The Society aims to promote and encourage the advancement of scientific knowledge and research in all aspects of nephrology, and to promote the exchange and dissemination of this knowledge in the Asia-Pacific area. With these objectives in mind, TSN has established 11 committees which are responsible for the Society’s most important programs and activities. The Society’s principal activities include the following:  Hold Meetings of the General assembly once every year for medical conferences and annual business reports; three regional conferences for basic and clinical research to be held separately in north, south, and central Taiwan.  Publish two quarterly journals: (1) the Acta Nephrologica, the official TSN journal, which publishes reviews and papers describing original research concerned with clinical and experimental aspects of nephrology. Its predecessor is the " Society of Nephrology of the Republic of China”, which was published monthly; (2) “Kidney and Dialysis”, aimed at providing continuing medical education in nephrology.  Every year since 1986: “Hemodialysis training courses” for physicians, nurses and medical technicians.  Since 1990: biennial courses in Peritoneal Dialysis Training” for nurses; annual courses since 2005.  Since 2001: peritoneal dialysis training classes every year exclusively for physicians  Since 2006: Chronic kidney disease prevention and control training courses to provide a reference for Taiwan health care professionals in order to establish uniform service bench marks and to increase public understanding of kidney disease and promote kidney health care  Continuing Medical Education courses for nurses are regularly held several tines every year simultaneously in north, central and south Taiwan to keep renal nurses aware of the most current knowledge in nephrology health care.  Since 1995, annual lecture tours have also been conducted in eastern Taiwan, the more remote part of the main island of Taiwan. Since 2002, TSN has also conducted Continuing Medical Education courses for Taiwan’s more remote and far-flung islands.  To promote and improve chronic kidney disease prevention and control, TSN has worked together with the National Health Insurance (NHI) to establish kidney health counseling and promotion agencies to increase public awareness and education, and to decrease the prevalence of end-stage renal disease.  Every year since 2005, TSN has organized activities for World Kidney Day, which is celebrated annually worldwide on the second Thursday of March .  To assure quality care in dialysis centers and institutions, TSN regularly conducts on the spot evaluations and accreditations of all dialysis centers and hospitals nationwide.  Since the year 2000, the NHI has implemented the “global budget payment scheme” system and in 2003, the payments budgets for dialysis clinics and hospitals have been lumped together. Reforms in medical policies have also triggered changes in the delivery of medical care. All these years, TSN has diligently strived to protect the interests of the Society’s members and maintain quality medical care for patients with renal problems.