Discrete Event Dynamic Systems: Theory and Applications, 12, 253±264, 2002 # 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Manufactured in The Netherlands. Unity in Diversity, Diversity in Unity: Retrospective and Prospective Views on Control of Discrete Event Systems Report on WODES2000 panel discussion, prepared by R. Boel. Panel members: X.-R. CAO Hong Kong University of Science and Technology G. COHEN ENPC, Paris A. GIUA UniversitaÁdi Cagliari W. M. WONHAM University of Toronto J. H. VAN SCHUPPEN Chairman, CWI, Amsterdam Introduction At the turn of the millennium, in August 2000, the 5-th Workshop on Discrete Event Systems, WODES2000, was held in Ghent, Belgium. This was a very appropriate occasion to bring together some of the eminent researchers who were present there for a panel discussion about the past and the future of the ®eld to which they contributed so much. Four top researchers, who have taken part in the development of the ®eld of discrete event systems and control from its early start, were willing to reminisce about its origins, about its past successes, about the shortcomings of the past work, and about the research that is needed in order to remedy these shortcomings in the (near?) future. The panel members were Xi-Ren Cao (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Guy Cohen (ENPC, Paris), Alessandro Giua (Universita Á di Cagliari), and W. Murray Wonham (University of Toronto), while Jan H. van Schuppen (CWI, Amsterdam) accepted to chair this discussion session. Geert Stremersch made an audio tape of this discussion. This report on that panel discussion is based on listening several times to this audio tape, on my own recollections and on notes taken during the discussion, but also and very importantly on written notes provided by the four panel members. For the sake of uniformity I have taken the liberty to rephrase their text. I hope that the four panel members will recognize their opinions in the following text, and will not disagree too M10373 Kluwer Academic Publishers Discrete Event Dynamic Systems: Theory and Applications (DISC) Tradespools Ltd., Frome, Somerset