In my capacity as the President of ARTDO International as well as the Chinese Society for Training and Development, it is both a pleasure and an honor to welcome you to attend the Thirty-Eighth ARTDO International Leadership and HRD Conference, which is to be held in Taipei, Taiwan from Nov. 20-23, 2011.

The conference theme will be Strategic Talent Management in the Era of Globalization. From Aristotle, who maintained that the application of talent was essential to happiness, to modern scholars of management, who have noted that the happiest staff is the most efficient staff, it is agreed that applying talent and creating happiness are essential to the creation of more effective and efficient workplaces. It is with such goals in mind that this conference will bring together top management professionals and scholars from around the globe to discuss the most up-to-date practices and research findings in the field of talent management. I have no doubt that the presentations at the conference will be both illuminating and stimulating, and offer constructive and in-depth views of a field that is of ever-increasing importance in the global marketplace for innovative products, ideas, and services.

The presentations are not the only attractions. Although the beautiful island of Taiwan stretches little more than 36,000 square kilometers in size, it is home to over 23 million people known for their industriousness and friendliness. Taiwan's information technology industry—most notably represented by its crystal wafer foundries, its IC design capabilities, and its laptop computers—plays an important role on the world stage, as do the island's  biotechnology and creative industries. At the island's heart is the dazzling city of Taipei, where one can enjoy a wide spectrum of sights and sounds: 24-hour bookstores, the lofty Taipei 101 Tower, the cultural treasures of the National Palace Museum, the myriad eateries of the Shihlin Night Market, the breathtaking scenery of the Yangmingshan National Park. In addition, the Hsinchu Science Park with great technological progress is also known far and wide.

Finally, 2011 will see the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, which will be celebrated with many colorful activities throughout the island.  With all of these opportunities in mind, I'm very much looking forward to seeing you at the 2011 ARTDO International Conference, where you will be able to experience an island that exemplifies the management maxims "small is beautiful" and "small and capable."

Sincerely yours,

President, ARTDO International    President, The Chinese Society for Training and Development    Vice Minister, Civil Service Protection and Training Commission