BASF Kids’ Lab celebrates 10th anniversary in Malaysia with fun and cool experiments

• Real laboratory experience for kids, with “Vitamin C” and “Chemical Traffic Light” experiments
• Partnership with Monash University to spark interest and curiosity in science and chemistry

Selangor, Malaysia – October 22, 2016 – For the tenth consecutive year in Malaysia, BASF continues to promote kids’ interest and help them understand the importance of chemistry in daily life through simple, interactive, hands-on experiments. In partnership with Monash University Malaysia, BASF Kids’ Lab will be held from Oct 22-24, 2016 for school children aged 6-12.

Under the theme of “Bringing out the chemist in you”, more than 500 kids will become scientists for a day to discover the world of chemistry at Monash University. Kids attending the program this year include students from the Dyslexic Centre Kuala Lumpur, Hearing Impact Association, Sekolah Pendidikan Khas Selangor (Selangor School for Special Children) and five other primary schools within the Klang Valley area selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The ministry has been supporting BASF Kids’ Lab since it was launched.

“Chemistry is a key to understanding our world better. It is a link between many scientific disciplines such as biology, physics, geology and environmental sciences. At BASF, we realize that children are the future. They will be the leaders and innovators to help shape the world. Kids’ Lab provides an interesting and tangible platform that encourages students to explore and learn about the magic of chemistry,” said Andreas Biermann, Managing Director of BASF Shared Services Center Kuala Lumpur.

During the three-day event, the students are divided into small groups for each session to perform two experiments (“Vitamin C” and “Chemical Traffic Light”) in real life chemistry labs at Monash University, guided by the university’s own chemists and BASF volunteers.

“We are very pleased to once again collaborate with BASF. Over the last four years, our students and academics from the School of Science have been a part of the Kids’ Lab in Malaysia, working together to inculcate the love of learning through active participation in a laboratory setting, specificially in science, chemistry and engineering. This program also provides us with an opportunity to give back to the community,” said Professor Helen Bartlett, President and Pro Vice Chancellor, Monash University Malaysia.

Through the “Vitamin C” experiment, the students will learn how to measure Vitamin C content in various fruit juices by decolorising a solution of Betadine mouth gargle containing iodine. The “Chemical Traffic Light” experiment is designed to teach kids about oxidation reactions by observing a solution’s changing colors.

BASF Kids’ Lab began at BASF’s headquarters in Germany in 1997, and is currently conducted in more than 30 countries. First held in Malaysia in 2006, BASF Kids’ Lab has since provided more than 10,000 Malaysia primary students with the opportunity to perform fun and safe chemistry experiments designed to be both educational and enjoyable. Children have fun while learning and understanding the principles, applications, and various benefits of chemistry when applied to health, hygiene, nutrition and industry.

About Monash University, Malaysia
Established in 1998, Monash University Malaysia carries the distinction of being the Malaysian constituent of a premier research intensive Australian university ranked among the top 100 universities in the world, and a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8). We offer a range of specialist Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in the areas of Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Engineering and Information Technology, Medicine & Health Sciences, Pharmacy, and Science, which are directly linked to the human resource needs of Malaysia and the region. All our courses are accredited in Malaysia and Australia, ensuring an education that is locally relevant and internationally recognised.

About BASF in Malaysia
BASF has been operating in Malaysia for more than 25 years with 1,767 employees in the country as of the end of 2015. BASF (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated in 1989, offering innovative solutions for the oil & gas, petrochemicals, automotive & transportation, agriculture, construction chemicals, dispersions & pigments and packaging industries. BASF also operates a shared service center in Kuala Lumpur which provides functional support services to BASF companies across 17 countries & territories in Asia Pacific. Another wholly-owned company, BASF Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., provides infrastructure and support services to BASF’s joint-venture integrated Verbund chemical site, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn. Bhd., in Gebeng, Pahang. BASF posted sales to customers in Malaysia of approximately €320 million in 2015. Further information is available on the Internet at www.basf.com/my.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.