2017-December-1 Source: Newsgd.com
2017 marks the 20th anniversary of partnership between Guangzhou and Linkoping, the fifth biggest city in Sweden. To celebrate the 20 years of friendship, Helena Balthammar, Mayor of Linkoping, headed up a delegation visiting Guangzhou from November 29 to December 1.
During the visit, Wen Guohui, Mayor of Guangzhou, and Helena Balthammar signed an MoU to further cooperation between two cities. They also witnessed MoUs signed between Guangzhou University and Linkoping University and also between Guangzhou Library and Linkoping City Library.
A group photo was taken on November 29 shows the officers of Guangzhou municipal officers and the Linkoping delegation. [Photo\Yang Chunrong, Guangzhou University Publicity Department]
Guangzhou and Linkoping have strengthened connections in various areas over the 20 years, especially in education and urban development. For example, two influential universities, Guangzhou University and Linkoping University, joined together in starting a workshop on urban sustainable development in 2015, and established a joint research center to deepen cooperation in 2016.
In the morning of November 30, the 3rd workshop on urban sustainable development was held at Guangzhou University. During the opening ceremony, Zhang Jianhua, the Deputy Secretary General of Guangzhou Municipal Government, welcomed the experts from Linkoping University and praised the cooperation between two universities.
“Guangzhou has been putting a lot of effort into green development and plays a leading role in the field nationwide,” said Zhang Jianhua, “the joint projects between Guangzhou University and Linkoping University bring together experts from the two cities, and they are injecting new vitality into Guangzhou’s urban governance system.”
The 3rd workshop on urban sustainable development is held at Guangzhou University on November 29.[Photo\Newsgd.com]
Targeting Guangzhou’s environmental problems, the joint research center launched three projects around solid waste recycling, food waste biogas technology and environmental policy management. During the workshop, team members of each project reported their progress from the previous year.
The urban mineral research group said they have conducted a series of investigations into solid waste disposal in key communities in Guangzhou, and provided suggestions and strategies for classification and recycling of solid waste in the city. There was also an exchange program undertaken, where Guangzhou members were invited to visit one of the most advanced waste incineration power plants in Sweden.
Helen Dannetun, Vice-Chancellor of Linkoping University, said the solutions in Guangzhou and Linkoping differed but have several factors in common. “Our demand for residential buildings is high, which stimulates the rate of construction and causes costs to increase. We both want to limit cars in our cities and to see more green areas with open streets.”
“By working together on research and development, we can help each other to build residential areas that are more sustainable,” said Helen Dannetun, “and it is precisely the fact that our two cities are not identical that increases opportunities for more constructive discussion.”
During the trip, the Linkoping delegation also visited the National Supercomputer Center and South China University of Technology, aiming to bring cooperation into new areas.
Reported by Jasmine Yin
Edited by Simon Haywood & Olivia Ouyang
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