There is no better time to visit China and no better way to be introduced to this 5000 year old country than by coming to the ISPA Colloquium, July 15-20, 2006, taking place in Hangzhou, a thriving metropolis just south of Shanghai. Hangzhou is the silk capital of China and boasts of the most beautiful West Lake in the country. Indeed, Marco Polo was right when he coined the phrase "Hangzhou is paradise on earth". We welcome you to come to see for yourself.
The co-chairs (Hongwu Zhou and Hongfei Yang) and the Local Organizing Committee have put together a program that is sure to tempt you to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip to China. Besides meeting friends from many foreign countries, taking unique tours, and shopping for novel items not found at home, you will hear the latest innovations related to "Mental Health and Education: Students, Teachers and Parents". Our keynote speakers are Professor Martin from Australia, Dr. Miezitis from Canada, Professor Chen from Hong Kong, and Professor Shen from China. We are offering three workshops ranging from »Developments in Dynamic Assessment« to »Classroom Solutions (Working With What Works)« to »Developing Comprehensive and Culture Specific Mental Health Programs«. We know that the program will offer you a matchless opportunity to exchange ideas and gain important and useful information regarding the mental health field, a field which perhaps has been neglected in the training and daily professional practice of School Psychology.
The Leadership Workshop for committee chairs and national affiliate representatives is one of the wheels that keeps ISPA growing internationally. There will be two General Assemblies during which policies and budgetary items are put forth to the membership and we do not want to forget mentioning the Interaction Groups where participants will make life-long professional friends through dialogue and debate about colloquium issues.
You should also know that the accommodations and meeting rooms are all within the Zhijiang Hotel/Conference Center. It is a hotel of the highest efficiency, up-todate comforts and benefits for our participants, a variety of good food, as well as very pleasant surroundings. If you have any foreboding about coming to China, put your concerns away because you will be totally surprised at the contemporary and western service and facilities that await you.
To close, we want to remind you that you can learn more about our colloquium by going to our website <www.ispaweb.org> and you can also email us at <ispa_china@163.com> Please join us here in China.
We guarantee that your professional, social and cultural experience will remain in your memory for a long time to come.

Welcome to Hangzhou A Colloquium in China
by Roger Chauvette Colloquium Coordinator

In the December 2005 issue of World-Go-Round, I stated that this would be the first colloquium to be held in Asia. I stand corrected! I was duly informed that a previous colloquium had been held in Jerusalem, Israel in 1980 and that Jerusalem is, in fact, on the Asian continent. So, this will be the second colloquium to be held on the Asian continent but the first to be held in the Far East.
The colloquium in China is beginning to shape up, and plans are clearly being made to provide participants with a well-balanced variety of keynote speakers, pre-colloquium workshop presenters, workshops during the colloquium, social programs, and pre-/post- colloquium tours. There will be something for everyone, both professionally and personally! Keynote speakers, pre-colloquium workshop presenters, and at least one workshop presenter have committed to present at this time.
The colloquium theme, Mental health and education: children, parents, and teachers, is very relevant to all that we do within the schools. It provides the very basis of our everyday functioning and encompasses at least, in part, what school psychologists are concerned with on a day-to-day
basis.
In the last issue of the World-Go-Round, I indicated those speakers who had agreed to present either as keynote speakers or workshop presenters. It is my understanding, at this time, that there will be additional workshops that will be offered during the colloquium and will feature presenters
from China and Hong Kong.
The colloquium in China will be an opportunity for those who have never visited China to experience a culture that is thousands of years old, to visit some of its many cultural and historic sites and, to enjoy its natural beauty. The colloquium site itself, Hangzhou, is, from my readings, one of the most important tourist areas in China and affords one easy access to many museums, temples, teahouses, shopping venues, etc. The Zhijiang Hotel, the site of the colloquium, is a modern western style hotel with all the amenities.
The Second Circular and Registration Form is completed and is already on the ISPA website (www.ispaweb.org). In addition, the pre-/post-colloquium tours and registration are online as well. The Chinese LOC Chairs (Hongwu Zhou and Hongfei Yang) have recently informed me that those who had requested a copy of the Second Circular when they were in Greece by completing the request form or have requested it through the colloquium address (www.ispa_china@163.com) will receive it shortly via email. All others will receive copies via regular mailing.

Questions and Answers on Bird Flu and the Risk of Travel to China
By Will Hueston, DVM, PhD

Note from Peg Dawson: The following article was written by a good friend of mine who happens to be an international expert on animal diseases. I asked him to address the concerns that people might have regarding this summer's colloquium in China and what risks there might be for people considering travel to the colloquium.
Will Hueston is a veterinary epidemiologist who specializes in studying diseases transmitted between people and animals. He has both a veterinary degree (DVM) and a PhD and is board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Currently he is a professor in the School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety. Dr. Hueston is an internationally recognized expert on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), food safety and risk communication. He
frequently consults with professional groups and government agencies on practical disease prevention strategies and dealing with newly emerging diseases. Dr. Hueston adapted the current advice of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to answer the following questions relevant to our upcoming meeting in China.

Given that there have been some deaths from avian flu in southeast Asia, is it safe to travel to China?
Yes, you can avoid avian flu as long as you take some simple precautions to avoid contact with poultry and poultry feces. The current H5N1 influenza circulating in Southeast Asia is a disease of poultry and wild birds. Human cases of the current bird flu are the rare exception. Though more than 100 human cases have occurred in the current outbreak, this is a small number compared with the huge number of birds affected and the numerous associated opportunities for human exposure throughout Southeast Asia, especially in areas where backyard flocks are common. It is not presently understood why some people, and not others, become infected following similar exposures.

Is there any way of predicting whether it will be safe to travel toChina in July?
No, no one can predict the future with any certainty. As a general practice, checking the CDC website for traveler’s advice http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ provides an excellent update on current disease conditions along with practical tips for making your trip as safe as possible.
What is the likelihood that an avian flu pandemic will break out in the next 6-8 months?
Relatively small, but not zero. The longer that this form of bird flu continues to spread in poultry and wild waterfowl, the greater the likelihood of a mutation to create a new human pandemic influenza.

Are there precautions people should take while in China to avoid contracting avian flu?
Yes. Avoid direct contact with poultry and poultry feces. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or periurban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play. Exposure is considered most likely during slaughter, defeathering, butchering, and preparation of poultry for cooking.

Is it safe to eat poultry and poultry products?
Yes, avian influenza is not transmitted through cooked food. The H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat. Normal temperatures used for cooking (70oC in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. To date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even when these foods were contaminated with the H5N1 virus. In areas experiencing the disease consumers need to be sure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked (no "pink" parts) and that eggs, too, are properly cooked (no "runny" yolks).