GIRSE (Gruppo Italiano di Risonanza di Spin Elettronico) was born back in 1987, second only to the British ESR group, as an improbable project within a small group of Italian EPR spectroscopists who felt outcast and outnumbered within the general magnetic resonance associations they belonged to.
Although conscious of the common roots shared by EPR and NMR, the EPR spectroscopist is also aware that the two worlds obey different rules, research in the EPR field asking for scientists who are at a time skilled, crafty, open-minded, and endowed with a sound theoretical basis. These features have been through the years the basis of the strong “liaisons” and sense of comradeship shared by EPR people, who have always been keen to gather for fruitful scientific exchanges and whose collaborations have very often resulted in long-lasting true friendships.
In its first twenty years of life GIRSE has grown beyond expectations and now it encompasses the near totality of the Italian EPR community. Beside promoting EPR spectroscopy among young researchers holding basic as well as advanced schools, it has provided scientists in the field with the opportunity to meet, talk science, exchange tricks and become pals. It also has played a major role in the foundation of EFEPR, the European Federation of EPR Groups that now embraces 13 national societies.
A couple of years after the birth of GIRSE, a group of French EPR spectroscopists decided to follow the example founding GARPE, recently renamed ARPE (Association française de Résonance Paramagnétique Électronique). We are happy that they decided to join us in this celebration and we trust that this meeting will open the road to a wealth of fruitful common activities.