The Urban Environmental Management (UEM) field of study, School of
Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), in collaboration with
the University of Architecture of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMUARC), Vietnam
and AIT Vietnam, organized a seminar on “International Education for
Urban Management Professionals in Vietnam” on 25 May 2012 at the
University of Architecture, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The seminar also introduced a new AIT International Professional
Master’s Program in Urban Management (PM-UM program), which is a
joint-program between SERD/UEM and HCMUARC to be launched in September
2012.
A large number of government decision-makers, academics, media, and
prospective students attended the seminar focused on international
education for urban management professionals in Vietnam. In announcing
the program to the public, AIT officials gained feedback from a number
of potential program participants.
Dr. Amrit Bart, Director of AIT Vietnam, introduced Thailand-based AIT,
its history and experiences in providing professional development
training for thousands of Vietnamese, and Assoc. Prof. Vilas
Nitivattananon, Coordinator of Urban Environmental Management field of
study, AIT, and the PM-UM Program, presented its curriculum and
plan.
“Professionals in Vietnam will gain expertise on integrated approaches
in urban management based on knowledge and applications, as well as
from analysis of emerging issues such as disaster and climate change
risk management in different countries and regions,” Assoc. Prof. Vilas
said.
An example of this would be a required study project for students to
be carried out at AIT in Thailand in the last semester before
graduation. The PM-UM Program is also expected to be applicable to
other countries in the region, and dovetails with the fast-approaching
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, he added.
While Ms. Phan My Linh, Chief of Urban Development Bureau, Ministry of
Construction, Vietnam, emphasized urban management issues of importance
in the context of her country, Dr. Willi Zimmerman, a former UEM
faculty member, stressed evaluating professional development from
international development perspectives.
This approached emphasizes learning and research based on different
approaches, theories and real applications and cases from a number of
countries, and different regions, all of which should be required for
long-term sustainable urban development in Vietnam, he said.
The complexity of today’s urban management issues requires
multi-disciplinary approaches and skills, coupled with timely knowledge
on emerging issues and trends, such as disaster, climate change risk
management and eco-cities and industries, seminar panelists said.
For more details about the PM-UM program, please visit:
http://www.aitcv.ac.vn/en/academic-programs/184/702_urban-management-pm-um-program.html
