University Roundtables are now an integral part of the World Urban Forum providing Habitat Partner Universities and other attending universities with a venue to discuss common issues of concern and to network. The round tables at the World Urban Forum IV in Nanjing and World Urban Forum V in Rio de Janeiro also provided universities with the first opportunity to discuss elements of the Habitat Partner University Initiative. The World Urban Forum IV, Naples, September 2012, provided universities with a multitude of opportunities to engage, reflecting the successful establishment of the Habitat Partner University Initiative.
Over 8,000 people from 152 countries attended the Sixth session of World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy. The Habitat Partner University Initiative roundtables familiarized the existing and prospective partners of the Initiative with the mechanisms for driving it forward, introducing ways to engage. Since the WUF5 the Initiative has developed its brand, guidelines and governance, the WUF6 served to present these and test the tools available for driving the partnership forward, most notably the Hubs (link to “thematic hubs” tab), interactive webpage and Global Urban Research Network (link to tab) were seen as essential to develop promptly as these are using the potential of the partners, fulfilling the ambition of having a highly member-driven Initiative.
The Universities Roundtable focussed on consolidating the Habitat Partner University Initiative and setting up its Thematic Hubs. Click here for the report of the Universities Roundtable.
The Researchers Roundtable provided the urban research community with the opportunity to discuss a feasibility study on the establishment of a global urban research network.
The academic pre-WUF event, jointly organized with the University of Naples on "Port Cities as Hotspots of Creative and Sustainable Local Development" Click here for more information on this event.
The academic post-WUF event, jointly organized with the University of Naples on the "Wealth of Nations: The Wealth of Cities". Click here for more information on this event
At the Fifth Session of World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, university leaders sat to discuss their current and future challenges as well as possibilities for how to collectively sort out and follow avenues of progress. The two main aims of the discussions were to have a dialogue regarding opportunities and challenges for universities in advancing sustainable urban development through teaching, research and fieldwork, bridging research, policy and implementation gaps and secondly to establish a broad set of ideas, propositions and principles that underpin the efforts and strategies universities use in advancing sustainable urban development.
At the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum, held on 3-6 November 2008 in Nanjing, China, the Universities Round Table event was dedicated to the role of universities in pursuing sustainable urban development. This event provided inputs for UN-HABITAT's future engagement on education and sustainable urban development.
The below outlines information for academia interested in engaging in this year's World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy.
We are currently gathering expressions of interest to the university events at the WUF, note that:
Entry to the events are free of charge but travel and accommodation have to be financed by the participant.
WUF 6 will take place on Mostra d'Oltremare in the western part of Naples, Italy. For more information on the venue and the surrounding proximity see www.mostradoltremare.it
We advise prospective participants to search online for information on hotels in Naples, and independently organize their accommodation.
Report