Officials from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the government of Tianjin municipality attend a press conference on Sept. 7 in Beijing to brief reporters on the detailed information of TWAS's 23rd General Meeting and 12th General Conference.

The 23rd General Meeting and 12th General Conference of TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, will be held September 18 to 21, 2012 in Tianjin, China, according to Chinese science officials at a news conference in Beijing.

This meeting is hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the government of Tianjin municipality, and will be the third time that China has hosted the TWAS General Meeting.

The four-day meeting, themed "Science and Sustainability," has drawn more than 400 scientists and science officials from 69 countries and regions, and will feature a series of symposia as well as presentations by TWAS prize winners, ranging from an in-depth look at the state of scientific innovation in developing countries to a close examination of what role science and technology can play in economic growth when the future global economy remains uncertain.

Nobel Prize winner Samuel Chao Chung Ting, among other reputed scientists, has been invited to attend the meeting to give a lecture. Meeting highlights will also include a forum convening presidents of academies of sciences from many countries, and this is the first time the meeting will include such a forum.

The 23rd meeting will elect a new committee for the organization over the next three years.

TWAS is an autonomous international organization based in Trieste, Italy. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in developing countries.