Crystallography matters ... more!

The IUCr-UNESCO OpenLab Bolivia

Partners of IUCr and UNESCO for OpenLab Bolivia: Rigaku 

Venue: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), La Paz, Bolivia

Background: During the General Assembly of the Latin American Crystallographic Association (LACA) meeting, formally the first meeting of LACA, which took place in São Paulo, Brazil, in September 2015, Wilma and Julián Ticona Chambi, two very enthusiastic young scientists from Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), La Paz, Bolivia, put forward the idea of organizing a crystallography event in Bolivia, the first of its kind. The proposal was warmly received by LACA in the context of the collaborative spirit that permeates the organization and its mission to promote and expand crystallography in the region, and it was suggested to run the event under the umbrella of the very successful program of the IUCr-UNESCO OpenLab initiative. Julián had already participated in the Rigaku OpenLab Colombia, held in 2014. The idea was enthusiastically supported by the IUCr and Rigaku, who have arranged the delivery of a second powder diffractometer, in addition to the old one, already available at UMSA.

Theme: The main theme of the IUCr-UNESCO Rigaku OpenLab will be X-ray powder diffraction, although some lectures on single-crystal diffraction will be included in the programme.  A two-day pre-course on Fundamentals of Crystallography will be held at the UMSA on 8-9 September to help students with little crystallography background. 

Confirmed lecturers

Santiago Garcia-Granda (Spain)
Graciela Díaz de Delgado (Venezuela)
Miguel Delgado (Venezuela)
Diego G. Lamas (Argentina)
José Antonio Henao (Colombia)
Pol de Pape, Rigaku application scientist (Brazil)

International Committee

Santiago Garcia-Granda, IUCr representative (Spain)
Michele Zema, IUCr representative (UK)
Diego G. Lamas (Argentina)
Miguel Delgado (Venezuela)
Akihito Iwata (Brazil)

Local Organizing Committee

María Eugenia García (Chair), Vice-Dean of Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, UMSA
Luis Morales Escobar, Head of the Chemistry Program, UMSA
Giovanna Almanza Vega
Carlos Santelices Gómez
Saúl Cabrera Medina
Julián Ticona Chambi
Macguiver Pilco
Fania Humerez
Naviana Leiva
Mery Laura
One representative of Universidad Técnica de Oruro (tbc)

Technical Committee

Oswaldo Ramos
Mario Blanco Cazas
Wilma Ticona Chambi