President's Page

Li Shirong

Prof. Dr FCIOB FICE FRICS CEnv

Deputy Director General, Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission

President, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

Professor Li Shirong works for the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Regulations Commission where she is responsible for the promotion of foreign trade and investment.

Her career started in academia where, after gaining a PhD from the University of Reading (UK) in 1998, she took the position as Professor of Construction Management at Chongqing University (a role she now holds part-time). Her academic work focuses on China’s construction industry in transition, sustainable urbanisation, the role of government in construction, construction project management, the international construction market and higher education in construction.

To date she has published more than 170 papers and 27 books, both in China and overseas. 

In 2003 Professor Li took up a position in local government, where she served as vice-mayor of the Shapingba District. Her role here included responsibility for urban planning and development, as well as leading a team to develop the Shapingba ‘University Town’, an urban area that contains 10 Universities and is home to 80,000 students. 

Since joining the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Regulations Commission in 2007, Professor Li has pioneered the ‘sustainable cities’ project. The project is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chongqing and UK governments, to develop sustainable urban and rural areas that provide a destination for UK companies to promote innovative green products and services.

She is also a key player in the development of the China UK Centre for Professional Excellence, an outcome of her work with the CIOB and the Chongqing government. The Centre’s role is to provide a link between UK training platforms and Chinese technology, increasing the level of high-level qualified professionals. 

As well as her role as president and fellow of the CIOB, Professor Li also holds a number of other professional qualifications, including fellowships of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). She also holds the Chartered Environmentalist qualification (CEnv) of the Society for the Environment, a scheme she actively supports and promotes.

Professor Li was recently placed 37th on a list of construction's 50 most influential people, compiled by Construction News.