Fudan University is inviting scholars, government officials and business professionals from around the world to discuss Asian economic issues at the 2008 Shanghai Forum.

A report summarizing the deliberations, which will run from May 25 to 27, will be sent to international organizations and Asian governments as a guidance for policy makers, Fudan officials said yesterday.

The theme of next year's forum - the third such event since the program began in 2005 - will be "Economic Globalization and the Choice of Asia: Transition, Growth and Welfare."

For the first time, the forum has also invited prominent overseas universities such as Yale from the US, the Waseda University from Japan and the Chinese University of Hong Kong as organizers of sub-forums, Fudan officials said.

"We deeply understand the importance of international collaboration between different universities. Our driving force is to build the forum into a truly international gathering place for the world's elite thinkers," said Fudan's President Wang Shenghong.

The second Shanghai Forum was held in the city in May and published the first consensus document entitled "The Harmonious Development of Asia: Good for Asia and Good for the World."

(Shanghai Daily September 20, 2007)