It is our great pleasure to announce 8th International Conference of Quality Managers (8th ICQM), hosted by Iranian Society of Quality Managers (ISQM), organized to be held with the theme “Quality Managers and the Management Challenges in the 21st Century” in Tehran- Iran on July 14-18, 2007.

In today’s fast-changing business environment, anticipation of major trends and considering their impact for the strategic planning of the organizations take a crucial and indisputable role for their existence and sustainability. Consequently, the role of quality managers, together with the continuous rise in importance of quality and quality management and their evolution, has become more effective and noteworthy in the overall performance of the organizations during recent decades. In modern set-ups, quality managers are expected to confront the challenges of the 21st century by playing fundamental multifaceted inter-related roles and walk out of this battlefield with flying colors.

8th ICQM is an invitation to review these challenges which are essentially novel and different and have their roots in the past and yet determine the future. This conference intends to focus on the challenges of management from the perspective of quality managers’ strategic responsibilities which inevitably lie before them. The outcomes of these debates would be very important for organizations’ breakthrough and improvement projects. This conference aims to bring together quality-related individuals and organizations from all around the world to attend and share their knowledge and experience in the field. Surly, the conclusions could help all participants to use their new learning for more effective initiatives in improving quality of their products, processes and systems in their organizations, and as a result, enhancing their communities towards more growth and welfare.

Great number of about five thousand attendees since 2004 has marked this international quality conference with the highest record as the largest quality event of the world which is held twice through the same program and schedule to enable reception of participants. It is also an exceptional quality conference broadly supported by 45 international and national quality organizations of the world from 35 countries including:

1. Asia Pacific Quality Organization
2. Asian Network for Quality
3. Australian Organization for Quality
4. Bangladesh Society for Total Quality Management
5. Center for Management Development (Bangladesh)
6. Chartered Quality Institute (United Kingdom)
7. China Association for Quality
8. Chinese Society for Quality
9. Czech Society for Quality
10. e-TQM College (U.A.E.)
11. European Organization for Quality, Hungarian National Committee
12. Flemish Quality Management Center
13. Hellenic Management Association
14. Hong Kong Society for Quality
15. Indian Merchant’s Chamber
16. Indian Society for Quality
17. Indonesian Quality Management Association
18. Institute of Quality Malaysia,
19. International Academy for Quality
20. International Academy for Quality Certification (Singapore)
21. Japanese Society for Quality Control
22. Korean Society for Quality Management
23. Korean Standard Association
24. Latvian Quality Association
25. Lithuanian Quality Management Association
26. Lebanese Society for Quality
27. Libyan Quality Society
28. Middle East Quality Association
29. National Centre for Quality Management (India)
30. National Productivity Corporation (Malaysia)
31. Network for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness of Nepal
32. PIQC Institute of Quality (Pakistan)
33. Philippine Society for Quality
34. Quality and Productivity Society of Pakistan
35. Russian Organization for Quality
36. Shanghai Association for Quality
37. Smart Process International (Singapore)
38. Spanish Association for Quality
39. Sri Lanka Association for Quality
40. Standard and Quality Association of Thailand
41. The European Center for Total Quality Management
42. The Mexican Institute for Quality Control
43. Total Quality Management International (India)
44. Turkish Society for Quality
45. Ukrainian Association for Quality Consultants

• Dr. Tito CONTI ( Italy ), President, International Academy for Quality,
• Professor Jens-Jorn DAHLGAARD ( Sweden ), Chair and Full Professor in Quality Technology and Management, Linkoping University,
• Mrs. Grace DUFFY ( U.S.A.), Vice-president, American Society for Quality,
• Dr. Yuri GOUSAKOV ( Russia), President, European Organization for Quality,
• Dr. Nasrin MOAZAMI (Iran), Head of IROST Biotechnology Center, Pioneer of biotechnology in Iran, Recipient of Palm Academic Award, French Government.

• Dr. Mansoor AL-AWAR ( U.A.E. ), Chairman, Middle East Quality Association,
• Dr. Geeta BHARADWAJ ( India ), Secretary of Indian Merchant’s Chamber and Executive Director of IMC Quality Cell, MBNQA and EFQM Senior Lead Assessor,
• Professor Nikos M. EBEOGLOU ( Greece), President, Hellenic Management Association, EOQ Member,
• Ms. Cristina E. FRANCISCO ( Philippines), Senior consultant, trainer and lecturer in HRM, HRD, marketing, communication, TQM and product planning,
• Dr. Rolf JENSEN (Denmark), Chief Imagination Officer, Dream Company Inc. and author of the bestseller “Dream Society “ translated into 10 languages,
• Mr. Hakan KILITCIOGLU ( Turkey ), Secretary General, Turkish Society for Quality,
• Mr. Salvador OLIVAS ( Spain ), Director General, Spanish Association for Quality, EOQ Member,
• Professor Su Mi PARK (Sweden- Korea), Distinguished Professor at Lunds University, Institute of Service Management and Acting Research Director of the Institute.

• Quality Managers, Quality Evolution and Future,
• Quality Managers, New Roles and Responsibilities,
• Quality Managers, New Imperatives, Paradigms and Strategies,
• Quality Managers, Globalization and Global Markets,
• Quality Managers, Transformation and Change Management,
• Quality Managers and Value Chain Management,
• Quality Managers, Creativity and Innovation,
• Quality Managers, Cost Optimization and Performance Improvement,
• Quality Managers and Human Resource Management,
• Quality Managers and Organizational Culture,
• Quality Managers, Quality Systems, Tools and Techniques,
• Quality Managers, Organizational Excellence and Best Practices,
• Quality Managers, Qualification Schemes, Certification and Learning Cycle.

1. Title of paper also indication of one of the above areas to which the paper mostly relates,
2. Complete name of the author (s), organization, title,
3. Educational background, work experiences, scientific activities, country,
4. Contact details including full address, phone, fax and e-mail ID.

The abstract and the resume are required to be e-mailed to harefkashfi@neda.net by Feb. 25, 2007. All authors will be informed of the review result by March 25, 2007. Full papers should be prepared and submitted by April 25, 2007 in soft copy, after receipt of confirmation of acceptance from the TAB. Approved papers will be included in the Conference Proceedings, provided the guidelines and requirements are carefully followed. A selection of the best approved papers would be scheduled for oral presentation. All authors are requested to kindly follow the guidelines for their final papers and also PowerPoint presentations. The guidelines are accessible at the Conference website.

Papers from practitioners or from those working in partnership with industry and dealing with case studies or applications of theories to the actual quality problems are particularly welcome. Papers should be based on actual practices or promote specific new ideas. The papers should be original and may not have been presented in previous events and / or published before. For further details and any clarification regarding paper submission please contact Conference Technical Advisory Board at harefkashfi@neda.net.

Speakers will be entitled to free registration. Stand-by speakers and authors of papers accepted for publication in the Conference Proceedings will have 50% discount of the full registration fee. For papers authored in partnership, only one author can be accepted for special rate for registration. However, other expenses, including travel and accommodation charges should be born by the authors / speakers or their organizations.

Important Note: Due to large audiences of the Conference, about 5000, and limitations of the Conference Hall, the organizers have to plan to hold the Conference in exactly two similar rounds, each round for a group of 2500 attendees. The first round will be held on July 15 and 16, and the second round on July 17 and 18. Therefore, all speakers should present their papers twice in the similar allocated timeslot as per final program. Also, for coordination considerations, all foreign participants (non- speakers) will attend the first
round of the Conference, i.e. July 15 and 16, 2007.

Please visit the Conference website for further details. The organizers cordially invite your enthusiastic participation in this great international quality event and, would like to warmly welcome you in advance at 8th ICQM in July 2007.