From Nov.20 to Nov.23, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Delegation visited School of Public Administration (SPA) of South China University of Technology (SCUT). On the morning of November 20,GZ Urban Administration Research Consortium, sponsored by GZ Commission of Urban Administration and hosted by School of Public Administration, was held in Liwu Building of Science and Technology. Dean Prof. WU Kechang of SPA presided over the ceremony. PENG Xinyi, Vice President of SCUT, attended and addressed the ceremony. Dean Prof. Theo Toonen of TPM, as a new comer, signed a contract to join GZ Urban Administration Research Consortium, together with the heads of five institutions including Party School of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of CPC and Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences. Prof. Margot Weijnen and Vice Prof. Martin de Jong from TU Delft, representatives from School of Public Administration, SCUT and other institutions were also present. In the signing ceremony, the director of GZ Commission of Urban Administration Wei Weihan expressed his hope that the commission will be able to give a boost to the urban administration, such as institutional reform of, garbage classification and other aspects. Prof. Theo Toonen said that Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) would provide Guangzhou with policy support for the garbage classification. Seeking for helpful advice from think-tanks of universities at home and abroad, GZ Commission of Urban Administration stated that TU Delft has laid a solid foundation in the area of urban administration and GZ Urban Administration is delighted to learn more ideas in the field of urban management from foreign universities.
From Nov. 21 to Nov. 21, The 5th Seminar on Sino-Dutch Urban Systems and Environment (USE) themed as “Complex Urban Systems & Integrated Solutions” was held in SCUT, in which the SPA leaders, teachers and students participated actively. Dean Prof. WU Kechang attended the Board Meeting of SCUT-TU Delft Joint Research Center on USE. Doctor YU Feng made an academic report entitled Manipulated Instrument for Scale Politics in Regional Policy Evaluation Design: A Case Study of GZ. In addition, several teachers and students took part in the relevant Seminar Session of SCUT-TU Delft Workshop, such as the discussion of Integrated Spatial Planning, Design and Governance in Delta Regions.
On the afternoon of Nov. 22, Dean Theo Toonen visited SPA and delivered a speech entitledFederalism, Unitarianism and Multi-level Governance: Lessons from a Comparative Perspective. FAN Xu, Vice President of SP, Ms. Mario Francesch from City University from Hong Kong, teacher and student representatives were presented at the speech. Through displaying a chart, Prof. Toonen introduced various government systems including federalism, Unitarianism and Multi-level Governance. Then he illustrated experiences by comparing the practical cases of German, France and Britains. In the end Prof. Toonen answered students’ questions carefully at the Q&A section. At the end of the activity, Vice President FAN Xv made a conclusion and presented a gift to Prof. Toonen.
On the afternoon of Nov. 23, Dean Prof. Wu Kechang accompanied Dean Theo Toonen and Vice Prof. Martin de Jong to visit to Guangdong Provincial Department of Transports, aiming to improve the cooperation between two universities and jointly participate in the construction of the Silk Road of economic belt in Guangdong province. In the afternoon, they enjoyed a city tour with the companion of SPA students and visited GZ landmarks such as Chen Clan Academy and Guangzhou Tower.
