International Day of Education

Since 2018, the United Nations has celebrated the International Education Day on January 24 every year.

Education is an important topic for ARLANXEO worldwide and it has always been a key focus area of our corporate responsibility activities. Our aim is to foster education and inspire young people for the sciences.

In 2021, we launched the first ARLANXEO Handbook of Synthetic Rubber. With over 400 pages, 17 chapters it is an integrated, complete, and stand-alone reference in the rubber industry and offers a sound understanding of rubber chemistry and technology. Copies of the book have been shared with numerous universities researching in the fields of chemistry and rubber. This is another building block to get young people fascinated about synthetic rubber and all its potentials.

Think global, act local

We want to do our bit by forging strong relationships within our local communities. ARLANXEO supports local initiatives that foster education around the globe. In several countries ARLANXEO is cooperating with schools and universities. Recently, several ARLANXEO entities donated IT devices to charities in order to support pupils.

In Dormagen, where ARLANXEO has its largest German site, colleagues donated several hundred laptops last year to the local community foundation Buergerstiftung Dormagen, a long-standing partner of ARLANXEO. For a couple of years, ARLANXEO has also established school partnerships with three secondary schools in and around Dormagen. The aim is to make science lessons more interesting for the students and to introduce them to career opportunities in the chemical industry.

In early 2021, ARLANXEO Netherlands also donated nearly 40 laptops to Stiching Nienoo, a foundation that helps children living below the poverty line and who get the chance to, for example, follow online lessons. At our site in Geleen we are also participating in the local trainee program. After finishing their studies, trainees complete three rotational traineeships for eight to nine months at different companies at the chemical park. This program strengthens young people in their personal development while providing valuable insights into the chemical industry. In the end, they are excellent, highly skilled talents. In addition, several colleagues give rubber technology lessons at schools and universities.

Last year, colleagues in the United States donated 66 notebooks, docking stations, and chargers that were no longer needed to one of our charity partners in the Pittsburgh region, the Cornell School District. ARLANXEO has partnered with them since 2019 to strengthen our connection with educational institutions at the high school level. 

In Canada, ARLANXEO supports Lambton Kent District School Boards’ initiative, called Partners Active in Resource Sharing (PAIRS). It connects high schools with local companies. ARLANXEO is partnered with Great Lakes Secondary School.

In China, ARLANXEO has established partnerships with four University institutes offering opportunities through scholarships, summer internships, expert lectures, advanced research materials and professional technical support to enhance students’ future opportunities. With this, ARLANXEO will continuously focus on promoting talents, deepen cooperation with academic and scientific institutions, and facilitate industry sustainable development.

Since 2018, ARLANXEO Singapore has partnered with various chemical companies on Jurong Island to conduct plant tours at our facilities and organize an exhibition for students. In 2021, ARLANXEO Singapore took part in a live webinar, sharing enlightening career experience and advice with 50 students.