Nankai News Network report (Reporter: Qiao Renming Photographer: Ren Yonghua).In the morning of January 16th,the grand opening ceremony of “Tianjin Forum 2015” was held in Tianjin Yingbin Hotel. Themed with “Urban Development and Governance”, the opening ceremony attracted approximately 200 guests from such countries/regions as China (the mainland,Taiwan,Hong Kong and Macao),South Korea,America,Japan,Germany, etc. Yin Hailin, deputy mayor of Tianjin, and Park In-kook, the general ministerof the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies addressed on the occasion. The opening ceremony was hosted jointly by Xue Jinwen,secretary of the Communist Party Committee and chief of Administrative Affairs Committee of Nankai University and Gong Ke,the president of Nankai University and director of the forum organizing committee. The vice president Guan Naijia and Zhu Guanglei werepresent at the ceremony.
After the opening ceremony,the deputy mayor Yin Hailin of Tianjin,Gretchen Kalonji,former assistant director-general of UNESCO,Seung H-ang,representative of IROJE in South Korea,Stanley Loh Ka Leung,ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the People's Republic of China and Chen Qingquan,academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering,Royal Academy of Engineering,honorary chair professor in Hong Kong University delivered keynote speechesrespectivelyon the theme of the forum. Based the background of urbanization, they commented in-depth on issues in terms of how to improve the urban environment, fosterscientific and democratic urban development, and raise residents' quality of life, gaining prolonged applause. Park In-kook hosted the keynote speech.
The forum was held on January 16th and 17th in Tianjin Yingbin Hotel. There were four sub-forums on “Layout Adjustment and Space Optimization of Urban Industry”, “Urban Competition and Cooperation”, “Ecological Civilization Construction in the Process of Urbanization” and “Social Changes in Acceleration Period of Urbanization”, and a round table meetingon “Urban Rebuilt and the Construction of Livable City". The guests joined forces in seeking future development directionand driven forces for the advancement of Tianjin,China and Northeast Asia.
The first Tianjin Forum,namely"Tianjin Forum 2015", will organize some high-level dialogue focusing on a set of heated issues such as “Experience and Reality of Urbanization and Urban Spatial Evolution”, “Mechanism and Mode of Urban Competition and Cooperation and Institutional Innovation of Urban Regional SynergeticDevelopment”, “Ecological Environmental Protection in the Process of Urbanization”, “Social Issues and Governance in Urbanization Acceleration Period”, and “Multivariate Participation in Urban Rebuilding”. Under the background of Integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, “Tianjin Forum 2015”willdiscuss in particular the topic of “Experience and Comparison:Path and Strategy of Synergetic Development of cities in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei”, making joint efforts for the future development of suchplaces. In the discussion session of the forum that will for one and a half days,delegates held an in-depth communication and discussion on the above issuesfrom their respective research domians and professional perspective in an attempt tomake proposals as tohow to cope a series of heated and tricky in Northeast Asia integration through collaboration in political, business and academic communities.
Tianjin Forum,a serial international academic forum sponsered jointly by Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies and Nankai University,is another high-level academic communication platform named after the city following Beijing Forum and Shanghai Forum. This forum is planned to be every other year.The theme of every Tianjin Forum, basedon the demand of development in China,South Korea and other countries in Northeast Asia, will be collected from all walks of life beforebeing discussed bycommittee of experts and finally decided upon.
Based on Tianjin’s important status in both China and Asia and Nankai University’s advantages with regard to multidiscipline and high level of internationalization, supported by Tianjin municipal government and relevant organizations, the forum attracted scholars, dignitaries, leaders in business and other fields from home and abroad. With in-depth discussions from a multidisciplinary aspect, the forum improved the research level of scholars from China and northeast Asia in the research capacity in northeast Asia, trying tobuild up into an influential international forum with significant influence and appeal.