Are you interested in offering technical assistance and/or training in China? And would you like to experience Chinese historical, cultural, and educational attractions as well?

If the answer is “yes” to one or both questions, ICMA encourages you to attend the annual Foreign Experts Conference in Shenzhen, China, April 16-18, 2016, and to join the ICMA China Center for a professional development study tour before and after the event. The deadline for expressions of interest is February 16, 2016.

The China Center is collaborating with the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA), which sponsors the conference. This is China’s only event oriented entirely toward foreign professionals. ICMA China Center will co-host a sub-forum on China Sponge City on the afternoon of April 16, and a face-to-face meeting with local Administration for Foreign Experts Affairs. Again, as in 2015, ICMA will be invited to present a keynote address on U.S. best practices in city/county management and innovative solutions for International Talents Big Data Management.

Opportunities for Members

The conference will attract a large number of Chinese national and subnational government officials and representatives of state-owned enterprises. It will include a session in which ICMA members and otherexperts can showcase their local governments, particularly their urban development and local economic development initiatives. U.S. participants will meet provincial officials and explore future opportunities to partner with and offer expertise to their Chinese counterparts. 

Shenzhen’s mayor, Xu Qin, who heads the organizing committee, explained the importance of foreign experts to Shenzhen’s socioeconomic development: “Foreign talent has contributed to Shenzhen’s development and will contribute more in industrial innovation and upgrades, so our foreign-friendly environment is an asset to the coming meeting.”

Shenzhen Qianhai will be one of the ICMA partners who will host the ICMA members’ visit during the conference. ICMA members interested in performing pro bono or paid consultant work in China as trainers or experts should find the contacts made at the conference to be beneficial.

Before the Shenzhen Conference, ICMA China Center will organize a study tour to Shanghai Pudong Executive Academy and Wuzhen, a very successful small town with innovative Internet businesses.

After the Shenzhen Conference, ICMA China Center will accompany the group to Tongren, Guizhou Province, sponsored by local government and enterprises for an additional 3-4days. 

About the ICMA China Center

The ICMA China Center was formally established in 2011 as a partnership between ICMA and the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). Its mission is to improve the quality of city management in China by providing information and services to Chinese city officials. Local government professionals from the United States, in turn, have an opportunity to learn from the Chinese experience with rapid, large-scale urbanization. ICMA has been approved as an official training partner of SAFEA and has established a training base in China.

For each of the last three years, two to three ICMA members have been invited to teach a course at the CUPL summer session. This program has proven to be very rewarding for the students as well as the ICMA instructors.

The ICMA China Center is also active in bringing Chinese delegates to the United States for training and exchanges of ideas. In September, ICMA China Center successfully organized a Chinese Government Study Tour to the United States thanks to the great support and help of Michael Garvey and Clay Pearson. (See the report with pictures on www.icmachina.org.cn.)