On the occasion of the successful convening of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Mr. Oumar Sylla, Director of the Africa Regional Office, UN-Habitat, sent a letter of appreciation to Dr. Wang Xingping, the council member of Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC), the member of the CAST UN Consultative Committee on Sustainable City, Community and Heritage, Professor from School of Architecture, Southeast University. In the letter, he expressed gratitude to Prof. Wang Xingping’s team for their active participation in organizing the inaugural Africa Urban Forum, conducting various fruitful and practical cooperations with UN-Habitat, and providing technical assistance for the Guideline for the Development and Planning of SEZs in Central Africa Region. He also hoped to strengthen further cooperation between UN-Habitat and the team in industrialization and sustainable urban development and planning.
It is reported that Prof. Wang's team went to Ethiopia from August 23 to September 6, 2024, to conduct several international cooperation and exchange activities and consolidate and expand cooperative relationships with relevant international organizations and Ethiopian institutions, with excellent results achieved.
Contributing to the organizing work of a series of academic seminars, including the Parallel Session in the inaugural Africa Urban Forum
From September 4 to 6, 2024, Prof. Wang's team was invited to attend the inaugural Africa Urban Forum jointly hosted by the African Union, UN-Habitat, and the Ethiopian federal government in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. During the forum, they jointly held a parallel session together with the Central Africa Sub-regional Office, UN-Habitat, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Addis Ababa University, Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals (ETTIM), African Union Commission, and the Economic Community for Central Africa States (ECCAS), with the theme of "Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Africa: A Pathway to Sustainable Urbanization and Industrialization."
In the parallel session, the delegates conducted multilateral dialogues on issues such as the challenges and opportunities faced by the development of SEZs in Africa, how SEZs affect land tenure security in Africa, land use planning, development and planning strategies of SEZs in Africa, and how to strengthen regional cooperation. Prof. Wang Xingping gave a thematic interpretation and keynote speech at the parallel session. In the keynote speech, Prof. Wang Xingping introduced the experience of development, planning, and construction of China's development zones, which attracted significant attention from the participants. H.E. Moussa Bala Fofana, Minister of Urban Planning, Housing and Sanitation of Senegal, Dr. Atkeyelsh Persson, Chief of Urbanization and Development Section, UNECA, Dr. Claude A. Ngomsi, Head of Central Africa Sub-regional Office, UN-Habitat, Prof. Tebarek Lika from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies of Addis Ababa University, Mr.Tsegaye Zekarlas Gurmu, deputy CEO of the Ethiopian Industrial Park Development Corporation (IPDC), Mr. Liu Wei, deputy general manager of the China Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group, Ltd.-Ethiopia Branch, Prof. Zhao Hu from Shandong Jianzhu University and Dr. Zhao Shengbo, Postdoctoral researcher from Southeast University, etc. participated in the dialogue and exchange. Participants had in-depth discussions on African industrial parks and urbanization and cooperation on industrial parks and urban planning between China and Africa, vigorously promoting the development model and planning technology of China's development zones to share with Africa.
During the Africa Urban Forum, Prof. Wang Xingping's team met with H.E. Amina Abdi Aden, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing of Djibouti, and H.E. Dieudonné Ndayikunda Dukundane, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing of Burundi who attended the forum. They had exchanges on urbanization transformation and industrial park development planning. In addition, Prof. Wang Xingping was interviewed by the Ethiopian News Agency at the venue. He answered reporters' questions and expressed relevant views on the impact of China-Africa cooperation on African social and economic development and the effect of Chinese investment on technology transfer and knowledge sharing. He was positively evaluated by all parties concerned.
Group photograph of the parallel session of the inaugural Africa Urban Forum titled "Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Africa: A Pathway to Sustainable Urbanization and Industrialization"
Group photograph of Prof.Wang Xingping’s team with H.E. Amina Abdi Aden, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing of Djibouti (fourth from left), and Dr. Claude A. Ngomsi, Head of Central Africa Sub-regional Office, UN-Habitat (third from left)
Conversation between Prof.Wang Xingping’s team and H.E. Dieudonné Ndayikunda Dukundane, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing of Burundi (third from left) during the Africa Urban Forum
The Ethiopian News Agency interviewed Prof. Wang Xingping
Earlier on September 3, Prof. Wang Xingping's team jointly organized the 5th Academic Seminar on China-Africa Industrialization, Urbanization and Urban-Rural Planning at Addis Ababa University in collaboration with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University, EiABC, Addis Ababa University and China Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group, Ltd.-Ethiopia Branch. As an essential bilateral seminar of the key projects of the National Social Science Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation undertaken by the team in cooperation with Addis Ababa University, this seminar centered around topics including mutual reference and cooperative research on China-Africa urbanization, industrialization and urban-rural planning, development planning of China-Africa cooperation industrial parks, and sustainable urbanization and industrialization in Ethiopia. Over 30 representatives from multiple bilateral governments, industry, academia, and research institutions in China and Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa University, IPDC, Southeast University, Shandong Jianzhu University, and the Ethiopian branch of China Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group Co., Ltd., participated in the seminar. They shared the latest academic achievements and cutting-edge practices and engaged in in-depth discussions.
Group photo of the 5th Academic Seminar on China-Africa Industrialization, Urbanization and Urban-Rural Planning
Exchanges and cooperation with international organizations
On August 30, Prof. Wang's team met with Mr. Oumar Sylla, Director of the Africa Regional Office, UN-Habitat in Addis Ababa. Prof. Wang systematically introduced to Mr. Oumar the various collaborations that the team has carried out with UN-Habitat in the fields of industrialization, urbanization, and urban-rural planning in recent years. The two sides discussed the main cooperation issues and cooperation plans shortly.
Group photo of Prof. Wang Xingping and Mr. Oumar Sylla, Director for the Africa Regional Office, UN-Habitat
On August 27, Prof. Wang’s team was invited to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa located in Addis Ababa. They held talks with the leaders and experts in the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division. Based on the existing cooperation foundation, the two sides discussed issues such as social transformation and development challenges in African countries during industrialization and urbanization. They discussed the cooperation models in aspects such as joint research, personnel exchanges, and consultation and discussion between the two sides in the future.
Group photo of Prof. Wang's team with officials from the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Consolidate and expand the cooperation network in Ethiopia
During their stay in Ethiopia, Prof. Wang's team paid return visits to cooperative institutes such as the Ethiopian Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, the National Construction Agency, the IPDC, and Addis Ababa University to communicate about various ongoing cooperation projects. Among them, at the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, State Minister H.E. Fenta Dejen received Prof. Wang's team and learned about the progress of cooperation between the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure and the team in aspects such as platform co-construction, personnel exchanges, and joint research. In addition, Prof. Wang's team also visited institutions such as the Capital City Planning Office, the Oromia Urban Planning Institute, and Sustainable Development Center at Addis Ababa University. They discussed potential cooperation fields and feasible cooperation models, expanding the cooperation network in Ethiopia.
During their stay in Ethiopia, the graduate students Lu Yufei and Gao Han, who are exchanging at Addis Ababa University sponsored by the National and Regional Research Talents Support Program of China Scholarship Council: "Research on Key Issues of Spatial Development and Planning of Countries along the Belt and Road" joined in all the activities. Prof. Wang had times of talk with Prof. Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies of Addis Ababa University on the joint cultivation and research progress of the students, carried out multiple institutional and resource connections and put forward specific academic guidance opinions, etc., ensuring the high-quality completion of the talent cultivation goals of the Program.
Group photo of Prof. Wang, H.E. Fenta Dejen (center), State Minister of Ethiopian Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, and Prof. Ephrem Gebremariam (right) from EiABC, Addis Ababa University
Conduct academic research activities
In addition to the above academic exchange activities, Prof. Wang's team carried out academic investigations during their stay in Ethiopia for the implementation of the NSFC program, the key program of the National Social Science Foundation, and the key think tank issues of Southeast University, etc.
The team visited several Chinese enterprises in Ethiopia to discuss and exchange ideas on the "going global" of Chinese construction enterprises and the high-quality development of construction projects; they conducted on-site inspection of typical China-Ethiopia production capacity cooperation projects, including industrial parks such as Eastern Industrial Park and Bole Lemi Industrial Park, as well as infrastructure projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, to understand the development of cooperation projects and their effects on local development and urbanization. They have also inspected multiple new urban construction projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises, such as the Aid to Ethiopia Riverside Green Development Project, the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, and the Capital Smart Street Light Project, and gained further understanding of Ethiopia's urbanization and urban development transformation, as well as China Ethiopia industrial parks and urbanization cooperation.
During their work in Ethiopia, Prof. Wang's team specially visited the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia. The Chief Counselor of the Embassy, Mr. Shen Qinmin, the Counselor of the Cultural Department, Ms. Zhang Yawei, and relevant officials, including Mr. Qin Xuebing and Mr. Yang Kaifeng, met with the team members. Prof. Wang reported to the embassy leaders on the achievements, next steps, and challenges of the team's cooperation with Ethiopia in significant areas such as joint research, talent cultivation, personnel exchange, joint teaching, and platform construction over the past decade. Mr. Shen Qinmin and others expressed their appreciation and high recognition of Prof Wang's team's long-term and effective cooperation with Ethiopia and provided guidance and suggestions for further collaboration in the future.
Professor Wang Xingping's team paid a visit to the prominent leaders of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia and had a discussion
The series of activities carried out in Ethiopia is an essential embodiment of the research team's active response to the Belt and Road Initiative, giving full play to the school's disciplinary advantages and characteristics and pragmatic promotion of the science and technology and education cooperation with the international partners especially in African countries. The activities have further consolidated and expanded the team's cooperation network and communication channels with relevant international organizations, African government departments, universities, enterprises, parks, etc.
Text: Zhao Shengbo
Image: Zhao Shengbo, Gao Han, Lu Yufei
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