BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- University presidents and heads of Confucius Institutes from more than 110 countries are expected to gather in Beijing this weekend to exchange ideas at a conference.

Case-study forums and book exhibitions will be held during the 8th conference of Confucius Institutes from Saturday, the organization's headquarters announced on Thursday.

More than 2,200 attendees from over 400 Confucius Institutes, as well as representatives from Chinese universities, will attend the two-day conference, according to the headquarters.

Individuals and institutes will be honored at an opening ceremony.

The Confucius Institute and Confucius Classrooms, both named after the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, serve as non-profit public institutions aimed at promoting Chinese language and culture in foreign countries.

Some 400 institutes and over 500 classrooms are in operation worldwide, which received about 655,000 registered students in 108 countries and regions in 2012, according to figures from the headquarters.