The Paulson Institute and Chinese Association of Mayors to Develop Urban Sustainability Training Program for Chinese Mayors
Three-week intensive training in China and the U.S. aims to provide practical knowledge to Chinese municipal leaders on enhancing sustainability efforts
BEIJING, CHINA – The Paulson Institute (PI), in partnership with the China Association of Mayors (CAM) today announced the intent to jointly develop a Chinese Mayors Urban Sustainability Training Program, to be launched in 2013. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by PI and CAM to establish this partnership program, the organizations will develop a three-week intensive fellowship for approximately 20 participating Chinese municipal leaders in year one.
“I’m delighted to partner with the China Association of Mayors to launch this training program, and I look forward to hosting these mayors in my hometown of Chicago,” said The Paulson Institute Chairman Henry M. Paulson, Jr. “By deepening mayors’ understanding of sustainable urban practices and ways they can implement these over time, we will help them provide more energy- and resource-efficient cities and a better livelihood for Chinese citizens.”
The MOU was signed during the organizations’ second-annual Cities of the Future conference on urban sustainability. The conference is a practical seminar that brings together leading thinkers and practitioners to explore best practices and effective methods for promoting sustainability in cities across China and around the world. The training program fulfills a commitment in a cooperative agreement reached between PI and CAM in December 2011 to collaborate on a range of programs and initiatives to support sustainable urbanization efforts in China.
The three-part mayors training program will include classroom instruction at the University of Chicago’s Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. The fellows will participate in the Graham School’s Leadership in Sustainability Management program, which will be customized to offer a comprehensive study of sustainability through expert-level training from renowned engineers, architects and economists. Curriculum will center on practical frameworks for implementing sound sustainable practices, include overviews of energy- and resource-efficient urban designs and the economic principles associated with adopting sustainability projects in mayors’ respective cities. Additionally, the fellows will conduct site visits in Chicago to corporate and governmental enterprises fostering innovation in sustainability.
Following a week of study in Chicago, program participants will travel to other cities in the United States to learn about and observe successful urban sustainability projects, including the design and implementation undergone by municipal leaders. In each city, the fellows will meet with city and business leaders to discuss the unique facets of their urban sustainability agendas.
In the third portion of the program, participating mayors will attend a Chinese university, which will offer China-specific instruction on sustainability program implementation.
“The University of Chicago strives to be an intellectual destination for diverse learners, and our partnership with The Paulson Institute and the China Association of Mayors on this important training program furthers this objective,” said Dali Yang, Faculty Director of the University of Chicago Beijing Center and Faculty Advisory Board member for The Paulson Institute. “We look forward to engaging with the Chinese mayors in the educational process as they explore ways to enhance the sustainability of the cities they lead.”
Also today, Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that it will serve as the corporate sponsor for the training program.
“The success of China’s urbanization will be critical to its economic and social development. Sharing the same commitment on urban sustainability with Paulson Institute and the China Association of Mayors, Hyatt is greatly honored to join hands with these two today and sponsor the Chinese Mayors Urban Sustainability Training Program, which addresses the challenges and opportunities of China’s urbanization through a collaborative approach,” said Mark Hoplamazian, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “As a global corporation with an intensely local presence and deep engagement in China, we are focusing everyday on responsible, sustainable urban growth and furthering our commitment to enhancing the communities in which we live and work.”
Additionally, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley will participate as an advisor to the program.
The Paulson Institute, an independent center located at the University of Chicago, is a non-partisan institution that promotes sustainable economic growth and a cleaner environment around the world. Established in 2011 by Henry M. Paulson, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and chief executive of Goldman Sachs, the Institute focuses on the relationship between the United States and China – the world’s largest economies and energy consumers – and engages governments, businesses, and experts to help solve pressing economic and environmental challenges.
For more information about The Paulson Institute, visit www.paulsoninstitute.org.
For more information about the China Association of Mayors, visit http://www.citieschina.org/en/
For more information about The University of Chicago, visit http://www.uchicago.edu/
