The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) announced Wednesday that it will organize its annual academic conference from Aug. 20 to 23 in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Xu Shanyan, vice CAST president, said at a press conference that more than 5,000 participants nationwide, including 150 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, are expected to attend the meeting and discuss inter-disciplinary and frontier areas of science and technology.

Meanwhile, Xu said, scientists and technologists are encouraged to provide suggestions to Xinjiang, a border region, for its social and economic development.

Xu also said his association will grant awards for outstanding Chinese scientists and technologists.

A total of 16 well-known scientists have been invited for plenary lectures. Fifty-one session meetings will be held for further discussions on advanced science and technology issues.

The CAST kicked off the annual academic conference in 1999.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2005)