Loving challenges: Helena Grennberg is scientific chair for 5th ECC in Istanbul

Following the 4th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress (ECC) on 26 to 30 August 2012 in Prague, the 5th ECC will take place from 31 August to 4 September 2014 in Istanbul. Helena Grennberg, chair of the EuCheMS Division of Organometallic Chemistry, was elected as chair of the scientific committee for the 5th ECC. She is professor of organic chemistry at Uppsala University, Sweden, and also chair of the Swedish Chemical Society. Karin Schmitz, EuCheMS newsletter coordinator, asked her some questions about the upcoming congress:

What is your personal motivation to accept the office of the scientific chair, which undoubtedly causes a lot of work?

I love challenges! When I got the nomination proposal from the Turkish Chemical Society, I talked with some persons whose advice I strongly value. Then I looked at the good luck amulet I was given when visiting one of the Istanbul universities last year and decided that this is a challenge I can't turn down. Organising a scientific event, regardless of scale, is among the most challenging tasks I can think of, yet a task that in my experience returns more energy than it takes — especially if the event has good local support as

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