Over 30 world-class academics specialized in the evolution of civilizations attended the International Conference on Teaching and Learning of World Civilizations which was launched on Friday.

The five-day conference was co-organized by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and Beijing University. The first part of the conference entitled Civilizations on the Web will be held at CityU in the first two days, while the second part, A Web of Civilizations, will be held at Beijing University on April 9-10.

Scholars coming from Egypt, Turkey, India, France, the United States, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, will share an objective of developing a web-based curriculum titled A History of Civilizations, which will be adapted for general education courses for CityU students.

During the conference, attendees will focus their discussion on the design of a one-year curriculum on the history of world civilizations. They will also explore feasible ways to use the Internet for global teaching.

CityU President Professor H K Chang said that young people in Hong Kong should deepen their understanding of other cultures. It is especially crucial for young people to strengthen their own competitiveness in response to the rapid pace of globalization.

Only by expanding their international vista can they do their part in maintaining Hong Kong's position as a regional hub and an international center, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2007)