The China Philosophers' Congress, the first of its kind in the country, is to be held in Beijing on August 9-12, aiming to display achievements in the field of philosophical studies made by Chinese philosophers in recent years.

The conference, with the theme of "Philosophy and China in the New Century," will provide a forum for exchanges between philosophers from all over the country, said Li Deshun, deputy director of the Philosophy Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the sponsor of the congress.

There are three sub-topics for the congress: "Tradition and Modern Age," "East and West" and "Science and Humanities".

In 2001, the organizers began collecting academic papers nationwide. So far, they have received 850 papers, of which 500 will be presented at the meeting. Most of the papers -- 90 percent-- were written by professional researchers. The remaining 10 percent came from amateurs.

The congress is the highest level academic gathering for China's philosophers, but in the future it could be turned into an international event, Li said. The congress is to convene once every three years.

Source: Xinhua