On the 29th of May 2019 in Shenzhen, China, the Erasmus Initiative: Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity and the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a strategic partnership on research topics of concern to both.
CAUPD is the prime public sector research and consultancy organization for urban development, planning and design in the People’s Republic of China. Its head office is located in Beijing and it has a number of other offices around the country of which the Shenzhen Branch is the most important one. It was established to support the urban development process in the wake of China’s opening up and reform policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping which made China a Special Economic Zone and future growth pole.
It is a large organization offering a variety of options for future collaboration. The first topic announced in the MoU is the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (formerly known as the Greater Pearl River Delta) into a socially and environmentally inclusive urbanized region. The second topic is the what, why and how of the adoption of Chinese regulations and institutions in One Belt One Road nations, increasingly falling within China’s sphere of influence. Apart from joint workshops, reports and articles, it is also under discussion to exchange staff and students.
Martin de Jong, scientific director of the Initiative, and the key driver behind this collaboration invites people interested in playing a role in this programme to contact him and is committed to keeping affiliates and friends of the Initiative posted on its progress.