The 8th International Symposium on the Industrial Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (ISIAME2012) was convened at DICP from 2nd to 7th of September, 2012. It was sponsored by the Mössbauer Effect Data Center (MEDC), DICP, CAS and co-sponsored by the Lanzhou University’s Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education. On the opening ceremony, a welcome speech was given by Prof. Tao Zhang, Director of DICP as well as Member of International Board on the Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (IBAME) and Director of MEDC as well as Chairman of ISIAME2012.

This was for the first time that ISIAME was held in China after its initiation 32 years ago. More than 130 scientists from 26 countries and regions participated in the symposium. Papers involving 15 main topics, including the applications of the Mössbauer effect in catalysis, energy, environment, biology, fuel cell materials, surface modification, nanotechnology, magnetic materials and superconducting materials, etc.

For the sake of encouraging more young scientists and graduate students joining in the applied studies of the Mössbauer effect, an award for outstanding posters were established, and on the closing ceremony, 11 young participants, including Dr. Moulay Tahar Sougrati from France, Dr. Teng He from DICP, and Dr. Miao Li from Dalian University of Technology (China), were granted the Outstanding Poster Award by Prof. Junhu Wang, Secretary General of MEDC as well as Vice-chairman of ISIAME2012, on behalf of the Organizing Committee of the symposium.

In memorizing the passing away of Prof. Rudolf Mössbauer one year ago, as well as in memorizing several prominent scholars working in the Mössbauer effect fields who had died recently, 3 special memorial sessions were organized during the symposium.

Full papers presented in the symposium will be published in a special issue of the Hyperfine Interactions journal, and video records of the ISIAME2012 will also be put on the Internet for public reference.

A concluding remark of the symposium was given by Prof. John Stevens of the North Carolina University at Asheville, USA. After briefing on the developing course of the ISIAME, he gave the affirmation for the organizing work of the present symposium, and expressed gratitude for the efforts of the MEDC staff and the graduate student volunteers.