At the beginning  of the previous century there was introduced a new term to scientific nomenclature – CHROMATOGRAPHY. The creator M.S. Tswiet – the botany professor of the Warsaw University did not certainly expect that discovered by him technique will play such a honored role in achieved discoveries, forming of new laws and hypotheses in order to come to know of the world.

   Now, when the XXI century has begun we have met in Poland, in Toruń, on the day before the 100 years anniversary of chromatography discover, in order to make a review of theoretical and practical achievements in chromatography and related techniques. The chromatography has become the predominant separation and identification method in the filed of nature sciences occupying one of the first places among the modern analytical techniques. It concerns not only a scale and range of the undertaking or the way of its realization but also the consciousness of human, who use the up to now knowledge and technical advances. The considerations about the future and the directions of development of theory and practice of the separation techniques will be the leading thought of the 8^th International Symposium on Separation Sciences, which will be held under motto : Advance in Separation Sciences on the day before the 100 years anniversary of chromatoghaphy discover.

   The history of the symposia reaches the 90^th of the XX century so far and is an continuation of the cyclic scientific meetings under the auspices of the Central European Group for Separation Sciences (CEGSS). CEGSS focuses the representatives of the National Chemical Societas of: the Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland. 

   About actuality of the subjects raise during debates testifies still increasing number of participants. In ISSS’2002 its taking part have declared over 350 persons from 28 countries and also a numerous exhibitors of apparatus, accessories and chemical reagents. The fact that the honor patronage of this conference took over Prof. Dr. M. Kleiber – the Minister of Science and the Chairman of the State Committee for Scientific Research and the Scientific Patronage was taken up by the Federation of European Chemical Societas, the Polish Chemical Society of the Committee of Analitical Chemistry of Polish Academy of Sciences represented by: the Commission of Chromatographic Analysis, the Commission of Air and Gases Analysis, the Commission of Trace Organic Analysis and the Commission of Analytical Chemistry Education is the best proof how much important are the topics of the Symposium.

   The participation of the Kujawsko-Pomoski Voivodeship Marshal and the President of Toruń city in the Honorary Committee works testifies the advisability of organizing such meetings, by which occasion there is a possibility to know the history and present the monuments of our beautiful region and city of Nicolaus Copernicus, the town of science and art.

   On behalf of the Organizing Committee I would like to hearty welcome all arrived to Toruń participants of ISSS’2002 and wish fruitful debates, exciting talks and unforgettable impressions.

   Here, I would like to thank my Colleagues from the Department of Environmental Chemistry & Ecoanalytics of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Nicolas Copernicus University for efforts connected with co-organization of this important scientific meeting. My gratitude words I would like to follow also to co-organizers and Sponsors of the Symposium for help and financial support.