Dear Colleagues,

The 7th Asia-Pacific Problem-Based Learning Conference will be held in July, 2008 in Shenyang, China. On behalf of China Medical University, it is my great pleasure to invite you to attend this conference.

Currently, an obvious international trend in medical education is to emphasize reforms in teaching methods along wth optimization of teaching courses, among which problem-based learning (PBL) teaching method attracts most attention. The core spirit of PBL is to cultivate constructive thinking, problem-solving skills, ability of self-study and lifelong learning in students. PBL is not just a new method of education, it is a new concept leading to lifelong learning. The theme of the 2008 conference is ¡°International Perspectives and Local Adaptations of PBL¡±. We believe it will provide you a broad platform of communication and exchange.

China Medical University has received millions of dollars from China Medical Board (CMB) for funding projects related to medical education since 1991. From CMB91-547 and 03-793 to 06-844, we have achieved fruitful results. For example, both the projects, ¡°The Clinical Item Bank¡± and ¡°The New Curriculum Reform¡±, were awarded as the first class national teaching achievement. 1998, we were one of the leading universities to reform the teaching method by adopting PBL in China. From 2004, we won the project CMB 03-793, established North China Center for Medical Education Development, initiated the PBL teaching method in a large scale and invested nearly 2 millions of RMB on the project in more than 30 courses involving 5000 students. The past four-year¡¯s reforms and experience with PBL teaching method built a solid foundation for us to achieve a successful conference.

Shenyang is a city with a long history and rich in culture. Back to more than 7,200 years ago, ancestors of the mankind lived and grew on this beautiful land, and created the ¡°Xinle culture¡±. By the time of Western Han Dynasty (about 200 B.C.), Shenyang already achieved certain scale and came to be known as Hou City. In 1625, Nurhach, the founding Emperor of Qing Dynasty, made Shenyang the capital of his empire. ¡°Xinle Relics¡±, ¡°One Palace Two Mausoleum¡±, Mansion of General Zhang Family (Zhangshi Shuaifu) are all the Witnesses of Shenyang¡¯s history. Today, Shenyang is becoming the financial, political and cultural center for northeast of China. It is no doubt that Shenyang will leave you a deep impression.

We would like to invite you to participate in the 2008 PBL conference and submit your papers for the presentation. We will try all of our effort to provide the best service to you.

We look forward to meeting you at the 7th Asia-Pacific Problem-Based Learning Conference.

Zhao Qun, M.D., Ph.D. President 7th Asia-Pacific Problem-Based Learning President, China Medical University