Professor Li Shirong, the first female and first international president in the 175-year history of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) visited WYG’s Belfast office to give delegates an insight into construction management in her home city of Chongqing, China.
Professor Li became the 106th President of the CIOB in June 2009 and was placed 37th on a list of construction's 50 most influential people, compiled by Construction News.
Employed by the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission as Deputy Director, she is responsible for promotion of foreign investment and has pioneered the 'sustainable cities' project, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chongqing and UK governments, to develop sustainable urban and rural areas where UK companies can promote innovative green products and services.
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Professor Li said: "There are many challenges for the construction sector at the present time and I feel that three key actions need to be taken. We first need to address the finance crisis, the impact of which varies from country to country.
"Secondly, we need to improve communication across our different countries and cultures and thirdly, we need to take on important roles and become key players in sustainable development, building conservation and building maintenance."
Ray Moore, Group Managing Director, WYG Ireland added: "We are delighted that Professor Li was able to join us.
"It provided an excellent opportunity for members of Northern Ireland's construction industry to gain an insight into construction management in Chongqing and highlighted the strength of the partnerships, which have been established between the CIOB in the UK and Ireland and our international counterparts. "It is evident that there are opportunities for both local and international markets to benefit from the skills of Irish and UK construction industry professionals."
(NS/BMcC)
