International Summer School Explores Urbanization Trends in Southeast Asia
Mike Banos
March 30, 2007
The Southeast Asian-German Forum for Urban Futures (ForUm) was created after it was noted how international cooperation still mainly focuses on rural development despite the felt need to take a closer look at the rapid rise of urban and peri-urban regions in Southeast Asia during these past two decades.
"Conflict prevention and crisis management are crucial factors," said Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas of the University of Cologne in Germany, forum director. "Cities have become increasingly vulnerable to socio-economic, socio-spatial and institutional fragmentation, disparities and conflicts. The close proximity of a great variety of lifeworlds and lifestyles in urban areas, and various ethnic and social groups, have the potential to destabilize and fragment urban societies."
"In the context of increasing globalization, worldwide processes of urbanization are of growing significance to university research and teaching, especially with regard to development policy and economic cooperation," said Ms. Christine Knie, network coordinator. "Cities and metropolises have to be regarded as areas of economic and social potential as well as areas with considerable ecological and socio-economic challenges."
With this development, the ForUm and International Summer School were organized to provide a venue for the exchange of concepts, research and application of Southeast Asian and German universities, institutions, the private sector, professionals and civil society groups, and other non-academic partners like local governments, multilateral donor agencies and non-government organizations.
"All our participants have been involved in urban planning and research for many years and yet they never had the occasion to compare notes with their colleagues until we set up The ForUm Network," Prof. Kraas said. "This is the second of such summer schools we shall be conducting in various places all over the region to enable the participants to personally interact with one another and experience the topics they are discussing with one another."
With the financial support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), ForUm has organized a series of international Summer Schools from 2007-2009.
"ForUm shall be the leading international expert network on urbanization on/in Southeast Asia in research, education/capacity building and for engaged, applied policy recommendations," said Dr. Kraas. "It will contribute to elaborate on models, options, and best practices for urban futures."
Over 20 experts in academe, government, professionals, and other planning disciplines from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the first 14-day Summer School program held October 16-29, 2005 at the Department of Geography, Cologne University, Germany under the supervision of Prof. Kraas.
The first portion of this year's international summer school was held in Manila on March 18-22, while the latter portion on March 23-31, 2007 is now continuing at the SEARSOLIN, a division of the Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) College of Agriculture. It is situated in the latter's campus in Manresa, Cagayan de Oro City.
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