WORLD CITY UNIVERSITIES

FUNCTION & OBJECTIVES

To date, WCU has established several clear objectives in order to guide research and initiatives.

WCU was partially created to fill an existing gap between World Cities and their Universities. By promoting interaction between Universities, local government and business communities, WCU helps create a forum where Universities are more responsive to World Cities’ issues; they can affect World Cities by facilitating transformative processes; and may increase mobility between universities, city organizations and businesses.

By making WCU international in character, we can advance understanding and recognition of the role of Universities in World Cities and the matters that are of common interest to them, not only locally, but internationally through collaboration. [not only in one city, but rather many cities internationally]

It is hoped that the flow of staff, students and information across borders and through levels of local government, will result in a more comprehensive understanding of World Cities, their universities and how they may impact and aid each other.

HISTORY

The World Cities University Network (WCU) was officially inaugurated in June 2007 at Pace University in New York City. The Network was developed with the goal of bringing together universities located at the heart of major world cities in order to address cultural, environmental and political issues common to world cities and their universities.

The initial membership was made up of the eight founding members. These member universities are:

v Beijing Union University, Beijing

v Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

v University of Westminster, London

v ITSEM (Tec de Monterrey), Mexico City

v Pace University, New York

v Shanghai University, Shanghai

v University of Technology, Sydney

v Ryerson University, Toronto

Since the inaugural meeting WCU members have been working, not only to identify the goals and objectives of the Network, but also to distinguish key areas of research to which our institutions and Network may contribute.

Since the inaugural meeting, WCU has also increased its membership, welcoming RMIT, Melbourne to the organization.

v RMIT, Melbourne

OBJECTIVES

v To provide a forum for World Cities and their Universities to discuss matters of common interest.

v To promote greater understanding of World Cities and their universities through staff and student cooperation, as well as interaction amongst universities, commerce and local government.

v To create a network of World Cities with local universities acting as independent drivers to create ad-hoc or semi-permanent think-tanks on topics particularly relevant to World Cities.

v To strive to make a difference to World Cities by facilitating transformative processes.

v To make universities more responsive to World Cities' issues.

v To stimulate mobility between universities, city organizations and business communities.

AREAS OF RESEARCH

At the inaugural meeting, WCU members identified 5 key areas of research. Project themes are reviewed annually and are agreed upon by the Executive Committee of the Network. The project themes for the 2007-2008 year are:

v World city metropolitan environment (living conditions, transport, environment and social issues faced by world cities).

v World City governance and international political issues (migration and World City development).

v World City business and commerce in a global context (economic issues faced by World Cities).

v World City as a centre of arts, culture and creative industry (the role of culture and creativity in World Cities)

v Sustainability of World City Universities (the role of education and advance level knowledge generation, specific environmental challenges from World City operation).

ACTIVITIES

Activities undertaken by the WCU are agreed upon by the membership. Proposals for events, research topics etc. are put forward by universities for approval/agreement by the membership. Activities may include, but are not limited to specific topics, symposia, international seminars, conferences, studies and publications, mobility of experts or exhibitions, that pertain to one or more of the 5 project themes.