ananikov, Professor at the N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry in Moscow, stated that Yerevan holds a special place on the global scientific map.

"There are not many cities that we visit regularly, for example, once or even twice a year, and Yerevan is one of them. It is one of the crystallization points where new chemistry emerges. I hope this trend continues and that chemistry here advances in new directions, contributing to the expansion of collaborative networks among chemists," he stressed.

Vladimir Gevorgyan, Professor at the University of Texas, addressed ongoing technological transformations and the critical importance of STEM fields. 

"While some jobs in the IT sector may change or disappear as a result of advances in artificial intelligence, employment in chemistry will remain stable. Chemistry will most likely retain its core importance in the age of AI," the professor said. 

He advised young people not to fear scientific flexibility and to change research directions from time to time in order to maintain motivation and preserve their creative spark. 

"Logic based on knowledge will take you from A to B; imagination will take you everywhere," Gevorgyan noted.

The lectures presented within the framework of the science school covered leading areas of chemistry, including research on asymmetric catalysis, the selection of strategies and methodologies required to obtain target materials in modern science, and self-propagating reactions, which are widely used in materials science for the development of new materials, among other topics.