Forum is one of the most direct ways to explore the Expo theme and carry forward the spiritual heritage of the Expo.

World Expo 2010 Shanghai China will serve as a platform for the exchange and promotion of ideas, successful practices and technologies of "urban sustainable development" and discussion of practices and innovations in terms of urbanization, education and health care in rural areas of developing countries. This will include the forecast of challenges facing urban development and possible solutions.

Forums will be categorized into summit forums, theme forums and public forums.

Summit forums will host heads of government, mayors of major metropolises, international celebrities and decision-makers in business, academic and cultural fields and mainstream media, where the concept of urban development and the relationship between livable cities, globalization and sustainable development will be discussed from a macro perspective. The theme is "Challenges in Global Urbanization" and the estimated attendees will reach 300 to 350 persons.

Theme forums are more technical and instructive. Theme forums will gather elites from all walks of life, to explore the urban system, structure and way of management of a modern city from a meso perspective and generate a group of ideas by drawing on their expertise. Theme forums will be held at least once per month during Expo Shanghai.

Public forums are special open forums. The forum intends to discuss, from a micro perspective, detailed issues for urban development and improve the participation awareness of the public through various events. The forum will be held for 100 times before and during the Expo.

(Expo2010china.com)