On the evening of September 23, 2021(GMT+8), the Opening Ceremony for " Ministerial Workshop on Urban Planning and Construction for Developing Countries" hosted by Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) was held online. Ms. Shen Weilai, Deputy Director of Division of Foreign Economic Cooperation of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Mr. Chen Wei, Executive Vice Dean of the College of International Education of our university attended the opening ceremony.
(Main Site of the Online Opening Ceremony)
Ms. Shen Weilai pointed out that, the state of urban planning and construction is an important support for the level of urban civilization and development. It is the material condition for the coordinated development of urban economy and society. It plays an important role in improving the ecological environment of human settlements, enhancing the overall carrying capacity of the city and improving the efficiency of urban operation. She hopes that taking the opportunity of the Workshop, all participants can further know the achievements of Shanghai’s reform and opening up, learn about the reform, innovation and development of Chinese Urban Planning and Construction, especially those based in Shanghai, share and exchange experience and ideas in this field, and further enhance the exchanges and cooperation between relevant institutions of various countries.
Mr. Chen Wei said that our university has made adequate arrangements based on the needs of the participants from different countries and regions. Besides, virtual display, expert explanation, and Q&A with discussion will be set in a progressive way to share Chinese practical experience and research achievements in the fields of interpretation of shanghai 2035 urban planning, sustainable development of urban housing system, and so on. Therefore, all participants can share advanced experience, discuss the bottlenecks and challenges occurring in this field, and jointly cope with the new environment and new challenges.
(Online Photo of the Ceremony)
Mr. Allieu Bakarr-Conteh, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and social security from Sierra Leone, delivered a speech on behalf of all the participants. He said that cities are connected to surrounding regions with which they share resources and opportunities. A territorial perspective to the management of cities and their surrounding regions help to create jobs, develop economies of scale and balance demands for growth with the need to protect ecological assets. Developing countries are facing quite a few challenges in urban planning and construction and the governments are taking different measures. He believes that this Workshop will provide important support for the policy planning of sustainable urban development in developing countries.
(Speech by Mr. Allieu Bakarr-Conteh)
The Workshop lasts for 7 days, 66 government officials from 11 countries have participated, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Philippines, Morocco, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia.
Written by: Guan Rui
Photographed by: Shi Xiaomei
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
