THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PIG REPRODUCTION TO BE HELD AT "HET PAND" IN THE CITY CENTRE OF GHENT, BELGIUM, WILL PROVIDE A UNIQUE SETTING FOR EXCHANGE AND INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH IN STATE OF THE ART FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED AREAS OF PIG REPRODUCTION. THE FOCUS ON PIGS IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT IN THAT PORK IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF PROTEIN CONSUMED ON A WORLD-WIDE BASIS. EXCHANGE OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND PERSONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN INVESTIGATORS IS NECESSARY TO MAXIMIZE ADVANCEMENTS IN REPRODUCTION OF PIGS. THE MAIN SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE THREE SESSIONS COMPOSED OF FOUR PLENARY PRESENTATIONS EACH DEALING WITH (1) HIGHLY PROLIFIC SOWS (HPS); (2) GENES, GENOMES AND GENETICS; AND (3) GAMETES, EMBRYOS AND PREGNANCY. PARALLEL SESSIONS DEALING WITH APPLIED PIG REPRODUCTION AND STATE OF THE ART TOPICS WILL OCCUR IN THE AFTERNOON. THE CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR INFORMATION EXCHANGE BETWEEN SPEAKERS AND DELEGATES FOR TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE THAT WILL INCREASE SWINE REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY, PROFITABILITY AND TRADE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE JOURNAL MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT HAS AGAIN AGREED TO PUBLISH THE CHAPTERS IN A SPECIAL ISSUE TO BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT THE MEETING. PUBLICATION IN AN ON-LINE JOURNAL WILL ENSURE RAPID WORLD-WIDE DISSEMNIATION OF THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.