The possibilities of astronomical observation have dramatically increased over the last decade. Major satellites, like the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra and XMM Newton, are complemented by numerous large ground-based observatories, from 8m-10m optical telescopes to sub-mm and radio facilities. As a result, observational astronomy has access to virtually the whole electromagnetic spectrum of galaxies, even at high redshifts. Theoretical models of galaxy formation and cosmological evolution now face a serious challenge to match the plethora of observational data.
In October 2003, over 170 astronomers from 15 countries met for a 4-day workshop to extensively illustrate and discuss all major observational projects and ongoing theoretical efforts to model galaxy formation and evolution. This volume contains the complete proceedings of this meeting and is therefore a unique and timely overview of the current state of research in this rapidly evolving field.

The Dawn of Galaxies.- Evolution of X-Ray Selected AGN.- Clustering of Submillimetre-Selected Galaxies.- Star-Forming Galaxies in the 'Redshift Desert'.- The Near-Infrared View of Galaxy Evolution.- Galaxy Formation and Evolution since z=1.- Exploring the Reionization Epoch with HST and JWST.- Chemo-Photometric Models of Ring Galaxies.- The Cosmic Evolution of Quasar Hosts.- Stellar Populations in Spiral Galaxies.- The Cosmological Evolution of Quasar Black-Hole Masses.- Radio Observations of the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey Field.