The 22nd congress of the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA) opened at the University of Macao in south China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday.

Hailed as "the Olympics in the field of the comparative literature," the event attracts more than 1,200 experts and scholars from nearly 50 countries and regions, including China, Germany, Russia, the United States, South Korea and Britain.

The five-day event, which focuses on the theme of "Literature of the World and the Future of Comparative Literature," includes seven conference reports, 15 sub-forums and over 30 roundtables.

This year's congress is co-organized by the ICLA, the Comparative Literature Association of China, the University of Macao, the University of Shenzhen and the University of Saint Joseph. Several academic activities will also take place in Macao and Shenzhen. 

Delegates of several national comparative literature associations from France, Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Germany and South Korea, also attended the congress.

Many renowned researchers in comparative literature were invited to share their latest achievements in keynote speeches, including Prof. Haun Saussy from the University of Chicago, Prof. Zhang Longxi from the City University of Hong Kong, and Prof. Zhu Shoutong from the University of Macao.

The congress also invited some students and early-career scholars, including Zhao Ruofan, the youngest participant at the congress.

The Chinese student, who is in her second year of senior high school, would discuss Joseph Conrad and his anti-colonialism discourse.

Founded in 1955 in Italy, the ICLA aims at encouraging exchange and cooperation among comparatists. It organizes a world congress every three years.

The congress is scheduled to run through August 2.

(With input from Xinhua)