One of the important academic activities of the 2008 International Materials Conference--- 3rd International Symposium on Magnesium Symposium lasted four days, was closed in Chongqing International Convention & Exhibition Center on June 12. The conference received a total of over 360 papers around the world. More than 200 papers were passed the peer review by the relevant experts. More than 160 experts and scholars of magnesium alloy from the United States, Germany, Japan, Korea, Australia, France, Canada, Turkey, China and other countries attended the meeting.

The conference was co-organized by Chongqing University, General Motors Corp., USA and Germany GKSS Research Center, which was also strong support of the Materials Research Society (MRS) of United States, the Materials Research Society (C-MRS) of China and the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) of United States. Dr. Alan of General Motors R&D Center, Prof. Pan Fusheng of National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys and Prof. Kainer of GKSS Research Center served as the chairman of the meeting. In addition, Prof. Pan Fusheng, Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys, served as the conference chairman of the academic committee. Prof. Long Siyuan served as the general secretary of the conference.

During the meeting, the organizers held a forum of international cooperation in the basic research of magnesium alloys, and discussed the mode and approach of cooperation in the basic research of magnesium alloys. They gave some suggestion about the key areas of cooperation contents. Furthermore, the POSTER assessment committee of the meeting, composed by Prof. Han Enhou of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Shin, Vice chairman of the Korea Materials Society and Prof. Kamado, Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan, decided one poster served as the first prize, two posters served as the second prize and six posters served as the third prize. Finally, Prof. Kainer of GKSS Research Center gave a summary of the meeting. He said that the 3rd International Symposium on Magnesium Symposium reached the intended target, and achieved good results.

Prof. Liu Qing, Prof. Ding Peidao, Prof. Peng Xiaodong, Prof. Zhang Dingfei etc. of the National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys, served as the chair of chapter meeting, presided over the meeting. The core members of magnesium center took part in this conference, and some of them gave the keynote report.