Biography:Leiv Kristen Sydnes

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Short description: Norwegian chemist

Leiv Kristen Sydnes (born 9 July 1948) is a Norwegian chemist, specializing in organic chemistry.

He was born in Haugesund, and took his education at the University of Oslo. He has the dr.philos. degree from 1978. He was hired as an associate professor at the University of Tromsø in 1978, and was later promoted to professor. In 1993 he moved to the University of Bergen. He presided over the Norwegian Chemical Society from 1992 to 1996 and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) from 2004 to 2005.[1] He is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters[2] and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences.[3]

Sydnes stood for election as rector of the University of Bergen in 2005, but lost the election to Sigmund Grønmo. In 2009 he applied for the position as rector of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology;[4] here the rectors are hired rather than elected. [5]

Controversy

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Sydnes' contributions to the field of organic chemistry have not been without controversy. A notable example of this pertains to the development of the chemical compound 3,3,4,4-tetraethoxy-1-butyne (TEB). Despite the prevailing narrative that the discovery was a fortuitous accident by an unidentified student, the reality paints a different picture. Einar Bakstad and Marcel Sandberg, both part of Professor Sydnes' research team, were the first to synthesize TEB in 1996, based on a carefully designed strategy.

Their contribution, though significant, has unfortunately been overshadowed and under-acknowledged. This includes their work being omitted from the record when TEB became the focal point of a doctoral thesis titled "3,3,4,4-tetraethoxy-1-butyne and analogues as synthons in organic synthesis," defended by Ole Heine Kvernenes. The lack of proper attribution has been brought to Professor Sydnes' attention multiple times, however, these efforts have yet to yield any rectification. This oversight serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for recognition in academic research, and poses pressing questions about the ethics of acknowledgment in the realm of scientific discovery.[6]


References