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The official logo of the ICSC series

The 35th International Conference on Solution Chemistry (ICSC2018) was organized by the Hungarian Chemical Society and was held in the Hunguest Hotel Forrás in Szeged, Hungary, between August 26–30, 2018. The ICSC2018 is a continuation of the successful IUPAC conference series that began in Lund, Sweden in 1988. The conference brought together scientists from all branches of solution chemistry, including both fundamental and applied sciences. The topics of the conference included many themes associated with modern applications of solutions: in the medical sciences, for practical/industrial purposes, radioactive waste management, spectroscopy, (bio)coordination chemistry, supercritical fluids, colloids and interfaces, ionic liquids and computational studies, as well as more traditional work in thermodynamics and solubility phenomena.

We had more than a hundred registered participants on the conference, with every inhabited continent represented. The 12 invited lecturers gave 6 plenary and 6 keynote talks, all of a very high standard. In addition, 40 section lectures and 40 posters were presented. Prof. Glenn Hefter, the IUPAC representative to ICSC2018, gave a 10 min talk detailing the various activities of the IUPAC.

During the conference, Prof. Ingmar Persson retired from the chairmanship of the International Steering Committee. To honor his chairmanship (2001–2018) he was presented with a bottle of Tokaji wine, vintage 2001, at the conference banquet. Prof. Persson is replaced by Prof. Toshio Yamaguchi, whose mandate will expire in 2025.

Beyond the busy scientific schedule, the conference was rich in social events. The opening ceremony was held in the Szeged Town Hall, sponsored by the City Council. An organ concert was organized at the famous Votive Church one evening. The conference excursion included a visit to the National Memorial Park and outdoor village museum in Ópusztaszer, famous as the location of the Feszty Panorama, a cyclorama depicting the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895. In addition to the award of the poster prizes, sponsored by Springer and the Journal of Solution Chemistry, the closing banquet included a wine tasting, featuring local winemaker Sándor Somodi. Thus, the 35th ICSC was successful on several fronts: high quality science and interesting social programs.