FIFTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON PHOTODYNAMICS
                          FEBRUARY 4-8, 2008
                             HAVANA, CUBA
                          First Announcement

Local Organizing Committee:
Jesús Rubayo-Soneira (Chairman)  Aurora Pérez-Gramatges (Secretary)
Juan de Dios Garrido-Arrate          Germán Rojas-Lorenzo
Pedro Pajón-Suárez                     Alfo J. Batista-Leyva
Maykel L. González-Martínez        Ricardo Franklin-Mergarejo
Maykel Márquez Mijares               Hansel Comas-Rojas
Alejandro Amor-Coarasa               Ingrid Cabrera Puig

International Advisory Board:

Vincenzo Aquilanti (Italy)                        Sylvio Canuto (Brazil)
Gerardo Delgado-Barrio (Spain)              Antonio Varandas (Portugal)
Ramón Hernández-Lamoneda (México)    Jesús Rubayo-Soneira (Cuba)


List of invited speakers:

Gotthard Seifert (Technical University of Dresden, Germany)
Sergy Grebenshchikov (MPI, Gottingen, Germany)
Andreas Tortschanoff (EPFL, Switzerland)
Andrea Cannizzo (EPFL, Switzerland)
Luigi Bonacina (Université de Genève, Switzerland)
Carlo Petrongolo (University of Siena, Italy)
Antonio Lagana (University of Perugia, Italy)
Franco A. Gianturco (The University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy)
Vincenzo Schettino (Univerity of Firenze, Italy)
Marie-Louise Saboungi (C.N.R.S. / Université d'Orléans, France)
Jean-Pierre Galaup (Centre d'Orsay, France)
Osman Atabek (Lab. Photophysique Moléculaire du CNRS, France)
Maurice Monnerville (Université des Sciences et Techniques de Lille,
France)
Claudine Crepin (Univ. de Paris Sud, France)
Luis Bañares (Universidad Complutence de Madrid, Spain)
Octavio Roncero (I.M.A.F.F. - C.S.I.C., Spain)
Pablo Villarreal (I.M.A.F.F. - C.S.I.C., Spain)
Salvador Miret-Artés (I.M.A.F.F. - C.S.I.C., Spain)
Antonio Aguilar-Navarro (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain)
Antonio J.C. Varandas (University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Timothy Wright (Univ. of Nottingham, UK)
Silvia Völker (University of Leiden, The Netherlands)
Alexei Buchachenko (University of Moscu, Russia)
Oleg Vasyutinskii (Ioffe Institute, RAS, Russia)
Toshio Kasai (Osaka University, Japan)
Koichi Yamachita (University of Tokyo, Japan)
Martin Zanni (University of Wisconsin, USA)
Edwin L. Sibert ( University of Winsconsin, USA).
Kenneth Janda (University of California, USA)
William M. Jackson (University of California, USA)
Roger Anderson (University of California, USA)
Todd Martinez (University of Illinois, USA)
Joel M. Bowman (Emory University, USA)
David Price (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA)
Edwin Quiñones (Universidad de Puerto Rico)
Albert Stolow (National Research Council Canada)
Sebastian Ferández-Alberti (University of Quilmes, Argentina)
Marco Antonio Chaer Nascimento (UFRJ, Brazil)
Sylvio Canuto (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Jorge Mahecha (Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia)


Following the success of the four editions of the International Meeting
on Photodynamics, held in Havana in February 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006,
and the overwhelming demand to make this scientific forum a regular
serial Conference, we are planning from February 4 to 8, 2008, to host
the Fifth International Meeting on Photodynamics in Havana, Cuba.


Participation

Scientists and students working or interested in the field, from Latin
American and other countries are welcome to attend. The meeting will be
conducted in English. Please type, print in ink, or send by e-mail the
participation form to our university.

Scope and Format

The central theme is the description, both from the experimental and the
theoretical point of view, of the physical and chemical processes
related to environmental and biological systems. The main topics to be
covered are:

Structure and energetics of molecular systems.
Dynamics and reactivity of isolated molecular species.
Dynamics of molecular species embedded in small and large clusters.
Dynamics of molecules in the condensed phase (liquid, solid) and at
surfaces.
Control of chemical reactions.
Collisions with surfaces.

The scientific program will include invited lectures and poster
sessions, with ample time for discussion.

Third International School on Photodynamics, January 30–February 2, 2008
We are also organizing a school previous to the Conference, focused on a
higher level formation of a new generation of young researchers, from
Cuba and Latin American countries. Young researchers from other
countries are also welcome. With this purpose, professors with
excellence in both teaching and research have been invited to give short
courses on some background topics according to the scope of the
Conference. This pre-Conference school is scheduled for January 30 to
February 2, 2008.

Conference Site

The meeting will take place in Havana, Cuba. The foundation of the city,
in its final place next to the entrance channel of a well-protected bay,
dates far back to November of 1519. La Villa de San Cristóbal de la
Habana, became with the course of time the meeting place for the Spanish
fleets in charge of transporting to the Metropolis all the wealth
extracted from their domains in the so called New World. It also became
the centre of trade and communications between the region and the Old
Continent. Similar advantages, essentially derived from its strategic
geographic position, also influenced directly the future development of
this prosperous villa. The climate is wonderful (it never snows), the
average temperature in February is 21 Celsius degrees

Registration and accommodation fees

Before November 30, 2007, 270 convertible Cuban pesos (CUC), afterward
320 CUC. The package will cover conference fees, coffee breaks, Book of
Abstracts, welcoming reception and Conference dinner. Room prices for
the whole meeting, including breakfast (6 nights) will start from
approximately 260 USD (single room) and 370 USD (double room). Cheaper
accommodation can be arranged upon special request. More details on
lodging and other activities will be given in the second announcement.
Reduced price for participants from Latin-American and East-European
countries will probably be available (details in second announcement).

Please note that, taking into account previous experiences with limited
international funding, and the need to cover the Conference basic
expenses, the payment of registration fees is a requirement for all the
invited speakers and participants.

Note: 1 CUC approx. 1.15 EURO. Taking into account the new regulations,
the best choice is to change USD into EUROS, CHF, Canadian Dollars,
Sterling Pounds, etc. before arriving to Cuba to avoid a penalty of 10
%.

Regarding to pre-Conference school, the fees will be:

Only attendance to school, 250 CUC.

School plus Conference, 420 CUC before November 30, 2007, and afterward
470 CUC


Deadlines

Mail the enclosed pre-registration form to the Organizing committee, or
register on line in the Conference web site
(http://usuarios.lycos.es/photodynamics/), before December 15, 2007.
Please feel free to use copies of the form for your colleagues as
necessary.

The final announcement (programme, travel information, etc.) will be
e-mailed in December 2007.

Contributions and proceedings

All persons interested in contributing to the meeting are expected to
submit a one-page abstract of their contribution before December 15,
2007. All papers accepted will be displayed at poster sessions or by
invited speakers in oral presentations. Abstracts will be received as
electronic file (LaTeX, Word, etc.). A book of abstracts for contributed
and invited papers will be distributed to registered participants before
the meeting.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Aurora Pérez Gramatges

Instituto Superior de Ciencias y Tecnología Nucleares.
Ave. Salvador Allende y Luaces. Quinta de los Molinos.
Habana 10600, A.P. 6163. Ciudad Habana, Cuba.
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Telefax: (53-7) 8785018, (53-7) 2041188
Telephone: (53-7) 8785018


Pre-registration form

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