UrFU 'Green Chemistry' foundation is growing

15:56, September 3, 2012

UrFU 'Green Chemistry' foundation is growing

The leading expert of the British company “QS Consulting”, Dr. Kevin Downing has donated $1,000 to the endowment fund “Green Chemistry” of Ural Federal University.   Dr Downing has been collaborating with the UrFU for a long time and his donation to the university endowment fund will set a good example for other philanthropists.  

- The “Green Chemistry” Fund is a joint project of the university and the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It will be providing financial support for university lecturers and Academy researchers working with school children. This project will help us to promote chemistry and ecology in the region, - said the Fund Managing Director, Vice Rector for Strategic Planning and Economic Development Daniil Sandler. It is expected that in the nearest future, following the example of the Academy of Sciences, regional enterprises and institutions will also join the project.  

The endowment fund is not limited to the development of chemical education at the university. As Rector Victor Koksharov has pointed out, the endowment fund will be aimed at maintaining and promoting interest to chemistry among Ural schoolchildren.   Since the Ural Federal University was created, it has been aimed at integrating with the Ural Branch of the Academy of Sciences in various spheres. This included establishing basic departments and laboratories as well as  specialized multi-user centres. Nowadays this long-term and sustainable partnership is opening new perspectives for both sides.   Green chemistry is a field of science developing chemical processes that may improve the state of the environment.  

“QS Consulting” is a part of “QS Group”, the world leader in the sphere of networking and IT applications in higher education. The company offers consulting services to the universities worldwide and encourages them to meet the highest quality standards. “QS Consulting” realizes international projects in the sphere of strategic planning, change management, business efficiency improvement, etc.   Dr Downing is the Director of the Knowledge Enterprise and Analysis Centre at the City University of Hong Kong. The Centre’s field of work is planning, institutional research and quality control.