Present day heterogeneous catalysis is rapidly being transformed from a technical art into a science-based technology. A major contribution to this important change is the advance of surface spectroscopic techniques able to characterize the complex surfaces of the heterogeneous catalytic system. The Advanced Study Institute (on which the current proceedings is based) has as its primary aim the bringing together of a variety of lecturers, outstanding in those fields of experience, to enable a broad coverage of different relevant approaches. Not only catalyst characterization but also catalytic...