Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced a new initiative titled “Empowering Rural Areas through Architect and Engineer Engagement.” The program aims to mobilize over 10,000 architects and engineers over the next two years to provide professional services in towns and villages, cultivating a talented workforce knowledgeable in rural construction practices, equipped with multidisciplinary skills, and deeply connected to local communities to enhance rural construction and management standards.
By the end of 2024, the goal is to achieve a contract signing rate of over 50% between administrative villages and architects or engineers. A robust mechanism for engaging these professionals in rural areas is expected to take shape. By the end of 2025, this signing rate is projected to exceed 60%, establishing a high-quality talent pool led by architects and engineers dedicated to rural development. The initiative also seeks to produce high-quality rural construction outcomes and share successful experiences that can be replicated.
In terms of developing high-quality talent, Zhejiang plans to engage skilled architects and engineers from surveying, design, cost estimation, and supervision firms to lead rural service efforts. Local enterprises will be encouraged to partner with towns and villages and leverage the exemplary role of党员建筑师和工程师 (党员 means a member of the Communist Party of China), in promoting and guiding these efforts. Additionally, there will be a public recruitment campaign for volunteers willing to work in rural areas.
Participating architects and engineers will be expected to provide mentoring and training to local construction managers, craftsmen, and residents, helping to build local expertise in rural construction.
Regarding technical support, architects and engineers in rural areas can operate alone or in teams, effectively distinguishing between volunteer and fee-based services. General consulting, training, and advisory services will be offered free of charge, while more specialized services will require a mutual agreement on fees outlined in a formal contract, ensuring compliance with legal procurement procedures.
Moreover, these professionals will need to take a holistic approach in integrating rural construction and development, using their expertise to enhance housing, infrastructure, and public service facilities. This alignment aims to meet the evolving needs of villagers and expand opportunities for agricultural development, ultimately contributing to rural revitalization.
To sustain this initiative, the notice mandates that housing and urban-rural development departments consolidate resources, enhance coordination, and address challenges faced by architects and engineers engaged in rural service. Towns and villages are encouraged to actively involve these professionals in all aspects of rural development and to ensure necessary support for their projects. Enterprises are also urged to back their architects and engineers in delivering comprehensive service.
Additionally, architects and engineers who receive positive evaluations for their rural service will be given preferential treatment in professional title assessments and continuing education credits. Specifically, those who have served for more than a year with excellent reviews may earn additional points toward ethical evaluations, while those providing over 20 workdays of on-site service within a year can be credited with 60 hours of continuing education.
The initiative is set to take effect on November 11.
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