In response to increasing interest in high-temperature, gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) in many countries and the need for improved materials for nuclear applications in high-temperature environments, the NEA organised a Second Information Exchange Meeting on Basic Studies in the Field of High-temperature Engineering. These proceedings provide an overview of the activities being carried out in eight countries, the improvement of material properties for HTGR application, in-core monitoring methods and properties of irradiated graphite, and HTGR fuel fabrication and performance.