The session was introduced by Virginia Brown (MIT and University of Maryland), the chair of the International Organizing Committee for the meeting. Words of welcome were given by JPS Representative Hiroshi Toki (RCNP and Osaka University), APS President George Trilling (LBNL), APS Executive Officer Judy Franz, and JPS Executive Officer Mamoru Togashi. Representatives of the JPS and APS exhanged gifts on behalf of the societies. The session speakers were Kenichi Imai (Kyoto), Larry McLerran (BNL), Shoji Nagamiya (KEK and JAERI), and James Symons (LBNL).