Dr Hanna Obracht-Prondzyńska from the Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Planning (Faculty of Social Sciences) has been elected co-chair of the scientific council of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). This is an international organisation bringing together urban planners, spatial planners and researchers working on urban and regional development.
ISOCARP is one of the global organisations bringing together urban planners, spatial planners and researchers working on urban and regional development. For over half a century, the association has served as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between the academic community and planning practice, organising, amongst other things, international congresses, workshops and research programmes.
‘I will serve as co-chair alongside Larissa Menescal from Brazil. The Council comprises a team of academics from around the world - including Brazil, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Senegal, Jordan, Germany, Italy and France,’ says dr. inż. arch. Hanna Obracht-Prondzyńska. ‘Our aim is to shape the direction of academic debate within one of the most important associations in our sector, to identify key areas of research in urban planning and the spatial development of cities and regions, and to disseminate the latest research findings. As the association brings together both academics and practitioners, the flow of knowledge and experience takes place in both directions, which is of particular importance in this field.’
Another significant aspect of the global association’s activities is the opportunity for urban planners from around the world to exchange experiences. Many discussions focus on the challenges of the Global South, social inequalities in cities, the problems of overpopulation and depopulation, as well as the role of new technologies in the development of smart urban centres and on climate challenges and their consequences for development.
As a researcher from the University of Gdańsk explains, it is also an opportunity to have a say in the evaluation process of the New Urban Agenda - the global action plan for sustainable urban development adopted by the UN in 2016.
‘I have been involved with the association for many years. I was a member of the teams organising congresses in Italy, Canada and Qatar, as well as a co-organiser of workshops for young planners. My involvement with ISOCARP has also opened up opportunities for me to participate in projects carried out in China and South Africa, among other places,’ she adds.
Dr Hanna Obracht-Prondzyńska, an architect and engineer from the Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Social Sciences, was also the initiator and coordinator of three editions of the Mentor & Student Research Lab, a research and -educational programme Mentor & Student Research Lab, under which smaller research projects were carried out by international teams bringing together the academic community at all levels - students, doctoral students and professors. Over 160 people from 15 countries and virtually every continent were involved in this initiative.
Her long-standing involvement in the association’s activities has resulted in her nomination and election to the ISOCARP Scientific Council.
Congratulations!