Prague, 18 May 2011– To help boost chemistry education and encourage the national effort to promote International Year of Chemistry in the Czech Republic, Unipetrol today launches “ Chemistry and Fuels” workshop. This one-day event will be held on the premises of the National Technical Library and the surrounding area in Prague – Dejvice. Visitors can look forward to presentations on traditional and alternative fuel production technologies, contests for valuable prizes as well as some experiments conducted by Michael Londesborough, known from the Czech TV show PORT.
“The Chemistry and Fuels workshop is intended to show young people that chemistry is not the learning of formulas or doing boring laboratory work; rather, it is a continually exciting and constantly innovative field, without the benefits of which our daily lives would be much less rewarding and very different. Our company became the general partner of the Year of Chemistry in the Czech Republic to improve the popular awareness of the importance of chemistry in our lives and to increase the interest of young people in the field,” said the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol, Piotr Chełmiński.
“Chemical and technological processing of fuels based on crude oil, coal and natural gas are among the traditional study subjects at VŠCHT Praha. The range of subjects offered expanded in the latter years to include the use of biomass and hydrogen as other alternative sources of energy and chemical raw materials. We welcome the chance to present, as part of the Chemistry and Fuels event, the problems of classic and alternative fuels for transportation industry as an interesting field, attractive and full of perspectives, worth studying and enabling a successful future career,” said Milan Pospíšil, Deputy Rector of VŠCHT Praha in charge of science and research.
A recently conducted survey by Ipsos Tambor, sponsored by Unipetrol, found that chemistry is one of the least popular subjects in Czech schools. The general perception of students sees the subject as very difficult, uninteresting and boring. According to the survey, students would like to have more opportunity to conduct interesting experiments, as a way for chemistry lessons to become more interesting and engaging. The aim of the event ”Chemistry and Fuels” and the International Year of Chemistry is to provide students with some hands-on experiences and to change the negative image of chemistry education.
Program of the Chemistry and Fuels Event
As part of the Unipetrol’s presentation visitors can bring along some of their own fuel samples to be analyzed in a laboratory of the SGS company, firefighters of Unipetrol RPA will present their aerial apparatus and the company Petrotrans its modern fuel tanker truck.
Enhancing the program will be an autograph signing by the famous Czech driver Roman Kresta. Also, the popular TV scientist, Michael Londesborough, who is the host of a show making science and chemistry fun, will conduct several interesting experiments for the visitors. All day long, there will be different contests where visitors can win valuable prizes and one lucky visitor will take home a new Author bicycle.
During the year, several chemistry fairs will also be held across the country through the financial support of the Unipetrol Group – June 22 in Pardubice, September 21 in Ústí nad Labem and September 23 in Prague. These events will be open to the general public – including families with children and students in elementary school.
UNIPETROL, a.s. is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 UNIPETROL became a part of the PKN ORLEN Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe. The UNIPETROL Group is oriented mostly towards oil processing, fuel distribution and petrochemical production. In all of these business areas the UNIPETROL Group is among the key players both in the Czech Republic and on the Central European market. The Group ranks among the leading firms in the Czech Republic in terms of its revenues, and employs almost 4,000 people. In 2011, Unipetrol has become the general partner of the International Year of Chemistry in the Czech Republic.
Contact:
Bořek Konečný
Communication Specialist
Telephone: +420 225 001 670, +420 736 502 600
E-mail: borek.konecny@unipetrol.cz