Greetings to people worldwide working on  antennas, propagation, and electromagnetics.

On behalf of the organizing committee of the  2002 Interim International Symposium on antennas and propagation (ISAP I-02),  I’d like to welcome participants from all over the world to the ISAP i-02 at the  Yokosuka Research Park (YRP) from November 26 to November 28.  Previously, the ISAP was held approximately every  four years, but it has been only two years since the last ISAP in Fukuoka. The  reason why ISAP is being held in 2002 is to respond to the request of people  that wish to present and discuss the hot and emerging topics on antennas,  propagation, electromagnetics, and systems.

The focus of the symposium will be on (1)  Wireless communication (2) Biological effects and medical applications, and (3)  Computational electromagnetics. More than one hundred fifty papers were  submitted on these subjects from all over the world and three outstanding  invited speakers will present fascinating talks in each category. We planned  ISAP i-02 with an informal atmosphere to allow the participants to discuss topics easily and to foster the exchange of ideas among participants. Up to three sessions will be held in parallel, and extra time for discussion in a relaxed atmosphere with wine and cheese is planned after the regular sessions.

YRP is located one and a half hours  southwest of Tokyo by train. It was developed in 1997 and is now world famous  center for the research and development division of international mobile and  wireless companies that are engaged in future mobile and wireless system and  services. On the way to YRP from Tokyo or Narita,  please feel free to visit the historical city Kamakura where about eight hundred  years ago the samurai government was established. Visitors will find many Zen  temples and will be able to experience a true sense of the Japanese traditional  spirit. In addition to a sightseeing tour, a “Technical tour” will be available  on November 27, the second day of the ISAP i-02. There are three courses available:(1) NTT DoCoMo R&D center, (2) Yokosuka ITS Research Center of TAO (Telecommunications Advancement Organization of Japan) and (3) Communication  Research Laboratory Yokosuka. Detail of the technical tours described on the  registration form of ISAP i-02. Each institution will present attractive  technologies and their recent activities, and we hope that you will find  valuable ideas for future research.

I hope that the symposium is fruitful and  enjoyable for all participants, and I’m sure that all participants will make new  friends and find new research subjects through the ISAP i-02. Finally, I’d like  to express my sincere appreciation to the Korea Electromagnetics Engineering  Society (KEES) which is co-sponsoring this symposium with the IEICE. I’d also like to thank the URSI, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, and the IEE Antennas and Propagation Professional Networks for their technical support to the ISAP i-02.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at the  “Wireless Hill” in November.

Kenichi Kagoshima

Chairperson, ISAP i-02 Organizing Committee