The Workshops on Real and Complex Singularities form a series of biennial meetings organized by the Singularities group at Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação of São Paulo University (ICMC-USP), Brazil. Their main purpose is to bring together world experts and young researchers in singularity theory, applications and related fields to report recent achievements and exchange ideas, addressing trends of research in a stimulating environment.

These meetings started in 1990 following two pioneer symposia on Singularity Theory (in fact the very first talks on Singularities held in Brazil) organized respectively by G. Loibel and L. Favaro in 1982 and 1988 at ICMC-USP. Since then, with Maria Aparecida Ruas as a driving force, meetings have taken place every two years between singularists from around the world who find in São Carlos a centre to interact and develop new ideas.

The meeting held from the 27th of July to the 2nd of August 2008 was the tenth of these workshops. This was a special occasion, for it was also dedicated to Maria Aparecida Ruas (Cidinha) and Terence Gaffney on their 60th birthdays.

Cidinha and Terry started their scientific connection in 1976 when she was a Ph.D. student at Brown University in the U.S.A. At that time Terry held a position as instructor at that university. Their common interest in singularity theory brought them together and he became her (very young) thesis supervisor.