About the IUCr

The IUCr is a scientific union adhering to the International Council for Science (ICSU). Its objectives are to promote international cooperation in crystallography and to contribute to all aspects of crystallography, to promote international publication of crystallographic research, to facilitate standardization of methods, units, nomenclatures and symbols, and to form a focus for the relations of crystallography to other sciences.

The IUCr fulfils these objectives by publishing primary scientific journals through Crystallography Journals Online, the series of reference volumes International Tables for Crystallography, distributing the quarterly IUCr Newsletter, maintaining the online World Directory of Crystallographers, awarding the Ewald Prize and organizing the triennial Congress and General Assembly.

What is crystallography?

A few words by the IUCr president in the IUCr newsletter

About the Congress

Modern crystallography is an interdisciplinary subject covering structural biology, pharmacy and chemistry to physics and materials science. It includes the study of protein structures and also the crystals structures and microstructures of minerals, new functional materials, nanoparticles, bulk materials, and thin films. It is interested also in the relationship between the structure and function of materials. Important related topics is development of instrumental techniques for structural characterization of materials including large facilities XFELs, synchrotrons and neutron sources but also continuous improvement of laboratory equipments, development of optics, better and faster detectors.

The core methods of crystallography are X-ray and neutron scattering. However, mainly in last decade, it includes electron diffraction and microscopy, NMR and different spectroscopies. This development also allows investigation of structural changes under extreme conditions such as high and low temperatures, high pressures, time-resolved studies, different in-situ experiments in external fields (magnetic, electric), chemical reactions.

The scope of the congress comprises all this. Moreover, this is the 25th anniversary congress and completes one era of these congresses that started in 1948.

The congress programme is prepared by the International Programme Committee representing mainly the IUCr commissions that are also the main focus of the congress: Aperiodic Crystals, Biological Macromolecules, Quantum Crystallography, Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials, Crystallographic Computing, Crystallographic Nomenclature, Crystallographic Teaching, Crystallography in Art and Cultural Heritage, Crystallography of Materials, Electron Crystallography, High Pressure, Inorganic and Mineral Structures, Magnetic Structures, Mathematical and Theoretical Crystallography, Neutron Scattering, NMR Crystallography and Related Methods, Powder Diffraction, Small-Angle Scattering, Structural Chemistry, Synchrotron and XFEL Radiation, XAFS.

All the organizers and IPC will do the best in setting up an attractive programme covering the latest advances in crystallography and related sciences to attract both young and senior scientists as well as companies.

The inauguration of the Congress will take place on the evening of August 22, 2020 followed by seven full days of scientific sessions, 8-9 in parallel, in maximum. The closing ceremony will take place in the evening of August 29. Workshops (half and full day) can be held on August 21-22, and also on August 30, after the congress.

About the Organizers

The main organizer is the Czech and Slovak Crystallographic Association (CSCA, https://www.xray.cz). This association publishes its own crystallographic journal Materials Structure and organizes annual meetings (www.xray.cz). The CSCA has organized several international conferences in the past. It began a series of Size-Strain meetings in 1995, organized the European Crystallographic Meeting (ECM-18 in 1998, with 1200 participants), the European Powder Diffraction Conference (EPDIC-IX in 2004, 330 participants), XTOP - the X-ray topography and high-resolution konference (2004 in Prague, 2016 in Brno, 150 participants), Aperiodic 2015 (Prague, 130 participants) and the International Conference on Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules (ICCBM-16, 2016, 200 participants). During these meetings, we succeeded to put together an organizing team of enthusiastic colleagues and volunteers having now invaluable experience. Because of its size, the congress is organized in a close cooperation with PCO Auletris (http://www.auletris.com).

About Prague and Prague Congress Centre

We are inviting crystallographers from all over the world to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and one of the principal European cities with a long history. Its original medieval monuments are attractive for visitors from any part of the world and its modern infrastructure makes it easily accessible and friendly. The congress will take place in the modern and well-equipped Prague Congress Center that has already hosted several large congresses, the largest of which were NATO Summit in 2002 (8,000 participants), the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group (17,000 participants), and some international medical conferences. The center has five halls for 400 3,000 people and 8 rooms with capacity of about 100 people (http://www.praguecc.cz ). The total number of meeting rooms is 50 and exhibition space covers 13000 m². The conference center is located within a walking distance from the city center and offers a magnificent view of the historical part of the city including the Prague Castle.

Praha has an accommodation capacity of about 100,000 visitors. There are almost 800 guest rooms in 4 or 5 star hotels in the immediate vicinity of the congress centre. Many other hotels and dormitories in all categories and prices from 20 to 200 EUR per day are easily accessible via public transport in less than 30 minutes. Our frequently running and comfortable Metro ensures very fast transport from any part of Praha.

Crystallography has long and rich tradition in the region of theformer Czechoslovakia. It was cultivated under the auspices of two principal Czech scientific organizations, Charles University (founded in 1348), and the Academy of Sciences (formerly the Academy of Sciences and Arts, founded in 1770). Johannes Kepler, known as a famous astronomer, during his stay in Prague (1600-1612) wrote a paper On hexagonal snow flake. This work is the oldest written document of the new era crystallography and deals with the outer symmetry seen in morphology of crystals as a reflection of the inner symmetry of matter, without any idea about the nature of building elements at that time. Ivan Puluj developed an X-ray emitting device as early as 1881 in Prague, Friedrich Reinitzer discovered liquid crystals there.

Sponsorship invitation

Based on experience from preceding IUCr congresses in this century in Europe we can expect between 2000 and 3000 scientists working in the subject of crystallography and all its applications in chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, material sciences, mineralogy and other areas. They should represent more than 80 countries, academic institutions, industry and government laboratories.

We hope in an excellent representation of the crystallographers not only from Europe but from all over the world from large countries like USA, Russia, China as well from developing countries, at this 25th anniversary IUCr congress and General Assembly.

As a Sponsor of the 25th IUCr Congress you will get the opportunity to meet a broad community of scientists from several above mentioned fields all over the world. We are pleased to invite you to take part in supporting this Congress by selecting one or more of the many sponsorship opportunities listed in this document. The wide selection of sponsorship opportunities in this brochure will assist your company in achieving its marketing and sales goals for the Congress. Sponsors can also actively participate in the program, and we look forward to receiving your suggestions and proposals.

Radek Kuzel, the IUCr2020 chair