MONTREAL/April 12, 2006—
On Wednesday, April 12th, representatives of Concordia University were present in Shanghai, China, for the unveiling of a Norman Bethune exhibit at the newly re-opened Jardin de Montrèal. One of the highlights of the exhibit is a panel devoted exclusively to the proposed changes of Place Norman Bethune, on the corner of de Maisonneuve and Guy streets, in the heart of the Quartier Concordia. A joint Concordia University-City of Montreal initiative, Quartier Concordia is the urban renewal project for the area surrounding the Sir George Williams Campus that will position the university as one of the gateways to downtown Montreal.
Urban planning professor John Zacharias, along with Concordia's Special Projects Director Clarence Epstein, are traveling in China with Montreal mayor GÈrald Tremblay as part of an urban development mission. ìTwenty years ago, Concordia became the first university in the western world to establish a joint doctoral program with an institution in China. Not only are we committed to reinforcing these academic links but also to exchanging ideas about the urban environment and the vital roles that universities play in this growth.î said Dr. Epstein.
Over the next two days Concordia University will participate in a number of events with the mayor aimed at strengthening our ties with Shanghai, Montreal's sister city in China. On Thursday, April 13th, Concordia will sign a memorandum of understanding with Werkhart International, a top private architectural firm in China, to create an annual graduate scholarship in urban studies. Starting this fall, Werkhart will award a Chinese student up to $14, 000 for a year-long study period at Concordia. As it stands, more than one thousand Chinese students are currently attending Concordia on student visas, one of the largest such enrollments in Quebec.
Also on Thursday at Tongji University, Professor Zacharias will give a public lecture on the importance of involving university researchers and specialists in urban planning and Dr. Epstein will make a presentation on the partnership between the city of Montreal and Concordia University in regards to the Quartier Concordia Project. It is hoped these discussions will provide the impetus for an international conference in Shanghai in winter, 2007, involving that city, Montreal and Paris. The aim of this conference will be to exchange ideas about the role of universities in major cities.
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Source :
Tanya Churchmuch
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
