IDMR Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony in the Jiangan District of Sichuan U campus.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will, through its partnership with Sichuan University (Sichuan U) in establishing China's first Training Institute on Disaster Management and Reconstruction (IDMR), bring in its programmes and expertise to support the reconstruction and sustainable development of Sichuan province. This large-scale project was funded by a sizable donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
The Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for IDMR was held last week in the Jiangan District of Sichuan U campus. The ceremony was joined by many distinguished guests, including Sichuan U President Professor Xie Heping, Deputy President Professor Li Guangxian, Vice President Professor She Jian, HKJC Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Dr Kim Mak, and PolyU Vice President (Institutional Advancement and Partnership) Professor Angelina Yuen. This landmark event marked a new phase of collaboration between the two universities since the Wenchuan earthquake. The new premises will provide 20,000 square metres in net floor area and it is scheduled for completion by the end of 2011.
The Institute is the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland. Not only will it provides training in healthcare, rehabilitation and disaster management, but also serve as the national centre for improving warnings and relief for future natural disasters. It aspires to become a world-class disaster management research centre serving the whole nation, fostering closer collaboration between the Chinese mainland and the global community in the related research area.
IDMR will be dedicated to the study of the following disciplines: (1) Social/Community Reconstruction (combining the expertise of social work and applied psychology), (2) Healthcare (covering nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry, prosthetics and orthotics, biomaterials/bioengineering), (3) Land Use and Engineering (Geostructure, Environment) and related technology development and knowledge transfer. It will also be home to Sichuan Post-disaster Reconstruction Support and Research Centre.
According to schedule, IDMR will admit the first cohort of students this year, with a planned intake of 19 PhD students and 120 Master's degree students. It has set the goal of grooming 45 PhD and 240 Master's degree graduates within three years' time. The graduates are expected to work in related departments and units after completing their studies. The Institute will also provide short-term training. It is anticipated that some 5,000 practising professionals will be trained there in the first three years to contribute to the reconstruction and sustainable development of earthquake-affected areas.
HKJC announced in August 2010 that it would commit RMB 200 million to support the entire project. The funding would cover the construction of the campus building, laboratory and practicum sites, as well as the first phase operation of its educational programmes.
In the past two years, PolyU has been dedicated to providing support to the victims of the 512 earthquake in Sichuan. Shortly after the disaster, the University promptly launched a campus-wide fund-raising campaign and teamed up with a number of local professional bodies to support relief work in the quake-hit region. The subsequent establishment of the
"Sichuan Post-disaster Reconstruction Support and Research Centre", which is jointly run by PolyU and Sichuan U, has pooled together inter-disciplinary expertise of the two universities to render support to Sichuan in the areas of rehabilitation and health services, psychological counselling, community re-building, construction and engineering technologies, and economic reconstruction.
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Dr Laura Lo, Director of Chinese Mainland Affairs
Tel: (852) 3400 2744
Email: [email protected]
