Abstract
On behalf of ICNIRS I write this column starting it with my best wishes for the success of our next biannual “family” meeting to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 11–15 June 2017. I have great expectations for the 18th ICNIRS Conference. My visits to Denmark, and in particular to Copenhagen, were always related with Inter-university Cooperation Educational and Research Programmes. Since my first visit in the early 1990s to the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (today renamed as the Faculty of Life Sciences) to my last one, two years ago, to the Department of Food Science, I have been impressed by its innovative teaching methods, with few students per class, very good student–teacher interactions and with many courses that include practical projects and opportunities for research and field work oriented towards the needs of the industry. I especially like the important amount of educational material freely accessible to everyone through the Internet. An example of this is the material offered by the Department of Food Science, headed by Søren Balling Engelsen, convenor of ICNIRS-2017 (see http://models.life.ku.dk). Because of all this, for the excellent scientific and social program, because we will enjoy approximately 17 hours of sunshine and because Copenhagen has been voted the world’s most liveable city, I think I will enjoy a lot my last conference as ICNIRS Chair.
Key information from the ICNIRS-2017 organizing committee
By the middle of May, there are more than 400 participants registered – and more participants are still registering.
The conference program includes two award lectures, the Karl Norris Award and the Tomas Hirschfeld Award, and eight keynote lectures in the subject areas of Chemometrics, Dairy & Food, Pharma & Biotech, Water, Soil & Environment, Process Analytical Technology, Agriculture, Theory & Instrumentation and Hyper Spectral Imaging. The other parts of the program have been selected from more than 250 abstracts submitted from 39 countries.
The abstracts have been evaluated by a scientific committee consisting of more than 50 NIR scientists and the best scoring abstracts have been selected for either 25 minute talks or 12 minute pitches. All authors should by now have been informed if they are accepted for oral presentation or poster presentation. All awardees, keynotes and oral presenters will be invited to submit a 6-page article to a fully indexed and open access proceeding. The deadline for this submission will be 1 September. All authors not having an oral or flash presentation will be offered a poster presentation option.
The final programme is now ready and includes the following award lectures and keynote lectures: Pierre Dardenne (Karl Norris awardee, Belgium), Satoru Tsuchikawa (THA awardee, Japan), Harald Martens (Norway), Steve Holroyd (New Zealand), Erik Skibsted (Denmark), Véronique Bellon-Maurel (France), Frans van den Berg (Denmark), Daniel Cozzolino (Australia), Christian Huck (Austria) and Maria Angela Franceschini (USA).
Six pre-conference courses are offered and scheduled on Saturday and Sunday 10–11 June. The pre-conference courses are hosted by the University of Copenhagen. On Saturday 10 June, the courses will run from 09:00 to 12:00, 13:30 to 16:30 and 17:00 to 18:00. On Sunday 11 June, the courses will run from 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 15:30 followed by transportation to the Bella Center for the opening ceremony and Karl Norris lecture. The pre-conference courses are designed to follow the knowledge built up in NIRS and involve renowned experts in the fields: Spectroscopy by Jim de Haseth, Sampling by Ander Larsen, Essentials for industry level applications by Phil Williams, Calibration by Åsmund Rinnan and Rasmus Bro and NIRS in Process Analytical Technology by Frans van den Berg.
The ICNIRS-2017 web-site (www.icnirs2017.com) includes details on hotel options near the Bella Center and in convenient parts of Copenhagen – the metro station is just 5 minutes’ walk from the conference center. The website also contains information about a spouse program.
Without support from the industry there would be no ICNIRS-2017 conference and we are delighted to inform you that ICNIRS-2017 is strongly supported by the industry supplying near infrared equipment and/or services. The sponsors are: 2 Platinum sponsors (Bruker and Foss), 14 Gold sponsors (Q-interline, VIAVI, Metrohm, Perten, Specim, Büchi, AUNIR, Hamamatzu, Hiperscan, Spectral Engines, LLA instruments GmbH, ZEISS, CAMO, ASD, Inc.) and 11 Silver sponsors (tec5, Polytec, Unity, Hellma, Hyspex, Chauvin Arnoux, NKT Photonics, Inno-spec, SensoLogic, Ocean Optics, Svanholm.com).
Conferees must check at their Danish or European Consulate or Embassy regarding any visa requirements that may exist to travel to Denmark. A visa is not required by citizens from European countries.
Key information from ICNIRS Executive Committee
Chair-Elect (position will be vacant at ICNIRS-2017) Honorary Treasurer (position will be vacant at ICNIRS-2017) Elected members of Chairman Advisory Committee (four positions will be vacant at ICNIRS-2017).
The Honorary Secretary position and the three Management Council Management members will fall vacant but the current members (four people) will be renominated automatically. Any new nomination must be made to Council Secretary (mui.saranwong@bruker.com).
Other businesses to be discussed at the General Meeting includes amendment of regulation regarding title of Chairman/Immediate Past Chairman and Chairman-elected as well as method of selection for the Karl Norris Award.
Copenhagen: Bike City for more than a century. Image reprinted with permission from http://denmark.dk by denmark.dk.