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Queensland

Queensland Week at World Expo 2010

22 July 2010

Queensland has been on show at Shanghai World Expo.  Queensland Week which ran from 20-26 June was launched by Treasurer and Minister for Employment and Economic Development, Andrew Fraser and involved a week of business events and cultural performances.

Through the Queensland Week activities events showcased Queensland’s innovative industries, high-quality education institutions, stunning tourism destinations and healthy lifestyle. Highlights also included the Queensland Government’s HEAT Fashion initiative, which involves the Government and Queensland fashion designers teaming up to crack new international markets. Mr Fraser also announced a new USA$100,000 partnership between the Queensland Government sponsored Asia Pacific Screen Awards ( APSA) and the Motion Picture Academy ( MPA) to invest in up and coming filmmakers in the region.
                      
The Treasurer also joined Mr Tang Dengjie, Vice-Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, to renew the 21 year Sister- State –City relationship between Queensland and Shanghai, which the Treasurer said had produced real mutual benefits in trade and investment, particularly in the education, science and technology, arts, health and tourism sectors. 
 
As part of the Science and Innovation program of Queensland Week, Mr Fraser also witnessed the signing of four key agreements which included the renewal of the Queensland-Shanghai healthy cities partnership between Griffith University and the Office of Shanghai Municipal Health Promotion Committee. An agreement between The University of Queensland and the Shanghai Second Military Medical University was also signed in order for students to undertake clinical practice exchanges. Griffith University agreed to partner up with the Institut Pasteur Shanghai to establish a joint research centre that will work to develop new vaccines for infectious diseases. The Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University has also signed up to collaborate with the Queensland University of Technology on projects around wound healing and wound management. 
                                                                     
Leading scientists and researchers from Queensland and China also participated in a collaborative workshop in order to continue dialogue from last year’s Shanghai Week Forum in Queensland, and advance collaborative projects in the key areas of biomedicine and nanotechnology for submission to funding programs in China and Australia. This preceded a prestigious VIP Science and Innovation dinner hosted by Minister Tim Mulherin and attended by almost 100 of Queensland and China’s top university, government and industry professionals.
 
Mr Fraser opened a photographic exhibition at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Centre, of Brisbane, pre and post World Expo 88, showcasing the city’s development over the last 22 years, citing South Bank as an Expo site that has been preserved as a public place for the benefit of the whole state.
 
For more information about Queensland’s participation at World Expo visit the Queensland Government’s website www.qld.gov.au/worldexpo2010 Media