URBAN MANAGEMENT ACROSS CONTINENTS

After the panels were concluded, a networking session was held to give space for reflection, remarks and on how to stay in touch. Participants exchanged on their main takeaways from the summer school and how they want to include the lessons learned into their research. The continuation of digital formats was seen to be a valuable resource, representing a positive legacy from transformations established in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prospects for future collaboration and facilitating contact in the digital sphere and in person were discussed. More specifically, the following points were addressed in detail:

Participants were very interested in continuing the collaboration and establishing support and peer review structures by staying in touch via email and social networks. Benefits of such exchange were mentioned to include learning translocally, thereby harnessing perspectives from various contexts. Students were interested in connecting among peers with similar research topics for which a suggested list of research topics and profiles should be established. Further, creating a mailing list, e.g., for the distribution of a newsletter, was discussed. Potentials for expanding contact beyond written exchange to facilitate academic discourse, including reading groups and discussions on relevant literature, were prompted. Moreover, the value of future workshops and inputs on methods were pointed out by the participants. Generally, the idea of peer-learning in diverse formats was viewed as an asset.

The exchange also included suggestions for gathering of updated alumni profiles for the alumni network. Further, the prospect of alumni events with workshop components to facilitate capacity training and knowledge sharing was welcomed. The established network should also be used for sharing of relevant opportunities and a social media presence of the network was suggested to be established. Overall, the networking session gave the opportunity for fruitful exchange.

Going forward, the Urban Lab team will consider the implementation of expressed suggestions in order to consolidate and expand on existing connections between all partnering institutions and their students.