University

29 Jun 09

Signing the Memorandum of Cooperation for the creation of an MSc in Sustainable Urban Development. L-R: Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Jonathan Michie, Director of the Department of Continuing Education, Anthony Hopwood, former Dean of Saïd Business School and Chairman of PFBE, and Hank Dittmar, Chief Executive of PFBE. HRH The Prince of Wales, seated centre, presided over the signing.

Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education has joined forces with the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment to create a new Master’s course in sustainable urban development.

The MSc aims to provide an analytical and integrated study of urban sustainability, urban design and the management of urban development. It is designed for early-career professionals from the development, sustainability, architectural, engineering, surveying and planning worlds.

‘Sustainability is becoming a goal of many city plans, and is increasingly informing the practice of architecture, urbanism, landscape design and environmental planning,’ said Professor Jonathan Michie, Director of Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education.

‘Given the growing worldwide pressure for identifiable change in this crucial area, this is an appropriate time to launch an applied, flexibly-timetabled postgraduate course aimed at practising professionals.’

The MSc in Sustainable Urban Development is a part-time programme and the first students will start the programme in September 2010.

The Prince of Wales presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on 19 May at Clarence House. The Prince’s Foundation will contribute its teaching skills in placemaking, urban design and design coding, and civic engagement.

Hank Dittmar of the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment said: ‘We are delighted to be working with such an influential international partner as Oxford University. This course will give professionals in any of the key disciplines the multi-disciplinary skills they need to plan and develop sustainable cities, towns and districts.’The programme aims to develop an improved understanding of cities, the causes and consequences of urban growth and decline, and alternative approaches to future development.

Dr Rebecca Lingwood, Director of Continuing Professional Development in Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education, said: ‘The programme will address these issues in an intellectually rigorous and applied manner by bringing together expertise from across the university — the Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, the newly launched programme for the Future of Cities (led by the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society at Saïd Business School), and others.’