The Institute of Barley and Malt Science, a center based in the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, is co-sponsoring a China and United States symposium on barley, malt and brewing. The symposium is scheduled for Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, April 27-29.

"This symposium offers a great opportunity for the exchange of information," says Paul Schwarz, institute director. "The Chinese beer market is perhaps the most dynamic in the world. China surpassed the U.S. to become the world's largest producer of beer in 2002 and of malt in 2006."

North Dakota leads the U.S. in the production of malting barley.

Speakers from the United States include Greg Casey, Miller-Coors Brewing; Rich Horsley, NDSU; Schwarz; and Xiang Yin, Cargill Malt.

"The general theme of the symposium focuses on the influence of raw materials on final beer quality," Schwarz says. "Topics cover many aspects of the barley-to-beer chain and include breeding, scientific/technical advances and food safety."

The symposium is supported through registration fees. More than 50 people have registered. Additional sponsors are the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the School of Biotechnology at Jiangnan University.