CityU and the Macao Urban Planning Institute organise symposium to explore Intensive Cooperation Zone development

Co-organised by the City University of Macau (CityU) and the Macao Urban Planning Institute (MUPI), various units of CityU, namely the Faculty of Innovation and Design (FIAD), the Macao Research Center for Chinese Culture, and the Research Centre for Macau Social and Economic Development, hosted the “Symposium on Challenges and Strategies for the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin” this morning at the Taipa campus. The symposium took a hybrid format gathered over a hundred live and online audiences from the mainland, Macao and Hong Kong in urban development and design to explore the challenges and strategies of adopting innovative cooperation models in the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Cooperation Zone).

Guests officiated the symposium included: Mr Cheong Chok Man, Director of the Macao SAR Government Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Mr Zhang Guoji, Acting Director of the Urban Planning and Construction Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Mr Mak Tat Io, Deputy Director of the Land and Urban Construction Bureau, Mr Chui Sai Peng, Chairman of MUPI, Mr Cheang Kun Wai, Secretary of the Member’s Assembly of MUPI, Mr Teng Kai On, President of the Board of Directors of MUPI, Prof Jun Liu, Rector of CityU, Prof Kong Fanqing, Vice-Rector of CityU, and Prof Ip Kuai Peng, Pro-Rector of CityU. Rector Liu and Chairman Chui delivered addressed at the event.

Rector Jun Liu

In his speech, Rector Liu expressed his heartfelt appreciation to MUPI for its support of the symposium and spoke of the significance of the introduction of the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin to the industrial and economic development of Macao. He said that CityU is committed to serving the Cooperation Zone and the Greater Bay Area with its featured academic offerings and research output in urban development to actively support the forming of a new regional cooperation model in the Cooperation Zone; and the University has also established a long-term and comprehensive partnership with MUPI to facilitate academic research, industry-academia-research collaboration and talent cultivation. As he introduced, FIAD is the only institution in Macao that offers master’s and doctoral degree programmes in urban planning and design and is a member of the Asian Planning Schools Association, fostering professionals with a solid foundation and expertise in urban planning design and urban management. Going forward, CityU will continue broadening the scope of the collaboration with MUPI to serve the sustainable development of the city.

Chairman Chui Sai Peng

In his speech, Chairman Chui said that the implementation of the Cooperation Zone and the organisation of its management committee opened a fast track to the development of the zone, which was planned, deployed and promoted by President Xi Jinping, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy. As a local association, MUPI hoped that discussions of high-interest topics such as social and economic development, public affairs management and urban space construction would be carried out in the symposium, and looking forward to hearing insights from industrial and academic elites. In addition, Chairman Chui said that MUPI will continue joining hands with CityU in promoting common topics related to urban development planning and design.

[foogallery id="45559"]

With theoretical research and empirical practice, experts delivered keynotes at the symposium to share their insights on the future development of the Cooperation Zone from the perspectives of social and economic development, public affairs management and urban area construction. They included Prof Ling Kar-Kan, former Director of the Planning Department of the HKSAR Government and Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Chair Professor Shen Guoqiang of the Zhejiang University, Deputy Dean Lai Shuang of the planning and design branch of the Zhuhai Institute of Urban Planning and Design and Deputy Director Chen Jingyi from the same department, Researcher Wu Xin of the Hengqin Institute of Innovation and Development of Zhuhai, Researcher Chu Ying-Chia of the Macau Development Strategy Research Centre, Prof Cai Yunnan of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Guangdong University of Technology, and Associate Professor Zhou Long of CityU.

Source: Faculty of Innovation and Design, Macao Urban Planning Institute