Integrating Chemical Security into Chemistry Degree Programs in Argentina through an Interactive One-Day Course Addressing Illicit or Harmful Applications of Chemistry Knowledge

TOMÁS TEMPESTI; DANIEL CAMINOS; NATALIA L. PACIONI; MARÍA CONSTANZA PAZ

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2020 vol. 97 p. 1789 - 1794

0021-9584

(Publicado on-line 30 de diciembre de 2019)The commitment and responsibility of new chemists is key for a world free of chemical weapons, illicitdrugs, and for the development of eco-friendly technologies and a healthy environment. However, witha tight academic schedule for undergraduate and postgraduate students, it is difficult to find room foran appropriate discussion and debate about the dual use of the chemical sciences. Encouraged by theinitiatives of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on education about theprevention of illicit purposes of chemistry, we have developed a one-day workshop, called the ItinerantLecture, that covers theoretical aspects combined with activities to promote critical thinking amongstudents. The main topics are presented in an engaging way that is open to discussion and includesactivities such as fictional case analyses and role-playing, which allow students to consider theproblematic aspects of their roles as scientists. This workshop has been running for the last five years,with apparently very high acceptance by students and teachers in the chemistry field. The use ofvideos, role-playing, and an active-learning strategy for the topics becomes an excellent approach tointroduce chemistry students and teachers to concepts such as professional responsibility and dualuse of knowledge in the sciences and their implications in the production of chemical weapons andother illegal uses.