Welcome

It is an honour and a pleasure for us to invite you to participate in the XXI Meeting of GE3C which will be held in the Continuous Training Centre (CFP-US) of the ‘Mexico Pavilion’ building of the University of Seville, from the 26^th to the 29^th of June, 2012.

This is an exceptional year for Crystallography thanks to the anniversary of the discovery of X-Ray crystal diffraction by Max von Laue and his collaborators in 1912, an achievement for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics two years later. This milestone resulted in the development of X-Ray Crystallography, a rising science which enormously improved the study of crystal structures.

The organizing committee of the Chemical Research Institute, the Material Sciences Institute of Seville and the University of Seville, in collaboration with the scientific committee of GE3C, have elaborated a programme of lectures covering different areas of Crystallography and Crystal Growth. We hope that you will find these topics of great interest.

Located by the Guadalquivir shore, the beautiful and charming city of Seville is ranked fourth in population within Spain. Seville does not only possess an impressive and attractive heritage but also a rich artistic and cultural offer which makes this city a desired touristic destination. Its old town, which covers almost four square kilometres, is the most extensive in the country and one of the vastest three in Europe, alongside Venice and Geneva.

Furthermore the X-Ray Crystallography tradition in Seville is remarkable and is nowadays living a dynamic growth in different areas. The city holds a number of Research Centres ascribed to the National Scientific Research Council (CSIC) and one of the two regional universities (University of Seville and Pablo de Olavide). In particular, the University of Seville, with more than 70,000 students, 4,400 academics and 2,400 administration and service staff, is the second public institution in number of members dedicated to Higher Education in Spain. The 500th anniversary of the University of Seville was celebrated in 2005.

We encourage you to visit this delightful city and join the GE3C Symposium on Crystallography and Crystal Growth. We will be waiting to enjoy your company during these days and wishing that you have a pleasant time throughout the Conference.