‘Global Challenges in Inorganic Chemistry’ (GCIC) is a free, virtual, half-day conference hosted by the OxICFM CDT. The aim of this student-led event is to encourage current undergraduate students to pursue graduate study in synthetic inorganic chemistry by showcasing inspiring and promising research from renowned groups from across the breadth of the field. Each year, a line-up of international speakers are invited, allowing the students to hear cutting edge science directly from the people who discovered it – an opportunity they probably would not otherwise get. Entirely organised by OxICFM CDT students, the aim of this annual meeting is to help improve understanding and foster motivation of graduate studies in inorganic chemistry.

The third edition of this summer conference took place on 14th June 20232. The event featured talks from Prof. Thanh Nguyen (University College London), Dr William Peveler (University of Glasgow) and Rachel Conway and Jack Howley (OxICFM CDT students from the 2019 cohort), presenting a varied range of chemistry and the perspective of scientists at different career stage. Each talk was followed by a short Q&A session, stimulating some interesting discussions from all involved. This provided undergraduate students with a chance to not only to experience a conference environment, but also to ask questions and interact with the speakers. After the talks, attendees had the opportunity to have an informal chat with current graduate students from the OxICFM CDT. Set-up in small groups and a relaxed environment, undergraduate students were able to clear any potential queries related to graduate studies.