City map & welcome video clip

Programme

The conference schedule is now available -

- click here to get pdf file

Confirmed Speakers - titles and topics

Plenary Lectures

  • Irina P. Beletskaya from Moscow State University
    Mechanistic Aspects and Synthetic Application of Carbon-Carbon and Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds Formation in Substitution and Addition Reactions Catalyzed by Transition Metal Complexes
  • Dario Braga from University of Bologna
    Making Crystals from Crystals: a Green Route to Crystal Engineering and Polymorphism
  • Philip Coppens from State University of New York at Buffalo
    Time-Resolved Diffraction Studies of Molecular Excited States and Beyond
  • Shunichi Fukuzumi from Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
    New Development of Electron Transfer Catalytic Systems
  • Robert Huber from Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
    Molecular Machines in Biology
  • Kwang S. Kim from Pohang University of Science and Technology
    De Novo Design Approach Based on Nanorecognition: Functional Molecules/Materials and Nanosensors/Nanodevices
  • Lechoslaw Latos-Grazynski from Wroclaw University
    Carbaporphyrinoids: Exploring Metal Ion - Arene Interaction in a Macrocyclic Environment
  • Ada E. Yonath from Weizmann Institute of Science
    The Spectacular Ribosomal Architecture: Nascent Proteins Voyage Towards Folding via Antibiotics Binding-Pockets

Invited Lectures

  • Renata Bilewicz from Warsaw University
    Molecular Motions in New Catenanes
  • Omar A. El Seoud from University of Sao Paulo
    Solvation in Pure and Mixed Solvents: An Overview
  • Francois Fillaux from LADIR-CNRS Thiais
    Proton Transfer Across Hydrogen Bonds: from Reaction Path to Schrödinger's Cat
  • Patrick W. Fowler from University of Sheffield
    π-Electron Delocalisation and Ring Currents
  • Slawomir J. Grabowski from Lodz University
    Hydrogen Bonds - the Case of π and σ-Electrons as Proton Acceptors
  • Andreas Hirsch from University Erlangen-Nürnberg
    Functional Carbon-Rich Architectures: Synthesis and Supramolecular Organization
  • William Jones from University of Cambridge
    Synthesis and Properties of Layered Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials
  • Janusz Jurczak from Warsaw University and Polish Academy of Sciences
    Synthesis, Structure and Complexing Properties of Receptors for Anions
  • Jacek Klinowski from University of Cambridge
    Novel Organic-Inorganic Frameworks
  • Daniel Kost from Ben-Gurion University
    Silicon Hybridization Energy Probed by Changes in Ligand Donor Strength, and Molecular Rearrangements in Hexacoordinate Silicon Dichelates
  • Ramon Leis from University of Santiago de Compostela
    Chemical Reactivity in Colloidal Microheterogeneous Media
  • Hans-Heinrich Limbach from Free University of Berlin
    NMR Studies of Hydrogen Bond Structure and Dynamics: from Crystals, Liquids, Mesoporous media to Enzymes
  • Zvonimir Maksic from Ruder Boskovic Institute in Zagreb
    Design of Neutral Organic Superacids and Superbases Ex Machina
  • Robert Moss from Rutgers University
    New Mechanisms Centered on Reactive Intermediates
  • Waldemar Priebe from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
    Targeting DNA: A Modular Approach Using Structure-Based Design and Combinatorial Libraries
  • Adam Proń from French Atomic Energy Commission - Grenoble and Warsaw University of Technology
    Molecular Hybrids of Conducting Oligomers and Polymers with Semiconductor Nanocrystals of A(II)B(VI) Family - Synthesis, Electronic and Electrochemical Properties
  • Addy Pross from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
    On the Chemical Nature of Purpose (Teleonomy)
  • Jeanine Tortajada from University of Evry
    Reactions Involving Metal Dications and Biological Models in The Gas Phase

Organisers

Honorary Committee:

  • Lech Kaczyński
    the President of the Republic of Poland
  • Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
    the President of the city of Warsaw
  • Andrzej B. Legocki
    the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences
  • Paweł Kafarski
    the President of the Polish Chemical Society
  • Maciej Żylicz
    the President of the Foundation for Polish Science
  • Stefan Jurga
    the Vice-Minister of Education and Science
  • Jerzy Błażejowski
    the Chairman of the General Council of Higher Education
  • Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow
    the Rector of the Warsaw University
  • Grzegorz Chałasiński
    the Dean of the Department of Chemistry of the Warsaw University

The conference organisers are:

  • Prof. Tadeusz Marek Krygowski
    The Chairmen of the Local Organising Committee of ICPOC-18
    Warsaw University, Chemistry Department,
    02-093 Warszawa, Poland
    e-mail: [email protected]
    tel./fax: +48 22 8222892
  • Prof. Krzysztof Wozniak
    Secretary of the Local Organising Committee of ICPOC-18
    Warsaw University, Chemistry Department,
    02-093 Warszawa, Poland
    e-mail: [email protected]
    tel./fax: +48 22 8222892

International Advisory Board:

  • V. Balzani (Italy)
  • G. M. Blackburn, (UK)
  • F. Diederich (Switzerland)
  • J. Elguero (Spain)
  • B. L. Feringa (The Netherlands)
  • E. Humeres (Brazil)
  • Guo-Zhen Ji (China)
  • M. Isobe (Japan)
  • A. R. Katritzky (USA)
  • J. P. Klinman (USA)
  • J. Michl (USA)
  • R. J. McMahon (USA)
  • V. I. Minkin (Russia)
  • N. S. Nudelman (Argentina)
  • C. L. Perrin (USA)
  • L. Radom (Australia)
  • Z. Rappoport (Israel)
  • M-F. Ruasse (France)
  • A. Santaballa (Spain)
  • M. Schmittel (Germany)
  • L. Sobczyk (Poland)
  • D. D. Sung (South Korea)
  • T. T. Tidwell (Canada)

Local Organizing Committee:

  • Tadeusz Marek Krygowski, Chairman
  • Krzysztof Wozniak, Secretary
  • Michał K. Cyrański (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)
  • Jan Jaworski (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)
  • Andrzej Kutner (Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Warsaw)
  • Aleksander Koll (Chemistry Department, Wrocław University)
  • Beata Stępień (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)
  • Joanna E. Zachara (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)
  • Paulina Rogowska (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)
  • Michał A. Dobrowolski (Chemistry Department, Warsaw University)

Abstracts

Call for Papers

Contributed papers should be in the form of either oral or poster presentations. Participants wishing to present papers are invited to submit an abstract. Abstract should clearly describe the most important results and conclusions of the problems being solved. Contributions will be accepted for presentations based on quality of the submitted abstracts. The following instructions of the abstract preparation apply:

  1. Abstract must be composed and submitted on-line (copy/paste from your word processor is available).
  2. Length of the abstract body is limited to 3000 characters, including spaces and formatting.
  3. Only Latin and Greek letters are recommended (however special characters are also available).
  4. A figure or picture can be inserted in the abstract.
  5. Simple equations can be inclined, complex ones should be placed as pictures.
  6. Give no heading information (title, authors, affiliations).
  7. In the abstract body abstract is displayed in the final form in the browser (WYSIWYG) and must be verified/corrected by the author on-line.

Please, consult abstract composition manual for more details. You can correct your abstract on-line at any time. Since abstracts will be printed as received, all authors are responsible for providing complete and accurate abstracts.
The abstract should be submitted before June 1 st 2006. The abstract book is to be distributed at the registration desk.

Language

The official language of the conference is English.

Projectors

Overhead and computer-aided projectors (for Microsoft PowerPoint presentations only) will be available. Mac computers will not be available.

Poster Display Board

A 90 cm width and 150 cm height board will be allotted for each poster display. The board will indicate the paper number in upper right corner. All illustrations, charts, etc., to be posted should be prepared in advance as materials for these purposes will not be available at the meeting site. There will be Poster Prize Competition for the best poster.

Proceedings

Pure and Applied Chemistry will devote a special issue to ICPOC-18. A selection of papers based upon the scientific proceedings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the official IUPAC Journal 'Pure and Applied Chemistry'.

See Instructions to Authors at http://www.iupac.org/publications/authors/instructions.html

Exhibitions

An exhibition of scientific instruments and equipment from leading manufacturers as well as books and journals will be held during the conference. Companies interested in taking advantage of advertising and sponsorship opportunities are encouraged to contact the Organizing Committee.

Deadlines and fees

Deadlines

Early Registration:

May

22 nd, 2006

Submission of Abstracts:

June

1 st, 2006

Communication of acceptance:

July

1 st, 2006

Accommodation reservation:

July

1 st, 2006.

Submission of manuscripts

for the Pure and Applied Chemistry:

September

30 th, 2006

Registration

Those who wish to attend the conference should fill the Registration Form at the Conference Web site or alternatively fill the attached to the Second Circular registration form and send it by fax to the Organizing Committee, by May 22 nd 2006.

The following is included in the full conference fee: conference materials, lunch, coffee breaks and welcome reception. The following is included in the accompanying person fee: lunch and welcome reception. Please let us know whether you (and/or your accompanying person) need vegetarian food.

Cancellation policy: There will be a € 40.00 administrative fee on registrations cancelled before June 1st. After that date, no refunds will be issued. Receipts will be issued at the Registration Desk.

Participants Before May 22 nd 2006 After May 22 nd 2006

Full-meeting participant

€ 400

€ 450

IUPAC official representatives

€ 360

€ 405

Company participants

€ 430

€ 480

Full-meeting participant
from Developing Countries

€ 300

€ 350

Student*

€ 250

€ 280

Accompanying person

€ 100

€ 100

*) Student status must be confirmed by institution

Local Transportation Card

Local transportation card (7-days card) is available. The cost is € 6.5. Please mark the registration form, where appropriate, if you want us to order it for you.

Payments

We accept banker drafts and the following credit cards:

In order to make payment, please register on-line, fill "Fee and services" form and press "Make payment" button. Credit card payments will be processed on-line within approx. 10 seconds. In case of banker drafts, a personalized instruction will be printed, so you may readily present it at the bank counter.

padlock.gif Safety notice: During credit card processing we use secure SSL protocol with strong 256-bit encryption to ensure that sensitive data cannot be read by third parties. We do not store your credit card data after the transaction is authorized (i.e. not longer than for 10-20 seconds).

Travel

Air Travel to Warsaw

Polish Airlines (LOT) is the officially appointed carrier for the ICPOC-18 conference. There are direct daily flights to Frederick Chopin International Airport in Warsaw from/to all main cities in Europe and selected cities in Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan and USA.

The full information is given at the web page: http://www.lot.pl.

LOT Polish Airlines are offering the following discounted rates:

  • 20% discount for the passengers travelling in bussiness class;
  • 10% discount for the passengers travelling in economy class.

The rules of the tickets and further information are as follows:

  • Discount is applied to fare used, round-trip or one-way;
  • Discount is applied only on LOT operating flights;
  • Discount is applied on the basis of official confirmation of participating in the event and the event code (LOC605);
  • Tickets should be booked in LOT offices or travel agents offices;
  • Tickets are valid from 17th of Aug till 28th of Aug 2006.

If you wish to take advantage of this excellent offer of LOT Polish Airlines please contact your nearest LOT Polish Airlines office that can be found here or travel agent office and quote the Event Code - LOC605.

On Sunday August 20 th there will be free of charge shuttle service for the participants arriving by air. The bus departs every half an hour.

Railway connection

The main railway station in Warsaw is Warszawa Centralna, which is situated in front of Marriott Hotel and Palace of Culture and Science. To get the Conference Site at the Gromada Hotel you should take a bus No. 175 (in the airport direction). The transportation takes approximately 20-25 minutes. Taxi service is also available. You can preferably call for a taxi by dialing e.g: (022) 96-22 (Super Taxi), (022) 9191 (MPT Taxi), 022-644-44-44 (Sawa Taxi) or 022-677-77-77 (Taxi Merc). Note that the numbers in brackets must be dialled when calling from a mobile phone. Do not take a taxi offered by a stranger (you can be seriously overcharged). Please contact the Organizing Committee for more information.

Passports and VISA

All foreign visitors (except the EU countries) must possess a passport valid for at least the next 6 months. Some participants may require visas in order to enter Poland. Please check with your local Polish Consulate or Embassy for details regarding visa and entry requirements. If no such representation exists in a particular country, participants should consult the Organizers about the appropriate authority to contact. ICPOC-18 sponsored under the auspices of IUPAC will take all possible steps to ensure the freedom of all bona fide chemists from throughout the world to attend. IUPAC sponsorship implies that entry visas will be granted to all bona fide chemists, provided application is made not less than six months in advance. If a visa is not granted two months before the meeting, the Organizers and the IUPAC Secretariat should be notified by the applicant.

Letter of Invitation

On request, the Conference Secretary will be happy to send a personal invitation to participation in the Congress. It should be understood that the sole purpose of this invitation is to help participants to raise travel funds in their own countries. Such invitation is not a commitment on the part of the organizers to provide financial support.

Venue

The Conference location

The scientific sessions of the Conference will be held at the Gromada Hotel, which is located in the southern part of the city, not far from the Frederick Chopin International Airport.

Address:
Gromada Hotel
17 Stycznia street no. 32
02-148 Warszawa
Tel.: (+48) 225-76-46-00
Fax.: (+48) 228-46-15-80
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.gromada.pl

Warsaw

The beginnings of settlement in the Valley of Warsaw are dated to the tenth century. At the end of the thirteenth century, in the area where the Royal Castle stands, a new princely town was founded, that is, today's Warsaw. The earliest note about Warsaw appears in written records from 1313. After Mazovian Princes had died heirless, Mazovia was incorporated into the Polish Crown. Since 1569, it had been a place where sessions of the Sejm (Parliament) of Rzeczpospolita (the Joint Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) were held. After the fire of the Wawel Castle, King Sigismunt Waza III transferred permanent royal residence, courts and the Crown's offices from Cracow to the extended Warsaw's Royal Castle. In the thirteenth century, wars, disturbances and plagues brought on a slump in the economic growth of the town. In years 1655 - 1658 alone was Warsaw besieged, conquered and occupied three times by the Swedes. In the Sas dynasty reign, after the political situation had settled down, Warsaw regained its status of an important cultural centre. The next golden age of the capital city spins the years of the reign of the last King of Poland, that is, Stanisław August Poniatowski. At the end of the 18th century Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 was established in Warsaw. Preceding the French September Constitution by several months, it was the Europe's first modern codified national constitution, and the world's second after the United States Constitution. The Constitution established three independent branches of government - executive, legislative and judiciary and introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility, while the peasants were placed under the protection of the government. Throughout the Constitution run the philosophy of humanitarianism and tolerance, such as perfect and entire liberty to all people, rule by majority, secret ballot at all elections, religious freedom and liberty. The Constitution influenced later democratic movements in the world. Soon after, in 1795, the third partition of Poland took place and the country disappeared from the map of Europe for 123 years. Through this period Warsaw was downgraded to the rank of the Russian province. Despite a disadvantageous political atmosphere, the town and its industry kept developing. In 1918, Warsaw became the capital city of reborn Poland. The process of tidying it up became especially intense during the presidency of Stefan Starzyński. It was however brutally interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation. Warsaw was defended till 28 September 1939. Again, the city became the main centre of Resistance and conspiracy. The April of 1943 witnessed the outbreak of an uprising in the walled off Jewish Ghetto. After it had come to an end, the Jewish quarters with half a million people ceased to exist. On 1 August 1944, the Warsaw uprising organised by the Home Army broke out. The Honorary Capitulation Act was signed on the 2 October. After the uprising had been quashed, Warsaw was condemned to annihilation. Its citizens were exiled and transported to nazi concentration camps. The Germans started to destroy the city through systematic bombardments. As a result, 650 000 people were killed and 84 per cent of buildings were destroyed. The process of rebuilding Warsaw started immediately in 1945. Today the capital city of Poland, which was to be erased from the map of Europe, is reborn and throbbing with life.

Accommodation

Room blocks (Gromada Hotel, http://www.gromada.pl) have been reserved at the following prices:

Plus Sector ***+

Price

Single room

€ 96

Double room

€ 100

Suite

€ 155

A Sector ***

Single room

€ 72

Double room

€ 80

Suite

€ 135

B Sector **+

Single room

€ 50

Double room

€ 58

Cancellation policy for the hotel accommodation: Deadline for making reservation is July 1 st 2006. Hotel booking requests received after July 1st will be confirmed based on room availability. All hotel cancellation must be done in writing to Gromada ( [email protected] to Agnieszka Kazek), at latest 20 days before the day of arrival. If you do not cancel the reservation following this procedure, the hotel will be entitled to charge you for the first night.

A limited number of rooms in the student's dormitories are available for students. For more information please contact the Organising Committee.

Social Programme

Sunday, August 20 th

Welcome reception will be arranged in Bakata Restaurant at Gromada Hotel. All participants and accompanying guests are cordially invited.

Time: 19.30-21.30

Monday, August 21 st

The Chopin recital by Mr Bartłomiej Kominek will be arranged in the Crystal Lecture Hall at Gromada Hotel. All participants and accompanying guests are cordially invited.

Time: 20.30-21.30

Thursday, August 24 th

The conference excursion includes Warsaw Old Town and the Royal Palace, visit to the Restaurant "U Dekerta" or “Trou Madame” and the Łazienki Palace. The Old Town is by far the most attractive area of Warsaw. After the II World War it was beautifully rebuilt and entered in the World List of Cultural and National Heritage of UNESCO. The Warsaw Old town impresses tourists with its quaint, cobbled streets and unique old architecture. The heart of the area is the Old Town Market Square with its unique traditional Polish restaurants, cafes and shops. When the weather is warm the square becomes filled with cafe tables, various traders and street artists. Surrounding streets feature old architecture such as City Walls, The Barbican and St. John's Cathedral. The pride and joy of Warsaw's Old Town is the Royal Castle and its surrounding square, "Plac Zamkowy" in the local tongue. As all of its fellow Old Town (re)constructions, the Castle stands as a testament to the city's phoenix-like resilience. Originally a medieval residence of the Mazovian Princes, the Royal Castle in Warsaw had a number of occupants across the ages: the Polish kings from 1526 to 1795, the Sejm (Parliament) until 1569, again the monarchs and the Sejm at the time of the Dukedom of Warsaw and the Congress Kingdom, followed by the management of the National Holdings of Art from 1922 and the President of the Polish Republic from 1926. Restored and furnished with repossessed furniture and works of art, it was partly opened to visitors in 1922-39. Destroyed by the Nazi in 1944, it was rebuilt in 1971-84. The Łazienki Palace, the private residence of the last king of Poland, stands on an island situated in the park centre. The royal park is one of the most magnificent palace-park complexes in Europe.

Time: 13.30-19.30

Price: 50 Euro. The price includes: the coach, English speaking tour-guide, entrance card to the Royal Castle and Łazienki Palace, tour-guide to the Royal Castle and Łazienki Palace and entertainment in the restaurant "U Dekerta" or “Trou Madame”, where snacks will be served for visitors.

The conference dinner followed by a concert of polish music and folk dance, performed by Promni Ensemble, to be held in the Emerald Hall at Gromada Hotel. Ticket costs 70 Euro and may be purchased at the Registration Desk till Tuesday noon. Participants who have already purchased their tickets will receive them together with the conference materials.

Time: 20.30-22.00

Accompanying Persons' Programme:

Accompanying persons are invited to participate in the conference social program given above. In addition special programme for accompanying persons will be organised.

Monday, August 21 st: Wilanów Palace, 3 hour tour. The tour will take you to the interiors of the Wilanów Palace, the Baroque residence of King John III Sobieski, the famous conqueror of the Turks at the battle of Vienna in 1683. He was the most colourful personage of 17th century Poland, a great army leader and accomplished diplomat. The palace, surrounding park and other premises have survived bad fortunes of wars and foreign occupation of Poland. They remained intact and retained their genuine historical and artistic merits to become one of the most cherished parts of the Polish cultural heritage. Price: 20 Euro.

Tuesday, August 22 nd: In the footsteps of Frederick Chopin, half-day tour . The morning tour features the most important sights in Warsaw and surroundings, related to Chopin and his music and departure to Żelazowa Wola– Frederick Chopin’s Birthplace. Visit to Chopin’s family manor house, surrounded by beautiful park. This will be an excellent opportunity to listen to a regular summer Chopin’s music concerts in Żelazowa Wola. Transfer back to Warsaw. Upon arrival lunch at a local restaurant. Then visit to the Holly Cross Church, where the heart of Chopin is placed. The tour will end in the Ostrogski Palace housing Chopin Museum and Frederick Chopin Society. Price: 60 Euro.

Wednesday, August 23 rd: The Warsaw Rising Museum and Ghetto Heroes Memorial, half-day tour. The unprecedented brutality of the Second World War may have long been consigned to the history books in many countries. Poland lost seventeen percent of its population during the war, a staggering 6 million inhabitants. The Warsaw Rising Museum is devoted to one of the biggest struggles of the war, made by the Polish Home Army. The Uprise started on August 1 st 1944, and sought to liberate Warsaw from German occupation and break the omnipresent Nazi terror and cruelty. The Museum uses the modern audiovisual techniques to recover the atmosphere of Warsaw under German Occupation (1939-1945) in all aspects of life, and to recreate the climate of great optimism, enthusiasm and heroism of people during the Warsaw Rise. From the other side it also documents many tragic events which happened those days. During 63 days of the Uprising over 250,000 civilians were killed, mostly in mass executions conducted by advancing German troops. The remaining citizens were expelled and transported to Nazi concentration camps. After the uprising had been quashed, Warsaw was condemned to annihilation. Hitler ordered the city to be wiped off the face of the earth, and special units were brought in to systematically detonate any building of the remotest importance to Polish culture. The city was burned systematically, block after block, and approximately 85 per cent of buildings were utterly destroyed. More than a year before, from April 19 th to May 16 th 1943, Warsaw was the scene of another struggle: the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, one of first uprisings against Nazi occupation in Europe. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish ghettos, established by the German Nazis in order to contain and starve Polish Jews before transporting them to extermination camps. In the three years of its existence (established in 1940) starvation, disease and deportations to extermination camps saw the Ghetto population fall from 450,000 to 37,000. The Uprising represented the last defiant attempt of those Jews who remained to fight against their total annihilation. The Ghetto Heroes Memorial was founded in memory and honor of the Jewish Uprisers.

This excursion is free of charge for all accompanying persons. Active participants may also join the excursion, provided that places are available. The number of participants for the excursion is limited, so acompanying persons are kindly asked to get the tickets from the Reception Desk on Sunday (August 20 th) or latest on Monday (August 21 st). The remaining tickets will be available for all other participants at the Reception Desk on Tuesday (August 22 nd). Please be sure to retain these tickets, as you will need to show them in order to access the excursion.

Cracow and Wieliczka Salt Mine (or Auschwitz) - cancelled

Pre- and Post-conference tours - cancelled

Tourist offer

Places worth to visit in Warsaw:

  • The Old Town (Stare Miasto) is for those who enjoy museums, art, and historical architecture away from the bustle of everyday city life. It is closed to traffic, and in its narrow streets you can relax and leave the 21st century behind for a while. Everything here is within easy walking distance. The Old Town is especially beautiful in the evening when its floodlit walls, houses and monuments begin to live a life of their own. An absolute must for all visitors of Warsaw.
  • Old Town Square This is the hub of the life in Warsaw's Old Town.
  • The Royal Route The Royal Route connects the Royal Castle with the other two royal residences: in the Łazienki Park and the Palace of Wilanów. Especially its northern part between the Old Town and Charles de Gaulle Roundabout is worth seeing, comprising Krakowskie Przedmieście, with its many palaces and churches, and the beautiful campus of Warsaw University, and Warsaw's most elegant shopping street, Nowy Świat. These two streets, carefully reconstructed after the war, are one of the few places that retain the atmosphere of pre-war Warsaw.
  • The Jewish Warsaw The Warsaw Ghetto, where during World War II the Nazis imprisoned over 400 000 Jews, comprises monuments commemorating the place from where Jews were sent to death in the concentration camps. Apart from the monuments, today there is little left that would remind of those days, as the ghetto was completely levelled during the Ghetto Uprising of 1943. The terror of those days, however, can be sensed at two small museums, the Pawiak Prison Museum and the Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom, situated in the cellars of the former Gestapo headquarters at 25 Szucha Avenue (today the Ministry of Education). The huge area of Jewish cemetery in Okopowa street can impress any visitor.
  • The Palace of Culture and Science The Stalinesque skyscraper over the city centre is probably the most impressive example of this style of architecture outside the former Soviet Union. At the multimedia information centre on the 30th floor visitors can get an overview of Warsaw and its history as well as breathtaking views of the whole city.

More info about the city:

Local Information

Time zone

The time in Poland is the same as in Germany and Spain, but 1 hour ahead of Portugal and UK.

Telephone

You can use public telephones with phone cards which can be obtained at the post offices, airport, railway stations, kiosks and in some hotels.

Mobile phones

All polish GSM operators use GSM 900/1800 network type. When calling from your mobile to a stationary phone in Warsaw use the prefix "+4822".

Currency and credit cards

The currency unit in Poland is the Polish złoty (zł) which is subdivided into 100 grosze (gr). The current exchange rate to Euro and US dollar can be checked at http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic (choose PLN as the Polish currency code). In January 2006 it is about 3.8 PLN for Euro and 3.1 PLN for USD. Delegates may change foreign currency and travellers cheques at several banks located in the centre of the city as well as in many exchange bureaus, at the railway station, at the airport or in many others places. International credit cards are accepted in many hotels, restaurants, and cash machines.

Electricity

Electricity supply is 230V.

Climate and clothing

The weather in August in Warsaw is usually warm and pleasant. The average daytime temperature varies from 18 degrees to 25 degrees of Celsius. There is the possibility of rain, so an umbrella, light raincoat and comfortable shoes are advisable.

Shopping

Most shops (except for food stores) are open from 11:00 until 19:00. Some department stores may open earlier or close later on weekdays as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. Polish craftwork is fascinating: wood craving and hand-woven rugs come mostly from the Zakopane region. Other souvenirs include glass, hand-woven baskets, paper cut-outs and crystal. One of the most popular souvenirs is amber from the Baltic Sea. Each individual piece can be fashioned into a pendant, ring, bracelet, or earrings. Most highly prized is amber with a prehistoric insect preserved inside, though it is a rare find. Poland is also known for its silver jewellery, which is sometimes combined with amber to create uniquely Polish pieces.

Food

Poles are known for their hospitality and love of food. Polish meals offer a wide selection ranging from fresh game in season to Baltic herring. Red beet soup or borsch, is well-known, as are Polish sausage (kiełbasa) and stuffed cabbage (gołąbki). Dumplings (pierogi) come stuffed with meat, potatoes, blueberries, or sauerkraut and mushrooms. Bigos is a stew of meat and sauerkraut, while roast duck comes stuffed with apples. For dessert, try pastries with poppy seeds, or perhaps a Polish donut filled with preserved fruit (pączek). In the summer, try our delectable strawberries, blueberries and cherries.

Contact

The conference website is http://www.science24.com/icpoc18.

For scientific issues please contact:

  • Conference Secretariat
    Warsaw University, Chemistry Department
    ul.Pasteura 1
    02-093 Warszawa, Poland
    Phone: (+48 22)8222892
    Fax: (+48 22)8222892
    Conference Secretary: Joanna Zachara
    Contact e-mail address: [email protected].