• BIOSTAT 2001 - 8th Meeting of Researchers in Biometrics / Statistics
• ISPA 2001 - 2nd International Symposium Image and Signal Processing and Analysis

This year ITI 2001 Organising Committee received 80 contributions - 78 papers and 2 poster abstracts (54 from abroad and 26 from Croatia), by 174 authors: 114 authors were from 25 foreign countries: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK Ukraine and USA, and 60 authors were from Croatia.

All submitted papers have been reviewed by at least two independent referees: 102 reviews were given by 62 referees from abroad, and 73 by 56 Croatian referees. The ITI 2001 proceedings contain 67 accepted papers (43 from abroad), written by 146 authors (90 from abroad). The choice of referees and the publishing policy was conducted by the International Program Committee.

Traditionally, we have tried to position a wide range of participants' interests into 10 topics. Here we encounter certain difficulties because many articles are interdisciplinary and encompass more than a single topic. Reduction of topics would not be of much help because for the same article it happens that the two referees assign different topics, or even pairs of topics, while the author(s) proposed something third. The topics of this year Conference are:

• Computer Systems and Networks
• Software Engineering and Programming Languages
• Information Systems and Databases
• Intelligent Systems
• Multimedia and Internet Computing
• Data Analysis and Statistics
• Biometrics
• Modelling, Simulation and Optimization
• Mathematics and Computation
• Design, Methodologies and Applications

• Invited Lectures, given by lecturers from several countries, covered different topics:
  
  J. Cardoso, C. Sibertin-Blanc, France;
  F.K. Fink, Denmark (not present);
  C. Gatsonis, USA;
  T. Chrissafis, EU - Belgium;
  S. Levialdi, Italy;

  Presentation of the contributed papers as the essential core of the Conference. During 4 working days 45 contributed papers were presented, including 26 papers presented by foreign authors;

  Posters presentations; 5 paper / poster abstracts written by 13 authors from 7 countries were reviewed and published at the end of the Conference Proceedings, and two of them were presented at the Conference;

  A panel discussion about "University and Entrepreneurship";

  BIOSTAT 2001, co-organized by the Croatian Biometric Society;

  - 8th Meeting of Researchers in Biometrics;

  - 6th School of Biometrics:

  Topic: Analysing Observational data for Health Policy;

  Lecturer: S-L.Normand, Harvard University, USA;

  ISPA 2001, co-organised by FER, Zagreb

  - Co-Chairs: S. Loncaric, H. Babic

  - Separate Programme Committe

  - 128 submitted papers, reviewed separately from ITI papers

  - ISPA Proceedings: 115 published papers, including 5 invited papers.

A selection of papers presented at the Conference (possibly longer, revised versions) are considered for publishing in the following international journals:

• IMACS journal Mathematics and Computers in Simulation
• CIT Journal of Computing and Information Technology.

We are grateful to all who have contributed to this Conference. Our special thanks go to the authors of papers and poster abstracts and to the referees. The keynote speakers are always responsible for creation of a specific atmosphere that distinguishes one conference from the other. We are thankful to the co-operating institutions and sponsors who have helped us. A significant amount of work was necessary to make this Conference work. The thanks go to the Organising Committee and its chairman Professor Slavko Krajcar.

June 2001
Damir Kalpic and Vesna Hljuz Dobric

Acknowledgements

After chairing the ITI Conference Programme and Organising Committees, Professor Kalpic for seven years and Professor Krajcar for nine years, we are handing over our assignments to younger colleagues, strongly believing in further development and affirmation of the ITI conferences. We are thankful to all the sponsors, participants, referees, committee members and especially to Ms. Vesna Hljuz Dobric, who's steady and persistent efforts and enthusiasm have helped us to surmount all the difficulties and to keep this conferences well and alive.

Damir Kalpic and Slavko Krajcar

Damir and Slavko may have passed on the chairmen duties, but I do hope that the old ITI ex-chairmen rule: "once ITI, always ITI" will prevail in their hearts. Still, I will certainly miss Damir's spirit and Slavko's energy during the daily routine preceding the Conference. Their active participation at upcoming ITI Conferences will always be both important and welcome.

Vesna Hljuz Dobric