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The Erasmus Mundus Lecture Series on Nanotechnology in Modern Society Herman E. Maes, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium 10 October 2007 12 February – 20 May 2008The Erasmus Mundus Lecture Series Erasmus Mundus Master of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Nanotechnology in Modern Society Nanoscience and nanotechnology are relatively new subjects and as such they are accompanied by many uncertainties as to their impact on modern society. Nanotechnology does not only refer to techniques that are used to study the world at nanometer scale (the scale of a few atoms) but also to the technology used to design and fabricate the building blocks with nano-scale precision. These building blocks will allow the development of revolutionary new materials, consumer articles and appliances, a promise already made for years now by nano-scientists. But when can we really expect these new applications? And how can one deal with these technologies in a responsible way? These are the type of questions that will be treated in this new Series of Lectures. In the academic year 2007-2008, 8 lectures will be given by international experts on various topics such as new important developments in nanotechnology, the opportunities for nanotechnology applications, the ethics and risks of nanotechnology developments. These Lectures are organized during the second semester of the Academic Year. This year however one seminar was already organized in the first semester, on 10 October 2007. These Lectures are an integral part of the Erasmus Mundus Master program but are also open to others interested in these important and fundamental and societal aspects. The lectures are organized using a Virtual Classroom concept in which all participating universities will be linked. Each lecture will be followed by a discussion session involving the lecturers, the students and nanotech professionals Where? The Virtual Classroom Lectures for Leuven, Belgium take place at the Audio-Visual Department of