International experts in Theoretical Chemistry meet in Barcelona during the ESPA 2012 conference

ESPA Congres logotype.
ESPA Congres logotype.
Research
(27/06/2012)

The eight Congress on Electronic Structure: Principles and Applications, ESPA 2012, which will take place on 26-29 June at CosmoCaixa (Isaac Newton, 26) in Barcelona, is a key event with international reputation in the field of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. This branch of chemistry covers different areas such as the development of new theories and methods to study chemical processes, computational modelling of chemical and biochemical systems or of the structure and properties of solutions and solids (magnetism, electrical conductivity, superconductivity or optical properties, to name some of the best known). This yearʼs edition is organised by the University of Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Spanish universities that take part in the Interuniversity doctoral program in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling.

ESPA Congres logotype.
ESPA Congres logotype.
Research
27/06/2012

The eight Congress on Electronic Structure: Principles and Applications, ESPA 2012, which will take place on 26-29 June at CosmoCaixa (Isaac Newton, 26) in Barcelona, is a key event with international reputation in the field of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. This branch of chemistry covers different areas such as the development of new theories and methods to study chemical processes, computational modelling of chemical and biochemical systems or of the structure and properties of solutions and solids (magnetism, electrical conductivity, superconductivity or optical properties, to name some of the best known). This yearʼs edition is organised by the University of Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Spanish universities that take part in the Interuniversity doctoral program in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling.

The inaugural event, which have taken place on 27 June at 9:00 at CosmoCaixa, has attended by the Rector of the UB, Dr. Dídac Ramírez; the Secretary General of the Interuniversity Council of Catalonia, Dr. Claudi Alsina, and the Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry of the UB, Dr. Pere Lluís Cabot.
 
The ESPA conference is a major national and international event in the field of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. This yearʼs edition will be attended by around 270 experts, almost half of which are international researchers from Europe, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, India, Israel, Russia or New Zealand, among others.
 
The meeting will be divided in four areas: Theory: Methods and Foundations; Biomolecular Modelling; Chemical Reactivity, and Materials Science. The keynote speech will be given by lecturer Michael A. Robb, from the Imperial College London (United Kingdom) and one of the world experts in the theoretical study of photochemistry, among other fields. On the other hand, the closing conference will be given by lecturer William L. Jorgensen, from Yale University (United States) and co-editor of the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation published by the American Chemical Society. The congress will also include talks given by outstanding invited speakers in the field, together with 24 oral presentations.
 
According to Juan J. Novoa, President of the organising committee and Professor at the Department of Physical Chemistry of the UB: «it is a prestigious international conference, which will show that Theoretical Chemistry has reached a high level of maturity and is able to accurately and realistically explain the how and the why of the most complex chemical processes».
 
The congress, which will take place at the CosmoCaixa Auditorium has the institutional support of the UB, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Institute of the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry of the UB (IQTCUB), the Reference Network of the Catalan Government in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (XRQTC) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (the last two ones are located at the Barcelona Knowledge Campus (BKC). It also has the support of the enterprises Omega Peripherals and El Corte Inglés.