Foreword

The Institute for Theoretical Computer Science (ITCS) at Tsinghua University was established in January 2007, with a mission to foster first-rate scientific research and to nurture young talents in theoretical computer science. To help accomplish this mission, ITCS has launched two unique series of conferences. The China Theory Week series is meant to be a yearly forum for top graduate students all over the world to present their work and interact with each other. The first two of the series, China Theory Week 2007 and China Theory Week 2008, were resounding successes.

The China Symposium on Theoretical Computer Science series invites leading scientists to present their latest findings in the scientific frontiers, and to help educate our students. Each year the symposium will choose a special focus. In October 12-17, 2008, the first of this series will take place in Tsinghua University, with a focus on "Nurturing Science Talents in China." ITCS has invited twenty internationally famous leading scholars to lecture on exciting research results, and to participate in an open forum on the subject of "Nurturing Science Talents in China" to exchange ideas on how to best accomplish this goal.

The twenty speakers of this October symposium constitute the new Chair Professor Team of ITCS. The First China Symposium on Theoretical Compute Science serves as the occasion for their inauguration. I thank them from the bottom of heart for taking time off their busy schedule to accommodate our invitation. I also would like to thank the funding agencies for their generous support of the symposium.

Andrew Chi-Chih Yao

General Chair

CSTCS 2008