As the chair of the organizing committee for the 8th International Silk Conference (ISC2013), I'd like to welcome you to attend ISC2013, which will be held on September 8-10 in Soochow University, Suzhou, P. R. China. Silk has a long history and profound cultures. The world culture, science and technology, as well as trade and economic are linked closely by a long "silk". It has an important influence on the world civilization, social development and technological progress. The modern science and technology has injected new vitality into the traditional silk. Meanwhile, the economic globalization has promoted the academic communication and collaborative development of the international textile and silk industry. Based on the success of the 7th International Silk Conference, for further reinforcing the communication and cooperation of the sericulture, silk and textile industry from all over the world, passing and developing on the silk civilization, exploiting and innovating new textile and silk technology, the 8th International Silk Conference (ISC 2013) will be held from September 8 to 10, 2013, in Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The theme of ISC 2013 is "Modern silk, Better life". Our objective is to establish an international platform for gathering the companies, academic institutions and professional organizations from the industrial chain of the sericulture, silk, textile, dyeing and finishing, as well as clothing, to investigate and exchange new information, technology and product, to promote innovation and development of the modern textile and silk industry. Suzhou, popularly called "the Paradise on Earth", as an ancient city with over 2,500 years of rich history. Now, it has been developed to a big and modern city. Here the characteristic "old Suzhou" can be still saw: paralleled with the river run the streets and near the river stand many buildings with white walls and black tiles, this scenery of 'streets before, rivers back' forms the unique pattern of 'small bridge, flowing water and people's housing'. Meanwhile, the "new Suzhou" highlighted by the high-tech and private enterprise industry group, and the "international Suzhou" based mainly on the China-Singapore cooperated Suzhou Industrial Park, that integrating the commerce, tourism, catering entertainment, and financial services as one commercial union, also exhibit different cultural atmospheres. All three styles existed in one Suzhou city are interconnection and complementary. Soochow University is a key comprehensive provincial university in Jiangsu Province and also one of China's top 100 universities under the "Project 211" directed by the Ministry of Education. Over the past 110 years, the university has sprang up numerous qualified talents, many of whom are famous scholars or prominent figures in various fields. It left an extremely important mark on Chinese higher education history, and made an important contribution to society progress and civilization development. On behalf of the organizing committee you are cordially invited to ISC2013, Suzhou. We are looking forward to see you on September 2013.