19th ASEF Summer University: Sustainable Urbanisation in Heritage Cities | India

The 19th ASEF Summer University (ASEFSU) will take place on 9-21 August 2015 in Pune, India. Entitled "Sustainable Urbanisation in Heritage Cities", it will address the multifaceted and complex challenges stemming from rapid urbanisation, which is increasingly visible across both Asia and Europe. Cities are now home to more than 50% of the world's population and face a plethora of issues such as social inequity, poor governance, underemployment, congestion and pollution. Heritage cities face an additional particular predicament: that of building synergies between economic development and heritage conservation to ensure sustainable urbanisation. ASEFSU offers a solution-centred platform for exchange of ideas and practices while engaging in intercultural collaboration addressing urbanisation and protection of cultural heritage. In particular the project aims to:

• Facilitate dialogue and on-site projects that connect the participants and the local community.
• Train the participants to enhance their creative thinking and hands-on skills by offering a programme which integrates social, economic, environmental, technological and artistic elements.
• Create models and software prototypes for the local community which enhance heritage preservation in the process of urbanisation (e.g. mobile applications, websites, business plans, open source codes, etc.).
• Produce an e-publication and multimedia online-databank which include best practises, recommendations and the deliverables from the project.

51 participants will be selected through an open call. Participation in the 19th ASEF Summer University is open to candidates fulfilling the following criteria:

•  Citizen of any of the 51 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) member countries
• Students and young professionals between 18 and 30 years old
• Fluent in English (verbal and written)
• Willing and able to actively participate in the pre-event preparatory and post-event follow-up activities

Grants to cover accommodation, meal and travel costs will be provided for selected applicants. The topic of the future of cities is high on the cultural agenda of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), as evidenced by the focus of recent ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meetings. The 19th ASEF Summer University addresses this ASEM priority and will also build on ASEF’s previous work on urban heritage management including ASEF Experts’ Meetings and Public Forums on:

• Investing in Heritage Cities: Stimulus for Sustainable Tourism and Livelihoods (June 2013, Myanmar)
• Managing Heritage Cities in Asia and Europe: the Role of Public-Private Partnerships (July 2012, Indonesia)
• The Cultural Heritages Of Asia And Europe: Global Challenges And Local Initiatives (September 2010, Netherlands)

Applications for participation in the 19th ASEF Summer University should be sent by 30 June. For additional information and application, please visit http://asef.org/projects/themes/education/2876-ASEFSU