University trains Chinese Mayors

The University of Adelaide has provided a unique executive training program to a high-level delegation of potential future leaders in China, one of the world's fastest growing economies.

In conjunction with the South Australian Government, the University's Institute for International Trade last month hosted 27 Chinese mayors and senior government officials from Beijing in an intensive seven-day course.

The delegation learned about how Adelaide and South Australia manage city planning and urban development, public transport, public tendering, waste management, and sustainable practices and planning for an ageing population.

It is the second year that the Institute has offered the training program to a Chinese delegation of senior officials.

Deputy Premier Kevin Foley said the Mayors' Program provided an opportunity to build on the strong economic and social ties between South Australia and China by connecting the delegation with key contacts in the public and private sectors.

The Institute has expertise in World Trade Organization law, implications of Free Trade Agreements, trade and economic issues for developing countries,business investment and designing courses for government management and urban planning issues.

Chinese Mayors wield considerable power and are often top-level decision makers. They are hand-picked for their economic and personal credentials and are seen as the next generation of national leaders.

The Chinese delegates spent their week in a series of lectures across the University, hearing from experts in a number of fields including architecture, urban planning and design, water and waste management, climate change and coastal management.

This was supplemented by sessions with State Government departments and site visits around Adelaide.

Story by Candy Gibson