Reduced student rate (275 €) now until conference begin! +++ FINAL conference programme now online! Download it here. (Now including some last minute updates, 10th Sept.)

> Welcome to JEMS08!

The Joint European Magnetics Symposia are Europe's most comprehensive magnetism conference. This bi-annual event was held in Grenoble (2001), Dresden (2004), San Sebastian (2006). This year it is the turn of Dublin to host the event.

Magnetism is flourishing as never before. Buoyed by the exponential progress in magnetic recording technology, which is one of the two pillars supporting the information revolution, we are witnessing a flurry of new activity centred on nanoscale devices and novel materials. This is supported by powerful computational techniques, which have led to simulation taking its place alongside experiment and theory as a source of insight into the behavior of magnetic materials, devices and systems. The new age of spin electronics brings demanding challenges, and is leading us in unexpected directions.

This new age dates from the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance by Albert Fert, Peter Grünberg and their co-workers in 1988, which led to the development of thin-film spin valve devices, with applications in magnetic sensing and nonvolatile memory. A billion magnetic sensors are produced each year, and humanity now records more bits of magnetized information every year than we grow grains of wheat or rice. At JEMS this year we will celebrate the 2007 Nobel Physics Prize, with both our European Laureates, Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg. The program of Plenary and Semiplenary talks, dicussions and tutorial sessions will update us on important recent developments, and help us to understand where new opportunities lie. The individual symposia, big and small, have attracted over 700 contributions. They will feature the latest research results over the whole range of pure and applied magnetism.

I hope that participants will take the opportunity to get to know both Ireland, a country which has been transformed economically by membership of the European Union, and the JEMS host organization, Trinity College, Dublin. IrelandÕs oldest university is undertaking ambitious new ventures such the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) and the Science Gallery. There is a new emphasis on Science in this country, to which the University, which has been engaged in European projects in magnetism, ranging from GaussÕs Magnetverein in the 1830s to the Concerted European Action on Magnets in the 1980s and 90s, is eagerly responding.

On behalf of the Local Organizing Committee, we are happy to welcome you to Dublin, and to JEMS08.

Prof Michael Coey
Conference Chairman, JEMS08