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The next edition of RawMaterials University Day (RMUD) will take place over two days, on 27 and 28 September, at the University of Padova in Italy. The RMUD events will play an integral role in the 2018 open dissemination event of the University of Padova, NEMES (Non è magia è scienza – It’s science, not magic) This successful event has taken place annually since 2007 and is open to the general public of the city of Padova.

The RMUD event will be an occasion to establish common ground for dissemination activities for local research institutions, public authorities and industries, especially aimed at making the public aware of the crucial importance of the raw materials value chain.

The target audience will include students (age group 10-16) up to school leavers (age group 17-18), although all the NEMES activities and the RMUD will be open to the general public.

Special attention will be devoted to school leavers interested in future study and job opportunities. Hints and suggestions for career development and job placement will be offered, together with information on specific multidisciplinary curricula related to raw material themes.

For the general public, the crucial role of science and technology in the sustainability and progress of society will be highlighted by researchers involved at the frontier of knowledge, in order to raise awareness of the investigation and management of raw materials.

Study and career opportunities specifically targeted to Bachelor, Master and PhD degree students in the area of raw materials research and technology will be highlighted, based on live experiences from the Alumni di Chimica UniPd group, dedicated talks of invited speakers from industry, and specific info-points dedicated to careers in this area.

Many students already involved in their thesis work will be actively involved as demonstrators and speakers. The raw materials value chain will be highlighted as much as possible, in its whole extension, in including exploration; extraction, and with a particular emphasis on processing, recycling, substitution and circular economy.

The RawMaterials University Day events within NEMES will focus on the role and power of chemistry and engineering knowledge in the transformation of raw materials in Europe for the realization of goods, through case studies, histories and live experiments. The development of advanced materials will be presented as a tool for social and economic progress, and as an environment ideal for young talents. Conferences on topics related to rational and scientific evaluation of environmental issues, with a particular attention to themes and concepts pertaining to circular economy will be organized as a way to increase confidence in industry activities and sustainable development.

Some examples of specific topics to be presented within the RMUD:

  • Circular economy models – Quantitative approaches to modelling the production and recycling of materials, exemplified by audio-visual tools
  • Green chemistry – Substituting standard chemical processes with low environmental impact and low cost processes
  • The lifecycle of Aluminium – Recycling as a path for achieving new and high performance products, in a circular economy perspective

Two main laboratories housed in the main building of the DiSC will be dedicated to live lab performances conducted by experts and university students. Free tours through open stands will be organized to provide the visiting public with a different overviews of natural raw materials, high tech prototypes and open problems in the raw materials value chain.

Researchers from the industry world will be invited to prepare case stories for the RMUD, to give talks and to tutor students that will be involved in the live activities.
Live experiments will highlight chemical processes (transformation, production and processing) to shed light on raw material precursors, their original state in nature, and their economic and social importance in terms of novel applications and new material development.

For more information, please check the website.