Next year the Irish Universities Chemistry Research Colloquium celebrates its 50th anniversary. It boasts the proud record, according to University of Galway chemistry lecturer Dr John Simmie, of being the longest-running scientific meeting in Ireland.

"The colloquium is pretty much a unique institution with no comparable body in other countries, particularly Britain or the United States," he says. All the Irish universities, including the RCSI and the DIT in the Republic and Queen's University, Belfast, and the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, participate. Next May's colloquium is being hosted by NUI Galway.

Unusually for such an event, it is aimed at postgraduates. "Normally you get a group of experts talking," explains Simmie, " but at this meeting it's post-graduate students who do the talking."

Each university picks three students to address the conference on their research work. "It's a great opportunity for the students," he says. "For many of them, it's the first time they've had to stand up and address an audience. Many of the chemistry graduates now running the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland have faced this terrifying prospect at one time or another."

A highlight of the colloquium will be the plenary address by Prof Ahmed Zewail, professor of chemistry and professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology. Zewail's work using ultrafast lasers has pushed at the boundaries between physics and chemistry, Simmie notes. He is widely reckoned to be in line for a Nobel prize for his pioneering work.

The colloquium runs from May 6th to May 8th next year, but it's not all hard work. A mixed soccer tournament is planned for the final day with all participating colleges fielding teams.