Faraday Discussions meeting co-hosted by SCHEMA academics
SCHEMA’s Digital & Information Technologies Lead Prof Antoine Buchard and Director Prof Charlotte Williams co-hosted the recent RSC Faraday Discussion series meeting in Oxford.
Prof Antoine Buchard at the poster session
Profs Charlotte Williams and Antoine Buchard
Profs Marc Hillmyer, Charlotte Williams, Stefan Mecking
Taking place from 8-10 September 2025, the meeting was titled “Polymerisation and depolymerisation chemistry: the second century Faraday Discussion” and welcomed 116 delegates from all over the world, including Europe, India, Japan, the USA and Australia – a testament to the global vitality of the cross-cutting field of polymer science. The scientific programme blended research presentations, discussion, and collaboration and was structured around four key themes:
- Novel feedstocks
- Catalysis
- Polymerisation processes and computational methods
- Closing the loop
Prof Antoine Buchard, Deputy Director of the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York, says:
"The event was very successful, and it was great to see so many early career researchers engaging with the discussion of the papers, with over 800 questions and comments recorded in 3 days."
“Prof Marc Hillmyer from the University of Minnesota gave the introductory lecture and received the Spiers memorial medal for his outstanding contribution to the field of polymer science. His inspirational lecture showcased lessons learnt in all four themes of the meeting.”
Faraday Discussion meetings are unique because the primary research papers are distributed to all participants before the meeting – ensuring that most of the meeting is devoted to discussing the latest research. This provides a collaborative environment, where discussion and debate are prioritised. All delegates, not just speakers, are invited to make comments, ask questions, or present complementary or contradictory measurements and calculations. A citable record of the discussion is also published in the Faraday Discussions journal, alongside the research papers. Questions, comments and remarks become a valuable part of the published scientific conversation, and every delegate can make a major contribution.
Freya Butler, SCHEMA affiliate and current PhD student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, highlights the active participation of the meeting and says:
“The atmosphere was friendly, and it was encouraging to see so many early-career researchers and students engaging in the discussion. This meant I felt more comfortable asking questions and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and left with more confidence to ask questions at conferences in future. Thank you to all the organisers and delegates for many thought-provoking discussions!”
Discussions in action
Dinner at Trinity College
SCHEMA affiliate Freya Butler
The conference dinner was held in the Trinity College dining hall and featured a speech from Prof Susan Perkin, chair of the RSC Faraday Discussions committee, who delighted meeting participants with anecdotes about the college and the history of the Faraday Discussions meetings.
