REGIONAL> Highlights
International Biotechnology Symposium to be held in Dalian
By Zhu Chengpei and Zhang Xiaomin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-09-22 10:29

The 13th International Biotechnology Symposium (IBS) and Exhibition will be held on October 12 in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning province.

Nearly 3,000 professionals, including over 1,000 people from more than 80 countries and regions have registered to attend the six-day event, according to Dai Yulin, vice mayor of Dalian, at a news briefing on September 16, 2008.

With a theme of “biotechnology for the sustainability of human society”, IBS 2008 comprises nine theme areas covering all aspects of biotechnology, including basic research of biotechnology, industrial development, and government policies.

Participants will include scientists, engineers, business leaders, and government officials. Nobel Prize-winner Werner Arber will make a keynote speech at the symposium. Some Fortune 500 enterprises like BP, DuPont, and Monsanto will attend the event.

“We are confident that this event will provide a platform for the domestic and international biotech communities. It will promote the development of biotechnology and make contribution to the sustainable development of the world,” said Dai.

An award is established in this year’s IBS in order to encourage the doctorial students and the young biotech engineers who just started working.

Organized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), IBS is recognized as the premier international conference in biotechnology. It is held every four years on a different continent.

The last two sessions, held in Berlin and Santiago, attracted more than 3,000 participants respectively.