Book Series on the Belt and Road Industrial Park Research published in Nanjing

On July 13, 2019, the 3rd Academic Seminar on China-Africa Industrialization, Urbanization and Urban & Rural Planning sponsored by the School of Architecture at Southeast University was held in Sipailou Campus of Southeast University. The seminar mainly focused on book series on the Belt and Road Industrial Park Research and the theme of China-Africa industrialization, urbanization and urban & rural planning. Experts and scholars from different disciplines, industries, and countries exchanged ideas and had discussions at the seminar. The attendees invited to the seminar included experts from industrial organizations like United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Jiangsu Society of Urban Economics, from government sectors like Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce, the Federation of Jiangsu Returned Overseas Chinese, and Nanjing Youth Federation, from universities and research institutes like Nanjing University and University of Johannesburg, from enterprises investing in Africa like China Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group, LTD(CJI), from partner institutions of National Key R&D Program including Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, China Architecture Design & Research Group, Jiangsu Institute of Urban Planning and Design, and SCP Consultants Pte Ltd (SCP) of Singapore, as well as media representatives from Xinhua News Agency (Nanjing Branch), Urbanization Magazine, Phoenix City Magazine and others. The opening ceremony of the seminar was chaired by Professor Wang Xingping, School of Architecture, Southeast University.

The 3rd Academic Seminar of China-Africa Industrialization, Urbanization and Urban & Rural Planning 

Source: School of Architecture, Southeast University

In the opening ceremony, Professor Ge Ming, deputy dean of the School of Architecture at Southeast University, delivered a welcome speech. He congratulated the achievements of the book series on the Belt and Road industrial park research and welcomed the arrival of experts, scholars and media representatives. Taking this seminar as an opportunity, he hoped to promote the exchanges between all parties involved, strengthen further communication and cooperation, and jointly promote the in-depth development of research work on the Belt and Road industrial parks. He proposed the establishment of an international industry-university-research cooperation research center on sustainable industrial park development and planning to promote in-depth cooperation in related fields. This initiative was highly recognized and responded by Chinese and foreign experts and relevant provincial and municipal departments in the seminar.

At the subsequent press conference of the book series on the Belt and Road industrial park research, Professor Wang Xingping, the leader of the National Key R&D Program and the editor-in-chief of the book Series, introduced the book Series and presented books to the participants. Dr. Edlam Abera Yemeru, Chief of the Urbanization Section, of the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division at UNECA (currently the Director of the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division at UNECA), Prof.Cui Gonghao, Honorary Director of the Urban Planning Society of China, Mr. Lu Jian, Director of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Division at Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, Mr. Zhang Bin, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Nanjing Municipal Government, Prof. Zhang Zhenke, Director of the Institute of African Studies at Nanjing University and other representatives of experts and scholars respectively congratulated the official release and highly affirmed the research value and guiding significance of the Research Series.

Dr.Edlam Abera Yemeru believed that the book series provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of the development status of industrial parks along the Belt and Road and is of great significance for research on the development of industrial parks in African countries. Prof. Cui Gonghao believed that the planning and development of China’s industrial parks is an important experience in the development of China’s urbanization and industrialization, and the book series focusing on the Belt and Road industrial parks is of great significance to the promotion of China’s experience to the world. Mr. Lu Jian believed that industrial parks, as a new model of China's international cooperation, are important carriers for undertaking production capacity cooperation, and the book series has an important guiding role in the development of China's cooperation industrial parks along the Belt and Road and the work of government and enterprises.

The Belt and Road Industrial Park research series  Source: School of Architecture, Southeast University

After the press conference, Dr. Edlam Abera Yemeru from UNECA, Professor Tegegne from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, Dr. Aurobindo, lecturer from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and young scholars from Southeast University respectively gave academic presentations on the theme of China-Africa industrialization, urbanization and urban & rural planning, and discussed the achievements and challenges faced by China and Africa in the development of industrialization, urbanization and industrial parks from different perspectives. On the basis of the previous two sessions, further discussions on the challenges faced by Africa’s industrialization, urbanization and urban-rural planning were conducted in the seminar, and the participants have also reached consensus on China-Africa cooperation in the guidelines for sustainable industrial parks in Africa, jointly holding a high-level forum on African urbanization, and personnel exchanges and visits.

Source：<https://www.sohu.com/a/327260031_290858>

Translated by Zhao Shengbo