Chinese, Israeli scholars exchange views on social resilience

A seminar introducing the concept of social resilience and how it can be created and fostered was held in Beijing on Monday.

Chinese and Israeli scholars, together with senior policymakers and administrators, discussed the theory and practice of social resilience, in the context of China.

"We will share lessons learned from Israel and explore how they may be applied to China," said Zhang Hui, deputy director of the Institute of Public Safety Research at Tsinghua University.

Social resilience is the ability to become strong, healthy, and functional again after something bad happens. This could be at individual, community, and also national level, said Reuven Gal, a senior researcher with the Samuel Neaman Institute at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Resilient communities are not only capable of coming to terms with casualties or property damage, but they also have the ability to quickly return citizens to work, reopen businesses and restore other essential services, Gal said. Endi