The first RCBJSF symposium was held in Novosibirsk in 1976 under the joint efforts of the honorable Nobel Prize winner professor Prokhorov (Russia) and professor Kobayashi (Japan). 

Upon the birth of this event, the following bi-annual symposia were continuously held in Kyoto (1980), Novosibirsk (1984),Tsukuba (1988), Moscow (1994), Noda (1998), St Petersburg (2002), Tsukuba (2006), Vilnius (2008), Yokohama (2010), Ekaterinburg (2012), and Liga (2014) symposia, providing numerous dynamic discussion and the first-hand updates on the "hottest" aspects on ferroelectricity. 

A multilateral cooperation has then been triggered and established among the Japanese, Russian, CIS and Baltic scientists. In keeping the scientific spirits of the previous symposia, the 13th Russia/CIS/Baltic/Japan Symposium, the 40th anniversary of this conference, acts to enhance the existing platform and create new channels for more vibrating interactions, engagements and collaborations among all participants. 

Recent two conferences were in collaboration with other international conferences, i.e. RCBJSF is now open to the world and developing by the year. We look forward to hear your latest research in Matsue.

Yukikuni AKISHIGE & Alexander S. SIGOV
Chairpersons of RCBJSF

• International Workshop on Relaxor Ferroelectrics

The IWRF series of meetings can trace its origin into international seminars on relaxor ferroelectrics initiated by Prof. Shuvalov from the Russian Academy of Sciences, which were held in 1996, 1998 and 2000 in Dubna, Russia.

Although the seminar was not continued after 2000, recent positive and useful developments in relaxor ferroelectrics suggest a need for an international forum on relaxor ferroelectrics to facilitate the communication, exchange and collaboration among researchers working in the fields of relaxor ferroelectrics, ferroelectrics and materials science.

Three ad hoc meetings were recently organized in three consecutive years; the International Workshop on Structure–Property Relations in Relaxor Ferroelectrics held in Xi'an, China, 2011; the Workshop on Relaxor Ferroelectrics held in Schloss Edesheim, Germany, 2012; and the International Workshop on Relaxor Ferroelectrics held in St. Petersburg, Russia, 2013.

At the IWRF in St. Petersburg, an international advisory board (IAB) was established, and it was decided to start a regular IWRF conference series with a format of a biennial chain of focused workshops. The newly organized IWRF was first held in Štiřín, Czech Republic, 2014, and was attended by 85 participants from 20 countries.

We believe that the IWRF series will continue to be an ideal platform for the community of researchers in the field of relaxor ferroelectrics, ferroelectrics and materials science.

Kenji OHWADA
Chairperson of IWRF