On behalf of the Free Universities of Brussels, we are happy to welcome you to the 17th Annual Congress of the ECSS to be held in Bruges, Belgium 4-7 July 2012.

The "Vrije Universiteit Brussel" (VUB) and the "Université Libre de Bruxelles" (ULB° are honoured to organize this important event. Both universities paly a benchmarking role in the development of sport science, and are located in Belgium, the site of the European Institutions. To highlight this, we chose "Sport Science in the Heart of Europe" as the theme of the 17th annual congress of the ECSS.

As local organizers, we are very proud to welcome you to the historicial city of Bruges. This old city is the largest one of the province of West Flanderes and is located in the northwest of the country. The historic city centre is a prominent world heritage site of UNESCO and is often referred to as "The Venice of the North'. Upon visisting Bruges, you will immediately notice that this city has always carefully cherished its architectural and artistic treasures from the past. A particular feature of the city is that most hotels and historical sites are at walking distance of the congress centre.

Belgium and Bruges in particular are known not only for their rich cultural history but also for their famous beers and chocolotes. We will make sure that all these features will be present and that all participants will have a great memory of these delights.

We are looking forward to meeting you all in 2012!

Prof. R. Meeusen (VUB)
Prof. J. Duchateau (ULB)