The 18^th Czech-Slovak Spectroscopic Conference (18^th CSSC) is the scientific meeting with international participation to share recent developments, exchange ideas, explore new directions and initiate a possible collaboration in the analytical spectrometry area. Leading scientists and researchers will be invited to present their most up-to-date results at this conference, to exchange exciting ideas and experiences as well as look into future development. The aim of this scientific event is to bring together experts from universities, academia, official centers, various laboratories, and industry, to summarize the current progress in various areas of spectroscopy/spectrometry and the trends in the applications such as chemical, environmental, geological, biological, food, pharmaceutical and industrial materials and to stimulate contacts and mutual exchange of experiences and ideas.

    The microsymposium entitled "Recent progress in vibrational spectroscopy - Celebrating 50 years of SERS and the 65^th anniversary of A. Smekal death" is the inherent part of the Conference programme as a parallel session. Invited as well as short lectures in the Microsymposium will cover a wide range of topics targeted on recent progress in Raman and infrared spectroscopy and their applications. A particular attention will be given to special methods of Raman spectroscopy, namely resonance Raman scattering (RRS) and surface-enhanced/resonance/Raman scattering (SERS and SERRS) as well as to time-resolved IR and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the development and application of advanced techniques of vibrational spectroscopis imaging/mapping both in micro- and nanoscale will be covered. Furthermore, application of IR and Raman spectroscopy in various branches of chemistry, material science, geology, gemmology, art conservation, environmental science, food processing, biology and medicine will be an inherent part of the Microsymposium scope.

   The upcoming year of this conference with a long tradition differs from the previous ones by a greater emphasis on analytical spectrometry applied in the geological sciences. Many scientists with a geological background are engaged in laboratory analysis and research of geological materials. These geologists are experts not only in their parent field, but also bring new knowledge in the methodology of analytical chemistry, namely spectrometry. Contributions to the conference program in the field of analysis of geological materials are therefore very much in demand, as well as participants - geologists, who are warmly welcome to this conference.

    A series of specialized colloquia entitled “Mössbauer Spectroscopy in Materials Science (MSMS)” was initiated in the Central Europe. They have been almost regularly organized since 1994 alternatively in Slovakia and Czech Republic with a two-year periodicity. Firstly, MSMS colloquium represents an important forum for researchers in materials science who share their results on understanding the solid-state matter employing Mössbauer spectroscopy. Secondly, the conference organizers invite several scientists well distinguished in Mössbauer spectroscopy worldwide to give both tutorial lectures and lectures of broad perspective to convey the knowledge to young generation (researcher beginners, PhD students, etc.). Thirdly, cutting-edge works are presented stimulating future studies and research orientation in the field of Mössbauer spectroscopy.

   Selected contributions from the 18^th CSSC & MSMS 2024 conference will be published as full papers in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry.