Dear Participant,

I would like to invite you on behalf of the president of the IUCr, Prof Gautam Desiraju and Dr Maciej Nalecz [(UNESCO, Director, Executive Secretary of IBSP (International Basic Sciences Programme)] to attend the Pan African Conference and Summit meeting in Bloemfontein, which has the ambitious theme of: 'Crystallography as vehicle to promote science in Africa and beyond'.

You probably know by now that 2014 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Crystallography. For an indication of the significant world-wide activities, you are referred to the IUCr website, http://www.iycr2014.org/

As part of the celebrations, three world summit meetings are held during 2014, i.e. in Karachi (Pakistan), Campinas (Brazil) and Bloemfontein (South Africa). http://www.iycr2014.org/summits

The meeting in Bloemfontein will consist of a 2.5-day Conference (12-15 Oct), followed by a 2-day Summit (15-17 Oct).

(i) At the Conference, we will discuss the current state of crystallography in Africa, as presented in some 15 keynote lectures, but also by some 15 young scientists in particular from the English, French and Arab speaking African colleagues.

There will also be ample time for presentation of research at poster sessions by students and young scientists, and selected poster presenters will further get the opportunity to present their work on short 'flash' presentations of a few minutes.

(ii) At the Summit, we will focus on how to use crystallography as potential vehicle to expand science in Africa. We particularly there need the inputs from both established and young scientists, but also policy makers.

Significant support has been secured from the South African Government's Department of Science and Technology, the International Union of Crystallography and UFS Chemistry, under the auspices of the European Crystallographic Association (ECA).

Please join us at this event in Bloemfontein to contribute to planning, method design and appropriate action and interaction as a unit to assist and use crystallography to contribute to expand science in Africa.

I look forward to welcoming you here in Bloemfontein 12-17 October 2014.

Kind African Regards,

Andreas

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Andreas Roodt
Chair: IYCr2014Africa
President: European Crystallographic Association
Univ. of the Free State
Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
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