An Andean bear symposium held in the southern Andean region will draw participants from both within and outside South America.  This will address the interests and needs of all participants, including those working with wild bear populations and captive bears. Oral presenters will have to submit abstracts and, if chosen to present, will be expected to provide manuscripts of their presentations; summaries will be evaluated by the Proceedings Committee for scientific merit and relevance. 

The schedule will include plenary sessions for oral presentations in the morning and early afternoon each day, followed by concurrent workshops focused on topics of interest to different groups. Invited speakers will facilitate discussions and workshops. Possible workshop topics include: new methodologies in bear research, conservation of fragmented populations, new management practices for wild populations. Evenings will have open schedules to encourage informal communication among participants, and to foster new projects and alliances.