A revolution in star cluster research: setting the scene INTRODUCTION

Star clusters and their stellar populations play a significant role in the context of galaxy evolution, across space (from local to high redshift) and time (from currently forming to fossil remnants). We are now within reach of answering a number of fundamental questions that will have a significant impact on our understanding of key open issues in contemporary astrophysics, ranging from the formation, assembly and evolution of galaxies to the details of the star-formation process. Our improved understanding of the physics driving star cluster formation and evolution has led to the emergence of crucial new open questions that will most probably be tackled in a systematic way in the next decade.