HONOLULU?-- A group of scholars, officials, educators and business leaders from more than 20 areas all over Asia, the Pacific and the US will gather at Peking University in Beijing from September 1 to 3 for an East-West Center international conference on the theme of "Community Building and Leadership in Asia Pacific."

The conference will feature more than 75 substantive presentations and panels on current regional topics, including international relations, economics, environment, education, arts and culture, health, and much more.

The Honorable Hao Ping, an East-West Center alumnus and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China, will offer a welcoming address at the conference's opening ceremony, and the Honorable Gary Locke, United States Ambassador to the PRC, will give a keynote address.

The conference is being jointly held by the East-West Center, an internationally recognized education and research institution headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the East-West Center Association, the organization that represents the Center's more than 60,000 alumni throughout Asia, the Pacific and the US?- including several heads of state and numerous other government officials, as well as leaders of education, NGOs, media and business.

Since the East-West Center was established in 1960, more than 4,000 Chinese research specialists, graduate students and professionals in government, business, journalism and the arts have participated in the Center's programs.

In addition to degree fellowships offered in partnership with the University of Hawaii, EWC's collaborative research, study, training and international dialogue programs include the China-US Journalists Exchange, China Protected Areas Leadership Alliance Project, the Asian Studies Development Program's summer China Field Seminar and many others.

The East-West Center alumni chapter in Beijing has been instrumental in helping to organize and prepare for the conference, as has the Center's event partner, Peking University.