T&DI Holds First International Symposium on Transportation and Development Innovative Best Practices in

Beijing, China,

April 24-26, 2008

 

The Transportation and Development Institute held its first Institute-wide international event in Beijing, China, April 23-27, 2008.  T&DI collaborated with the China Academy of Transportation Sciences (CATS), a division of the China Ministry of Communications (MOC), to present the First International Symposium on Transportation and Development Innovative Best Practices (TDIBP2008).  The event marked the beginning of what is planned to be a long-standing relationship between the Institute and CATS.


ASCE and T&DI Members Meet with Leadership from the China Civil Engineering Society
T&DI and ASCE Leadership Meet with the Leadership of the China Civil Engineering Society

The Symposium provided an Institute-wide platform for all T&DI technical committees to participate in technical exchange with international colleagues.  David Mongan, ASCE 2008 President participated in the event as a Keynote Speaker and had the opportunity to meet with the China Vice Minister of Communications, the President of the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, the President of the China Civil Engineering Society, the Chairman of the Ministry of Civil Affairs' Promotion Center for Emergency Assistance, the Director of the China People's Publications Press, and various other Chinese government officials.

 

The Symposium participants learned about some truly innovative best practices in transportation and development from around the world, and had the opportunity to socialize with more than 470 Chinese colleagues and 80 international delegates.  Delegates had free access to Transpo 2008, Asia's largest transportation technology exhibition at the Beijing International Exhibition Hall, and participated in a tour of the Beijing Municipal Planning Exhibition Center and had a behind-the-scenes look at the yet-to-be-opened Transportation Center and new light rail system at the new Terminal 3 located at the Beijing Capital International Airport. 

 

Steering Committee members for the event were:  Kumares Sinha (Honorary Chair) Eva Lerner-Lam (Steering Committee Chair) Louis Cohn (Technical Program Chair), Kam Movassaghi (T&DI President), Marsha Bomar (T&DI Governor), Peter Lai (representative from the International Chinese Transportation Professionals Association) and Rachel Liu (President of the North American Chinese Overseas Transportation Association), and Jon Esslinger (T&DI Staff Contact). 

Proceedings from the Symposium are available here.