U of’T joins with European, Asian universities to tackle urban issues

Urban issues were the main topic of discussion as U of'T President Meric Gertler met with Utrecht University President Marjan Oudeman and Chinese University of Hong Kong President Joseph Sung in in Utrecht, Holland recently. "This is the first time that expertise on and insights into urban issues from three different urban regions of the world have been brought together," Oudeman said, noting the conference brought together leading academics from the three institutions. "The research should lead to new, sustainable solutions for the global challenges caused by population growth in cities." Specific areas of discussion included smart cities, city cultures and humanities, city governance and the social consequences of entrepreneurship, urban transportation, migration and global health. U of'T faculty included Engineering professors Mark Fox and Eric Miller, Jackman Humanities Institute Director Robert Gibbs, sociology professor Eric Fong, Munk School of Global Affairs professor Jeffrey Reitz and geography professor David Wolfe. "I am delighted to join with Presidents Oudeman and Sung in building and broadening the collaborations among our institutions," Gertler said. "So many of the challenges our communities face are truly global in nature and require international leadership and insights to answer. "This is particularly evident in public health, urban development, and migration.