Expo 2010 Shanghai : already successful
By Cédric Pierre-Louis on Friday 21 May 2010, 13:14 - Society & Politics - Permalink
After having led one of the most impressive and well-organized Olympic Games
ever, China is aiming to blow away the world with the Shanghai 2010 Expo. This
75th universal exposition is being held in Shanghai, the economic capital of
China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. The theme of the exposition, "Better
City – Better Life", means a lot of for a metropolis like Shanghai which is one
of the most polluted city of the planet. This world fair also "signifies
Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as the "next great world city".
According to my friend, Wikipedia, the Shanghai World Expo is the most expensive Expo in the history of the world's fairs. In terms of area, - the Shanghai Expo is located in the widest World's Fair site ever (5.28 square km) and in terms of participants - more than 190 countries and more than 50 international organizations have registered to participate in the exhibition, the Shanghai World Expo is the largest ever. China expects to receive almost 100 foreign leaders and more than 70–100 million of people from across the world to come and visit the World Expo. Having said that, this event has also a special meaning for me.
Two years ago I was an Erasmus student in Spain. After spending two crazy days at Pamplona (north of Spain) celebrating the famous festival of San Fermín with two good friends we went to Zarragoza where was held the Expo Zaragoza 2008. We met very interesting people working there, we spent great times and I promised myself to find a way to participate in the next edition, that is to say the Shanghai Expo 2010.
One year later, I had the great opportunity to meet, Mr Yves Jego, the French Minister of the Outermost Regions (where I come from), the day he announced that these regions will be significantly represented at the Shanghai Expo 2010 through the House of France. Given I was learning Mandarin since 2 years, I could not help myself thinking that this initiative could be a very rewarding opportunity for me. So, I express to the Minister my motivation for working on this project and he agreed that I could be hired as a project manager assistant to bring my competencies, my motivation and my ideas to his team.
I kept in touch with the COFRES staff - in charge of coordinating the organisation and building of the House of France. Then, few days later, I have been subjected to the first steps of the recruitment process. Unfortunately, on June 23rd 2009 Mr Jego was dismissed from his responsibilities, replaced by Mrs Marie Luce Penchard. Consequently, after a short period of stand by, the project was totally given up... to my great displeasure.