It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the “17th Kyushu-Seibu/Pusan-Kyeongnam Joint Symposium on High Polymers (18th) and Fibers (16th) in Kitakyushu.” We believe that this symposium will set the stage for successful continuation of the joint symposium of both countries.
 The First Pusan-Kyushu Joint Symposium was held in Pusan National University in Korea on November 2, 1984, to stimulate research activities among polymer scientists in both the Kyushu branch members of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan and Pusan-Kyeongnam branch members of the Polymer Society of Korea. The first joint symposium, initiated from informal talks between one of the editors (Prof. Tisato Kajiyama) and Prof. Sung Chul Kim of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology at the winter Gordon Conference in 1983, was a successful event. It has been established as a strong network among polymer scientists in both countries to provide discussion forums for young researchers to discuss current trends and advances in the field of polymers and related materials science. Following the big success of the first symposium, the second symposium was also successfully held in Fukuoka, Japan in 1985.
 A couple of years later, scientists from the Fiber Societies of Korea and Japan, located in the same region, also joined the third symposium, which was held at Cheju, Korea, in 1987. The new members were from the Pusan-Gyeongnam branch Korean Fiber Society and from the Seibu branch of the Fiber Science and Technology in Japan. It was named as “The Third Symposium on High Polymers and the First Pusan-Seibu Joint Symposium on Textiles.” Finally, the present name was employed in the joint symposium held in Kumamto in 1997.
We hope that this symposium will particularly contribute to the undertaking of high-quality research and education in the fields of polymers and fiber materials, and share scientific knowledge by possible academic and research collaborations between Korea and Japan.