The purpose of Conferences

The general purpose is to provide opportunities for scientists and engineers from all of Europe to meet and to discuss current research. Europe is a very compact geographical region, well provided with conference facilities, and this makes it feasible to hold inexpensive meetings.

The fact that the European Conferences are organized by Europeans primarily for the benefit of Europeans should be kept in mind. Qualified scientists from any country are of course welcome as participants, but the need to improve communications within Europe is relevant to the scientific programme and to the choice of leading speakers.

A European Conference on a broad subject, such as the ESMC or the EFMC, is not a gathering of specialists all having the same research interests, and much of the communication which takes place is necessarily more in the nature of the imparting of information than the exchange of the latest ideas. A participant should leave a Conference knowing more and understanding more than on arrival, and much of that gain may not be directly related to the scientist’s current research. It is very important therefore that the speakers at a Conference should have the ability to make ideas clear and interesting and should select and prepare their material with this expository purpose in mind.

 

These Conferences are broad in scientific scope, are open to all those interested, and are expected to have a number of participants between 150 and 600. The present series of European Conferences comprises