The Formal Induction Ceremony of the new Professional Members (Academicians) of the World Academy of Ceramics took place, as planned, on the occasion of the Inaugural Session of CIMTEC 2010.

The Session was planned in the Auditorium of the main Congress Centre of Montecatini Terme on June 7 morning where many hundreds of CIMTEC delegates representing over sixty countries were attending.

After a welcome by Pietro Vincenzini, the General Chair of CIMTEC Conferences and WAC Chairman of Council, Gary Messing, Chair of WAC Nomination Committee 2006-2010, briefly introduced the eleven (out of the fourteen) Academicians selected on occasion of the 13th Election to WAC, including:

For the Class “Science”:

K. Byrappa, India
T. Goto, Japan
J.-L. Huang, Taiwan
E. Ivers-Tiffée, Germany
H.J. Kleebe, Germany
A. Safari, USA
Y. Sakka, Japan
S.M. Wiederhorn, USA
Y. Zhou, China

For the Class “Industry and Innovation”:

T. Ishikawa, Japan
A. Michaelis, Germany

The WAC Diploma was handled to each new Academician by Francois Baumard, President of WAC International Advisory Board 2006-2010.

The other three new Academy Members selected at the 13th Election, i.e. S. Best, UK, G.D. Quinn, USA and H.-I. Yoo, Korea addressed their deep apologies for not being able to attend.