With the aim of "Contributing broadly to society through innovations and the creation of materials, while keeping in harmony with the global environment" and developing catalysis science, a fundamental technology to realize its aim, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has been organizing "The Mitsui Chemicals International Symposium on Catalysis Science (MICS)" since 2003. The themes of the first, second and third Symposiums were "Advanced Catalysts for Polymers", "Green Catalysts for Specialty Chemicals" and "Polymerization Catalysis - Current Status and Future Prospects", respectively. Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. invited the world-renowned scientists in the field of catalysis science including Professor Ryoji Noyori, Professor Jean-Marie Lehn, Professor K. Barry Sharpless, Professor Robert H. Grubbs, and Professor Richard R. Schrock to deliver lectures and to engage in lively discussions.

The Fourth Mitsui Chemicals International Symposium, MICS2009, with the theme of "Catalysis Science and Its Contribution to Future Human Development" is to discuss the current status and the future prospects of the catalysis science field, which plays a key role in resolving issues which encompass environment, energy and resources in the 21^st century as well as in supporting sustainable development of human beings in the future. The Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Roald Hoffmann (Cornell University in the U.S.A.), and the Wolf Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Emeritus Professor Henri B. Kagan (Université Paris-Sud in France) will deliver the plenary lectures.

I hope this Symposium will be a venue for an intellectual exchange of ideas on catalysis science from experts gathered from around the world and that it creates new fields of knowledge. We are delighted to invite people to attend MICS2009.