On the afternoon of June 5th, the opening ceremony of the Seminar on Mauritania Urban Planning and Construction was successfully held. The program is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) and hosted by the MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) of the Shanghai Business School (SBS). Liu Bin, Dean of the College of International Education of SBS and Director of the MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai), and Tao Li, a representative expert and Associate Professor at the School of Management, Shanghai University, attended the ceremony.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Mauritania 60 years ago, the two countries have maintained sincere friendship and mutual support. With increasingly close high-level exchanges, results-oriented cooperation between the two countries has been deepened, and the construction of a community with a shared future has steadily progressed. In the field of urban construction, the two sides have implemented a series of projects benefiting the people. The Sino-Mauritania Friendship Overpass, a signature project completed in May of this year, vividly embodies the friendship between the two countries in pursuing common development and plays a robust role in promoting both "hard connectivity" and "people-to-people connectivity" in infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the Seminar on Mauritania Urban Planning and Construction holds great significance for promoting global cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
Dean Liu Bin stressed that Shanghai, the site of the seminar, has accumulated rich practical experience and solutions in the construction of a modern transportation system, the development of sustainable new towns, the protection and renewal of distinct historical features, smart city management, and resilient infrastructure construction. She expressed her hope that participants would not only gain professional knowledge and skills through the program but also experience China's development firsthand, appreciate the unique charm of Chinese culture, and understand China's concepts and practices in advancing modernization, becoming a positive force in promoting deeper mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Mauritania in a wider range of areas.
Tao Li noted that urban planning and construction is a complex and systematic undertaking. It requires a comprehensive consideration of various factors such as the city's natural environment, historical culture, economic development, and social needs to develop planning schemes that are both in line with urban development laws and possess unique characteristics. In this regard, the expert team has carefully prepared special lectures and in-depth discussion sessions to comprehensively introduce China's scientific research achievements and practical experience in urban planning and construction.
Mr. Abderrahmane Mohamed El Moctar, the participant representative and technical advisor to the Mauritanian Ministry of Housing, Urban Planning, and Land Management, stated in his speech that the cooperation between the two countries is extensive, and many flagship projects have been completed under the framework of bilateral cooperation. He spoke highly of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and believed that this seminar would provide innovative solutions for the two countries to jointly deal with challenges in urban planning, sustainable urban development, and improving residents' quality of life.
This seminar lasts 21 days with 24 participants from various departments, including the Mauritanian Ministry of Housing, Urban Planning, and Land Management, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism. The program will feature special lectures by renowned experts and scholars from Tongji University, Shanghai Global Spatial Planning and Research Institute, etc. There will be visits to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, ECADI, etc. Furthermore, participants will conduct field trips in Chengdu and Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, visiting the Herrel Environmental Protection Science and Education Base, Sichuan Development Shanghai Keolis Public Transport Operation Management Co., Ltd., and M-TR Vehicle Base.
Written by: Guan Rui
Photographed by: Li Zheng
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
