CALL for TUTORS / LECTURERS


PROJECT BACKGROUND
In 2007, the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi published a comprehensive vision of the future of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, entitled Abu Dhabi Plan 2030. In addition to offering far reaching land use proposals, it embodies a framework for the management of Abu Dhabi’s future growth. Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 seeks to regulate the pattern of urban growth in a way that balances economic, social and environmental priorities in a sustainable manner. . It emphasizes the human scale development within a pedestrian friendly environment enhanced by a multi-tiered public transportation system serving the entire metropolitan area.

The United Arab Emirates provides limited academic education in the field of Urban Planning, therefore many of the UAE Nationals who are employed by the municipalities and their planning divisions come from an Engineering or Architectural background. On this basis, the Emirati planning authorities require a comprehensive training program with a theoretical and international content for their less experienced national employees.

Following up the assessment of the already completed modules, executed in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (ADUPC) and with Al Ain Municipality in 2011 as well as in 2013, 2014 and 2015 an agreement was reached on the scope and type of further training provided by ISOCARP. This agreement includes both the concept for the second part of the course for the graduates of the already completed edition “Introduction to Urbanism” program and the already tried and tested concept for the new edition of the program for the new cohort (s) of Young Planning Professionals. Successful completion of the previously offered modules also generated further interest in trainings provided by ISOCARP within the United Arab Emirates.

In result, ISOCARP was recently asked to provide further trainings for ADUPC. The trainings are to be organized in the months of April/May 2017 and include short-term assignments in Abu Dhabi (up to 3-5 days). Since there are very short deadlines associated with this assignment, we have decided to send out this CALL FOR TUTORS / WORKSHOP COORDINATORS EXPRESSION OF INTEREST in order to collect APPLICATION DOCUMENTS from all interested persons.
 

OBJECTIVES OF THE INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YPPs

The Intensive Training Program for Young Planning Professionals(YPP) aims at providing young Emirati planners who are responsible for, or will participate in, the shaping and development of settlements, with basic concepts of planning. Practical case studies will be included.

AUDIENCE
Each module will be designed for junior level YPPs (0-2 years of experience) who come from various backgrounds such as architecture, civil engineering, spatial science technology and real estate management.
PROGRAMS TO BE DELIVERED
Within the currently being negotiated contracts two types of the training activities are to be delivered:

  1. “Introduction to Urbanism part I” course

This program is intended for the group of Young Planning Professionals who have not been undergoing the training yet. Its scope and content is based on the previously offered model, with the necessary modifications emerging from the assessment of the already completed courses.

The objective of it is to provide the Young Planning Professionals with an understanding of the principles and practices of effective contemporary urbanism and to enable each participant to use theoretical knowledge in their professional practice in Abu Dhabi.

The training program will be composed of two types of teaching activities: lectures and practical assignments (in a form of short design exercises strongly associated with the lecture topics). All of these will be organized within the 10 teaching modules, each of these will take 1 full working day. It is also possible to include an additional, final assignment, to be developed by the YPPs AFTER COMPLETION OF THE THEORETICAL PART OF THE COURSE. But this will require more discussion on the format as it is possible to define this as a “practical task” or “theoretical elaboration”.

The topics of the modules will include:

  1. Shaping regional and local development policies – with a special focus on consequences of uncontrolled urbanization, sprawl and challenging issues for redevelopment of cities and regions
  2. Urban Economics and land-use integration – allowing the cities to reach a balance between profit-making and provision for complete sustainable communities
  3. Evolution of urban form – from past to present – with analysis of factors stimulating growth of human settlements and shaping the particular forms of urban development
  4. Contemporary concepts in urban development – including the key contemporary urban development paradigms with a special focus on sustainable development and “attractive city” philosophy
  5. Planning and regulatory methods – including the analysis of the types of contemporary planning documents, their scope and role in shaping the city
  6. Importance of urban design – with extensive discussion of the key concepts and models of contemporary urban design and their role in securing a high quality urban environment
  7. Place-making and public spaces development – focused on the art of creating lively and exciting community places
  8. Focus on transportation and urban mobility – underlining the importance of the variety of modes of transport and availability to potential users in a city context and discussing new ways of moving through the city and encouraging people to walk at the same time.
  9. Implementation strategies – including discussion of possible development models, tools and instruments, which are used in the contemporary urban development practice.
  10. Elements of a successful city in Abu Dhabi’s plans – including exploration of urban/social/economic and environmental elements that contribute to a successful implementation of the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan vision.

Each module will be designed at a junior level (0-2 years of experience) and delivered over the intensive course of six (or possibly eight hours), which will include:

-2  hours of lectures
-1 hour of participants’ presentation and discussion of the concepts and key issues for the Abu Dhabi context
-4 hours of workshop assignment
-1 hour of final discussion and presentation of the workshop assignment results.

 

  1. Workshop-based “Introduction to Urbanism part II” course

This program is intended for the group of Young Planning Professionals who have already completed the first round of training – namely “Introduction to Urbanism”, 2011, 2013 and 2015/2015 editions. Therefore, its scope and content is developed in such a way to provide participants with abilities to translate the knowledge gained during the already completed modules into practical planning skills. Therefore it is based on the workshop format (similar to YPP workshop/ training).

The choice of the workshop site and theme will be done in cooperation with our local partner in order to define the topic and the site, meeting the following criteria:

  • High importance for the future development of Abu Dhabi
  • High level of concentration of various problems and issues, discussed during the previous module (course).

The delivery will include:

  • Preliminary presentation to the local officials and other interested parties
  • Final presentation, to be conducted as part of the graduation ceremony and / or at the subsequent ISOCARP congress
  • Final report on development strategy for the chosen areas.

The detailed structure of the workshop will look as follows:

  1. Day 1 Objectives:
  • To get acquainted with participants and officials, and also visit the site and get a feel of its context and surrounding.
  • To develop a program for the development of the study area that is sustainable and responds to the city needs and constraints.
  1. Day 2 Objectives:
  • Prepare material and information gathered, classified in layers. Deduce a synthesis that defines the general problematic and gives guidelines to upcoming intervention.
  • Definition of sustainable development for the study area at the physical and environmental level.
  1. Day 3 Objectives:
  • Definition of sustainable development for the study area at the economic and social level.
  • To erase and evaluate some final ideas on the program for the development of the study area that is sustainable and responds to the city needs and constraints.
  1. Day 4 Objectives:
  • Synthesis that defines the final ideals on specific projects to be implemented in the urban development strategy using:
  1. The functional and spatial integration,
  2. The development based on the comparative advantages and the use of
  3. Insufficiently valuated & potential local resources,
  4. Competitiveness,
  5. Complementarity,
  6. Sustainable consumption of resources,
  7. The protection and promotion of the public good,
  8. New technologies implemented in environmental solutions.
  • Continue developing the already set strategies of intervention while exploring different means of presentations.
  1. Day 5 Objectives:
  • Continue developing the already set strategies of intervention while exploring different means of presentations. Address any enhancements or fine-tuning in presentation material.
  • Presentation of workshop results of teams.

  

LECTURERS/WORKSHOP COORDINATORS:

Within the currently negotiated trainings two types of candidates are expected to apply:

  1. Lecturers, each able to deliver 2-3 of the modules as described for the “Introduction to Urbanism part I” course
  2. Workshop coordinators being able to conduct the workshop as described for the Workshop-based “Introduction to Urbanism part II” course

IT IS EXPECTED TO SELECT UP TO 3 WORKSHOP COORDINATORS AS WELL AS UP TO 6 TUTORS, although this number may be amended due to increase/decrease of the demand as a result of the final contract negotiations with our partners.


ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION
ISOCARP welcomes applications from full members with proven expertise in the given topics, with academic experience and/or teaching experience in similar professional training programs.  International experience is a plus.  Also candidates with extensive planning / design practice are encouraged to apply. The most effective composition of the team will be taken into account for the final selection.

Excellent command of English is essential, and at least basic command of Arabic will be treated as the advantage (but is not mandatory). Experience in teaching and being familiar with the work/practice in the Gulf area will also be treated as an advantage.

 

REQUIREMENTS
Each of the lecturers will be expected to teach 8 full hours per day.  These assignments may include both teaching and training within the scope of each module. Only up to 2 hours of these should be lectures, and the remaining time should be devoted to practical exercises, as described above. A large amount of in-class interaction and discussion will be required.

Within the “Introduction to Urbanism II” selected team the team leader for each training assignment will be assigned. His/her role and responsibilities will be further on discussed. 

 

CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENSES 

The call for LECTURERS is open to ISOCARP Members only.

Honoraria:
In line with academic customs, there will be a modest honorarium fee for the lecturers the level of which will be announced after the selection.

Expenses:
ISOCARP will reimburse economy class roundtrip air-fare limited to EURO 1000 /-per ticket, accommodation, full board and local transportation. In most of the cases the tickets will be purchased directly by the ISOCARP Head Office. Hotel accommodation will also be prepaid for the selected tutors.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
All interested candidates shall provide:

  1. A CLEARLY FILLED application form (see below )
  2. A 2  page Curriculum Vitae/Resume pointing out the relevant experience (please use ISOCARP CV template ONLY –see below).

All application materials as specified above should be sent to kurth@isocarp.orgas well as to plorens.pg@gmail.com

Calendar

March 24th, 2017: Issue of Call
March 31st, 2017, by midnight at the latest: Deadline – Reception of applications

Communication of Selection Results
Please note that the results will be communicated ONLY AFTER reaching the final agreement with the partners in Abu Dhabi on the scope and timing of the training.

 

SELECTION COMMITTEE
An evaluation and final selection of candidates will be done by  the VP YPP along with other members of the Executive Committee. Our partners from Abu Dhabi will have to confirm the final selection. Selected Candidates will be informed of their selection, after which they will have to confirm their availability and participation to the ISOCARP Head Office. Any questions during these procedures should be sent to the ISOCARP Head Office, email address: kurth@isocarp.org as well as to plorens.pg@gmail.com. Website: www.isocarp.org

Application Form

Template CV

Call in pdf: Call for Expression of Interest Abu Dhabi 2017