At the beginning of the ceremony, Sun Shanxue, deputy Party secretary of CUEB, delivered a welcoming speech.He pointed out that Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Agglomeration was the first ministerial and provincial key laboratory with CUEB as its supporting institution. This laboratory will play an important role in the theoretical advance of the urban and regional science and the decision-making support capability as a think tank. CUEB will provide sufficient human, financial and material resources, devote great efforts to introduce and nurture a high-level research team, carry out original and integrated innovation, break the bottlenecks in key technology and achievement commercialization. The Urban Agglomeration Key Laboratory is an important base for the coordinated development and innovation research of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and an effective platform for pooling the talented and providing think tank services.

Yang Renquan, member of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, gave a speech and congratulated on the opening of Urban Agglomeration Key Laboratory. In his speech, Yang introduced the Commission’s vision in research platform innovations and development of key strategic think tanks of the 13th Five Year Plan, in the context of President Xi’s two speeches delivered during his visit to Beijing and the campaign to build Beijing into a national S&T innovation center. He pointed out that the Urban Agglomeration Key Laboratory is well-targeted with its research focus on urban and regional sustainable development, which is in consistency with Beijing’s role as a national S&T innovation center and its goal to build a harmonious and livable city. He expected that the Laboratory would attract the top talents in multiple disciplines, so as to undertake more complicated tasks and solve the problems in Beijing’s development. He promised the Commission and CUEB will jointly support the development of the laboratory so as to make better and more achievements, contributing to the sustainable development of Beijing.

After the meeting, the guests witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation agreement between Megacity Research Institute and Tsinghua Tongheng Planning and Designing Institute and the plaque-unveiling of the Key Laboratory. Duan Xia and Yuan Xin signed a cooperation framework agreement on behalf of both parties. Yang Renquan and Sun Shanxue jointly unveiled the plaque and presented letters of appointment to academic members.

Present at the ceremony were Shen Jianjun, Chairman of the Beijing Municipal CPPCC Science and Technology Commission, Yuan Xin, Dean of Tsinghua Tongheng Planning and Designing Institute, Li Rugang, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Urban Management Committee, Wang Lianfeng, Deputy Director of Beijing Urban Management Law Enforcement Bureau and other directors of related institutions. The ceremony was hosted by Duan Xia, who is the executive vice presidentof the Mega-city Economic and Social Development Research Institute, and director of the Urban Agglomeration Key Laboratory.