More than 130 scholars from China and abroad are holding dialogues in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, at the third Nishan Forum on World Civilizations that began on Tuesday.

"At this forum we will discuss whether common human ethics can be built amid different beliefs," Xu Jialu, president of the forum management committee, said at the first high-level dialogue, in which he discussed the topic of "responsibility for civilized dialogue" with Frederick William Engdahl, the author of Target China.

The opening ceremony for the forum was held at Shandong University on Tuesday.

"The Nishan Forum has gradually gained importance and influence as an international platform for cultural dialogue and intellectual exchange," Hans d'Orville, assistant director-general for strategic planning for UNESCO, said in his speech.

"From 'diversity' and 'harmony', two key words of its previous editions, the Forum is now putting the emphasis on 'common ethics', a theme that is gaining importance in national and international debates as the globalization process creates new interrogations and challenges for decision-makers and citizens alike," d'Orville said.

The UNESCO official said it is important to meet in the cradle of Confucianism to turn to ancient wisdom for innovative answers to the problems of modern society.

"We hope the forum could be a platform for promoting mutual communication and understanding among different cultures," Zhang Rong, president of Shandong University and the vice-president of the forum management committee, said at the forum's opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony featured symphony orchestras — Ode to Confucius and Nishan Noel.

The biennial Nishan Forum was initiated by Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the ninth and 10th National People's Congress, with the first held in Nishan, Qufu city, the hometown of Confucius, in 2010.

The forum aims to serve as a platform for enhancing cultural communication among diverse civilizations and to promote the course of building a harmonious world.

Ceremonies to commemorate Confucius will be held in Nishan on Thursday.