The opening ceremony of the international training course “management and planning for cultural heritage” was held at 9:00 on November 24th, 2008. This training course was hosted by the Shanghai Center (WHITR-AP) and the International Center for Research and Restoration of heritage (ICCROM). Professor Wu Zhiqiang, who is the chairman of the Shanghai Center, presided over the opening ceremony. Represents from Chinese Ministry of Education, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, National Committee of UNESCO, ICCROM, UNESCO Beijing Office, Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Tongji University, Suzhou and Beijing centers, 19 students from 19 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as reporters from Liberation Daily, Shanghai Television Station, Education Television Station, Shanghai Daily, and other well-known media, at a total number of about 60 people attended the opening ceremony.

President Pei Gang on behalf of Tongji University gave a welcoming address, said Tongji will, as always, support the development of the center. Subsequently, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Zhang Xinsheng, on behalf of the Ministry of Education and the National Committee of UNESCO, addressed the importance and need for establishment of Asia-Pacific region from the heritage of the status quo and development trend of the latest, and hope that the Shanghai center take this course as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation with the network platform, to form a regional heritage center as soon as possible. Subsequently, Vice Ministry of Urban Ministry of Construction Division, Mr. Wang Fengwu, Deputy Secretary for Shanghai Municipal Planning Bureau Deputy Planning, Mr.Wu Jiang, Director of ICCROM Site Department, Mr. Joseph KING also gave welcoming addresses on behalf of the Ministry of Construction and Shanghai Municipal People's Government respectively. Their speeches combined the current cultural heritage conservation status in China, Asia-Pacific regions, and the world, expressed support for the development of central and expectations from different points of view, and offered their congratulations to first training course in the center and wished the course to a successful conclusion.

As a first international heritage training course which ICCROM and Shanghai center co-sponsored, it brought together officials from 19 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The officials are all professionals with practical experience or directly involved in their respective countries in World Heritage protection and management, among whom there are 9 from government and non-governmental organizations, 7 first-line workers, and 3 experts. Its start-up is of great significance to the center's construction and development, marking the operation of the center has entered a substantive stage. In the next two weeks, students will have the opportunity to study in a multicultural context background, sharing their ideas and practical experience in setting up and implementing management planning, in order to promote the management of the world's cultural heritage. The opening ceremony lasted about three hours and the training course officially started on the same day in the afternoon.