Events

This lecture is co-organised by the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; and the Centre for Liveable Cities (www.clc.gov.sg).

CHAIRPERSON

Michael Koh, Executive Fellow, Centre for Liveable Cities

ABSTRACT

Prior to the advent of the coronavirus pandemic cities the world over had been progressively taking a centre stage in global efforts to tackle the challenges of climate change, resilience, migration and more. Spearheaded by the major networks of cities such C40, but also with substantial support from the philanthropic sector and the multilateral arena, cities held a leading role on many fronts. In what ways has this been impacted by COVID-19 and the pandemic crisis that it plunged us into, shutting down cities and halting global connections? Are there deeper trends at work, which the current situation might either be hiding or enhancing? 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER & DISCUSSANT

Michele Acuto is Director of the Connected Cities Lab, Professor in Urban Politics and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne. Michele is also a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and member of Fondation Botnar’s expert commission. Before joining the Faculty, Michele was Director of the City Leadership Lab and Professor of Diplomacy and Urban Theory at University College London, having previously worked as Stephen Barter Fellow of the Oxford Programme for the Future of Cities at the University of Oxford. Outside academia, Michele worked amongst others for the World Bank and the European Commission’s response to pandemic threats, and as an expert adviser on city diplomacy for the World Health Organisation. In 2018-19 he co-chaired the Nature International Expert Panel on “science and the future of cities”. Michele is the author of several articles, publications and policy documents on urban governance, international politics and urban development challenges.

Kong Chong Ho is Leader of the Asian Urbanisms Cluster at the Asia Research Institute, and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore. Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong’s research interests are neighbourhood and community development, heritage and place-making, the political economy of cities. Much of his published work is on East (Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei) and Southeast Asian (Bangkok and Singapore) cities. Recent publications include Neighbourhoods for the City in Pacific Asia with the University of Amsterdam Press (2019) and The Rise of Progressive Cities East and West (Mike Douglass, Romain Garbaye, and K.C. Ho, editors) ARI-Springer series.

ARI ASIA TRENDS 2020 SERIES

ASIA TRENDS is an ARI flagship public outreach event. This annual series of public lectures showcases the work of ARI’s research clusters, highlights the relevance of ARI’s research to Singapore, and relates Singapore to the rest of Asia in terms of significant trends in the region. Asia Trends provides an opportunity for ARI to connect with the larger Singapore community through sharing and interacting with public sector institutions, civil society organizations, businesses, universities and colleges, and members of the public. Among the cutting-edge themes and trends examined in the past are “China’s Religious Renaissance,” “The Cost of Care,” “Perspectives on Marital Dissolution: Divorce Biographies in Singapore,” “Creating Centralities” and “What is Sinophone World Literature?: China, Southeast Asia, and the Global 60s”. Each ARI research cluster hosts a talk, during which usually an overseas speaker, who is a prominent researcher or scholar, is invited to examine an emergent trend in that research field; a Singapore-based researcher then provides comments on local development with regard to the trend in question. Past seminars have witnessed interesting interaction between speakers and commentators and lively audience participation in the discussions.

REGISTRATION

Registration is closed, and instructions on how to participate in this webinar has been sent out to registered attendees. Please write to valerie.yeo@nus.edu.sg, if you would like to attend the webinar.