The International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry was conceived during World War I and founded the year after the armistice. By the end of the 30’s, the qualifier “international” appeared to become effective, as chemists from former enemy countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria) were eventually allowed to be officially incorporated. But what counts as international, now and then? And what are the practices of inclusion or implicit neglect when it comes to regions that have not been traditionally at the core of the traditional Western history of chemistry?
In this paper, I will explore the limits of "internationalism" by focusing on how IUPAC established itself in the countries of the Pacific region.

After first Japanese colonization, followed by the Korean War in the early 1950s, South Korea was left with little resources or infrastructure, and a bleak economic situation. In the early 1960s, it was a mostly agrarian economy, with little manufacturing and limited international economic interactions. In terms of science and technology, things could be considered even worse with only two public institutions of science and technology - the National Defense Scientific Research Institute, created at end of the Korean War, and the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute, founded in 1959. Understanding that research and development were critical for economic growth and industrial development, it was first necessary to build a workforce capacity in technology and engineering. One approach to this was via scientific exchanges in which Korean researchers could gain knowledge and experience overseas and bring that back to strengthen the scientific enterprise in South Korea. To accomplish this, South Korea took advantage of international programs that funded research experiences, such as the Coordinated Research Activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As an example of this, the story of Hyung Chick Pyun will be presented, who carried out IAEA funded research in Japan from May 1967 to March 1968. Of note was that Pyun became involved in research during this experience that ultimately led to the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The impact of his international research experiences on his career will be discussed with an emphasis on its contribution to the growing research capabilities of South Korea.

In the late 1930s the Australian Council for Industrial Research (CSIR) decided to expand its research activities to support the manufacturing industries. In its earlier years it had supported research into the processing of agricultural and mineral products but not research for other aspects of manufacturing. Its first activities were in support of standards and measurement and were therefore mainly involving physics. In 1937 the CSIR Executive was commissioned Dr (later Sir) Ian Wark to undertake a study into the needs of chemical industry for publicly funded research. His report recommended establishing a CSIR Division of Industrial Chemistry. The Government agreed to this proposal and established the Division in 1940. Its initial projects were:
I. non-metallic minerals and their stablilisation (incuding ceramics and cement)
II. metals and alloys, production and usage,
III. wool and other fibres,
IV. hides and leathers,
V. dairy products, and
VI. miscellaneous studies, beginning with paints and varnishes.

The paper will discuss how these initial projects and the war time producton of medicines influenced the development of chemistry in the post-war years.

Prof Thomas H Spurling