A memorandum of the establishment of International Alliance of Museum Directors, for which the secretariat will be set up in Nanjing, is signed at the forum's opening on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As more Chinese cities are quickly urbanized, museums play an increasingly important role in furthering people's education, rather than simply standing as enchanting buildings beautifying cityscapes.

How museums can further diversify urbanites' intellectual lives is at the center of a discussion in Nanjing attended by directors of museums from around the world.

The International Forum of Museum Directors, running from Saturday to Tuesday, team up heads of leading museums in major Chinese cities and countries including the United States, Canada and France, who will discuss measures taken by museums to meet visitors' diversifying needs in a globalized, digital world.