Delegates from all corners of the world, many accompanied by partners and family members, met last July in Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain to participate in WACRA® '99. The annual, international, interactive, intercultural, interdisciplinary conference «Creative and Interactive Teaching» was hosted by University of Extremadura. Academics and professionals discussed developments, exchanged experiences and ideas on interactive, interdisciplinary, intercultural and international teaching and learning. They reported on case method research (on-going and completed), case writing, simulations and new innovative uses of multi media and interactive teaching methods and applications. As requested by participants, WACRA® increased the number of demonstration and interactive, hands-on sessions conducted by experienced, renowned speakers and presenters. These sessions and workshops included plenary sessions on 'Distance Education, Global Entrepreneurship' the 'Fifth Cross National Training Forum,' the Eighth Annual International Case-writers' Workshop & Case-writers' Colloquium as well as workshops on 'Case Teaching.'

The meeting began with a special dinner of the WACRA® Executive and Advisory Boards at the Palace Carvajal in old city of Cáceres.

For more details on conference activities refer to dedicated contributions in this NEWSletter. We also invite you to visit the photo galleries of the Spain (and Lucerne ACT2) conferences. The photo galleries can be accessed through the WACRA® web site. Photographs submitted by delegates capture the academic seriousness of the conferences, the warm welcome and superb support UEX and Open University faculty and students provided, the cultural richness and beauty of Spain, the hospitality of its people and the 'joie de vivre' of WACRA® delegates.

Year 2000 plans are nearing completion. The (pre-) conference activities begin in Munich, Germany. We will travel by train on the tracks of the famous 'Orient Express' through beautiful countryside via Salzburg to Vienna Austria (2 nights). Heurigen in Grinzing, Vienna Cafe houses, concerts, opera, guided shopping and more await participants in the city of the of the Strauss family - the Capital of Music. The Y2K special will be the journey from Vienna to Budapest in the 'Majestic Imperator,' (the rebuilt luxury rail carriages of the Austrian Emperor). Vienna's and Budapest's 'Golden Years' come to life.

Empress Elizabeth of Austria loved to travel. Her beauty cast a powerful spell on those around her and her fame soon spread far beyond the frontiers of the Habsburg monary. Inspired by the beautiful landscapes passing by her window and the feelings they evoked, she often spent her time on the train reading and writing poetry. She affectionately captured these experiences,

"...A Destination only becomes desirable because the journey lies in between.''

The main conference will take place at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Please refer to pages 10-12 of this Newsletter and visit our web page for further details and frequent up-dates.

If you would like to make long range plans... We are delighted to announce that Lunds Universitet in Lund, Sweden has agreed to host WACRA'2001. Plans for WACRA'2001 include activities in Lund, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark and Oslo, Norway.

"Interactive Teaching and The Multi Media Revolution," volume XI of the Selected Papers on Case Method Research & Application (papers presented in Marseille and selected for publication through a double blind peer review) and the "Selected Papers" from the Second "Creative Teaching" conference are now available. A volume of "International Collection of Cases" and the selected papers from this summer's conference at the University of Extremadura "Creative and Interactive Teaching" are under prepa-ration.

If you attended ACT 2 in Lucerne,your copy of the book has been mailed, if you attended WACRA'99 in Cáceres, you will receive your copy shortly. If you could not attend these conferences, mail us your membership renewal check before December 31, 1999 and we send you one complimentary copy of either volume or any of the back issues from previous conferences (as long as supplies last). You can help publicize your contributions to the interactive creative teaching literature by bringing WACRA® and ACT publications (WACRA® volumes V-XI are available) to the attention of your co-authors, colleagues and library acquisition departments. The annual WACRA® publications have become widely recognized for the timely and comprehensive contribution they make to the case method and interactive teaching literature (refer to ordering details on page 16 of this NEWSletter).

The conference will present itself as an international, intercultural, inter disci-plinary, interactive and...interesting 'life case' of building networks and exchanging ideas and experiences. The WACRA staff is preparing an exciting academic program and a cultural experience and immersion before,during and after the conference.

WACRA® 2000, the millenium conference, will advance the use of the case method and other interactive learning and teaching methods, create 'user friendly' forums for the exchange of ideas, research and experiences, encourage research using the case method, coordinate case writing and case application activities, encourage cooperation between the public sector, the business community, and other case-oriented professions, will add new initiatives to complement the highly successful pre-conference WACRA® Interactive Case Sessions (WICS).

The conference language for WACRA® 2000 is English. WACRA® will continue the tradition begun several years ago and include tracks in t in French and Spanish.

We invite you to submit papers, proposals, workshops, simulations, panels etc. (in English, French or Spanish) to address the conference theme: "Complex Demands on Teaching Require Innovation." Manuscript preparation guidelines can be found at the end of each volume of 'Selected Papers,' or alternatively, write to us or visit our web site: http://www.wacra.org Submission deadline for WACRA 2000 is Jan. 15, 2000. Join colleagues from around the world in Budapest for a stimulating, exciting and enriching experience.

From January 5-7, 2000, WACRA® is again cooperating with A C T - The Academy for Creative Teaching - in the Third Creative Teaching Conference where the emphases are on "Teaching and Learning" through interactive workshops and by sharing of research and teaching/training application. Refer to details and registration information on the following pages and join us in Lucerne, Switzerland.