Peking University, Nov. 2, 2010: The newly-established Graduate School of Landscape Architecture (GSLA) of Peking University aims to tackle global issues of limited resources and human living conditions.

The new school opened on Oct. 30 with a formal ceremony, where Prof. Zhou Qifeng, President of PKU and Member of CAS, gave a speech.

"The serious shortage of water and land resources and the effort to improve living conditions in both rural and urban areas, requires talent to study, analyze and propose solutions," said Zhou.

The living conditions issue is crucial to China, which faces the matter of housing for its huge population, said Yu Kongjian, the head of the new college.

"Under China's unprecedented urbanization, there are 15 million people flocking into urban areas each year, sharing all kinds of resources that have been over explored for 5,000 years. We face a question of survival," Yu said.

Architecture talent is limited in China. In the US, there is one architect among every 3,000 people. But in the China, there is only one in every 30,000 people, according to Yu.

Solving the problem is a mission that needs people to rethink, reconsider and reshape today's world, said Mohsen Mostofavi, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Design.

The new college has also won financial support from the industrial sector.

Wang Heping, chairman of the board from Rundili Group, a real estate company in Jiangsu province, donated 50 million yuan ($7.49 million) to the college at the opening ceremony.

The ceremony lasted for three hours, attracting about 800 scholars and students from home and abroad.

Reported by: Wen Ya

Edited by: Jacques

Source: Global Times