The founding members of the group planning the big event on Science and Technology for Society (STS) to be held in November in Japan, met in London at the Royal Society, hosted by Lord Sainsbury, the UK minister for Science and Technology. The meeting was co-chaired by the four convenors of the group of some thirty persons world-wide: Lord May (President of the Royal Society), Bruce Alberts (President, US National Academy of Sciences), Kiyoshi Kurakawa (President of the Japan Science Council) and Former Minister Koji Omi of Japan. Five main themes were discussed, and Serageldin was entrusted to prepare suggestions for the part dealing with capacity building in Science and Technology.