The advance team of 6 experts from Tongji led by Wu Zhiqiang, Dean of Architecture & Urban Planning College and Prof. Xia Nankai, Executive Vice Dean of Tongji Urban Planning and Research Institute, which undertook the settling and reconstruction work in Sichuan Province has arrived the disaster area on may 18th. Leaders of Ministry of Construction of China and Construction Office of Sichuan Province warmly received the experts and assigned specific tasks. Huang Wei, Vice Minister of Construction Department chief Tang Kai and Yang Hongbo, Director of Construction Office of Sichuan Province addressed representing the Ministry of Building Construction and Sichuan Municipal Government respectively. They introduced the situation of the disaster area and pointed out the serious damage beyond anticipation. They also expressed high expectation on experts and institutions participating in the reconstruction work.
Wu Zhiqiang introduced the adequate preparations in each way made by Tongji Architecture & Urban Planning College and Urban Planning and Research Institute as well as our teachers and students’ enthusiasm to participate in the voluntary service. He expressed that Tongji would always remembered the benefaction of Sichuan, which cultivated teachers and students for our university during the Anti-Japanese War period. While people of Sichuan were stricken by disaster, we were certain to pull together with them in times of trouble. He also expressed they would do their best in the work, overcome the danger of aftershocks and any difficulties, stuck with Sichuan people through the difficulty and determined to finish the task gave by the leaders.
More than 40 villages and towns of Dujiang Weir, Pengzhou, Chongzhou and Dayi these 4 counties became the partners Tongji would support. The advance team would finish preliminary site exploration recently and recruit more experts and students to the disaster area after returning to school.
