On Feb. 14, young chemists from across various fields of chemistry, along with seasoned researchers, gathered in Singapore for the 2026 Youth Challenge. The American Chemical Society’s Singapore Chapter established the annual event to salute the achievements of young researchers. It held the inaugural symposium in 2024.
Though the meeting fell on a day that is often recognized for a celebration of love, those at the gathering recognized chemistry as their first love. In a LinkedIn post, Pinzheng Zhang, a project officer at the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University’s Energy Center of Innovation, wrote: “Yes, I spent my Valentine’s this year at a scientific symposium, because well . . . Chemistry is a different kind of love. . . .” He added that he and his wife had deferred their plans to the next day but that he knew his fellow chemists might relate to his fond sentiments for the science.
“Chemistry is a different kind of love.”
Zhang says the Youth Challenge as one of the first platforms to allow him to present his poster work. Now, as a fellow, he wanted to give back by hosting a symposium.
Bahar D., a researcher at the Izmir Institute of Technology, found the event to be a good reminder of how powerful scientific collaboration can be, “As a polymer chemist working on advanced materials, I truly value platforms that bring together diverse perspectives to address real-world challenges,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The event featured speakers from the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, the University of New South Wales, Nanyang Technological University, the University of Texas at Arlington, University College Dublin, and Sichuan University. The day included morning and afternoon sessions, a networking lunch, poster session, and a closing awards ceremony.
A booklet of the abstracts of the oral presentations from the Youth Challenge is available online.
Chemical & Engineering News
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