China – France International Symposium on Rural Construction and Development will be held on September 23 – 24, 2007 Beijing People’s Republic of China

Background

The world pays extensive attention to China′s new countryside construction. China′s economy has made great progress since the Reform and Opening Policy applied 30 years ago. The rapid industrialization and urbanization of China is changing the rural areas cosmically. Economic problems such as the falling of agricultural industry, the single structure of industry and employment and the large amount laborers′ shift in rural areas superimpose on those social and environmental problems, i.e. the widened gap between urban and rural areas, the worsened rural environment, the "hollow countryside" and the weakened agricultural labor force. China needs to share the experience of different countries?rural development, and France has rich experience on this aspect. In order to promote international cooperation and exchange in this field, China-France International Symposium on Rural Construction and Development will be convened on September 23-24, 2007 in Beijing, China. The primary goal of the Symposium will be to share and promote new scientific findings from a range of disciplines that advance rural construction and development.

Symposium Topics

(1) Progress in the theory and research methods on rural development.

(2) Implications of the rejuvenation program of French countryside for new countryside construction in China.

(3) Progress and prospect of China′s rural geography research.

(4) The new countryside construction patterns and approach to sustainable development in China.

(5) Comparative research on the case studies of China-France rural construction and development.

Attachment:

China–France International Symposium on Rural Construction and Development.doc

Registration Form.doc