The development and utilization of mineral resources is frequently accompanied by work safety accidents, which leads to heavy casualties and property loss. In the past decade, as mining is going to the deeper earth, coal and rock dynamic hazards and their compound hazards, particularly rock burst and coal and gas outburst, have become even worse. Difficulties in their prevention and control are ever-increasing. Pneumoconiosis in coal mines is severe. Every year, deaths from such disease far surpass those from work safety accidents. This poses a dire threat to the sustainable development of mines. Noticeably, mine safety-related information construction is relatively lagging behind, resulting in a great number of mine hazards and worsened mining environment. Consequently, devastating mine accidents tend to rise. At such backdrop, a series of international academic conferences, namely, International Symposium on Mines Safety Science and Engineering (ISMSSE), had been held successfully since 2011. Now the symposium has evolved into a grand international gathering that covers mine safety science theory, technology and engineering practice. It is held bi-annually, so far, three symposiums were held in Beijing and Montreal, gaining international recognition. In 2017, Prof. Xueqiu He and Prof. Hani Mitri together initiated International Committee on Mine Safety Science and Engineering (ISMSSE), serving to promote the symposium development and the exchange among international counterparts. The Fourth International Symposium on Mine Safety Science and Engineering (ISMSSE 2018) is hosted by University of Science and Technology Beijing. The event will focus on such themes as mine safety science theory, mine environment safety, mine dynamic disasters, coal mine gas, mine emergency rescue, mine occupational health, mine safety management and safety behavior, mine safety information technology and mine equipment safety. Four venues will include Mine Safety Science and Emergency Rescue, Mine Dynamic Hazards, Coal Mine Gas and Outburst, and Mine Occupational Health and Environmental Safety. The symposium will arrange 4 plenary lectures, 44 invited presentations and 102 paper presentations. 25 excellent paper awards will be selected, and 100 papers will be recommended to related journals for publication. The symposium will serve as a bridge for global mine players to exchange mine safety science theory, technology and engineering practice, and enhance the interactions among the government, enterprises and academic circle.