Subsidy for world-wide research network focusing on Asian cities
The Leiden International Institute for Asian Studies has been awarded a 1.25 million euro subsidy for the Urban Knowledge Network Asia. This is an international network focusing on the urban issues in South and East Asia.
Worldwide network
The money originates from Marie Curie Actions ‘International Research Staff Exchange Scheme’ (IRSES), a subsidy scheme operated by the European Union. The Urban Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA) consists of 102 scientists from 13 universities spread over Europe, the US, India and China. Dr Gregory Bracken, who wrote the grant proposal together with Monon Osseweijer, will be co-ordinating the project. Both are affiliated to the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS). Bracken: ‘This is an amazing opportunity. People who would normally not be able to meet can now do research together.’
Fieldwork in Asia
Bracken: ‘This money makes it possible to set up long-term exchange projects. Each researcher will be given 12 months of the total 4 years of the project to spend freely. Asian researchers can for instance come here and learn more about European methodology or they can visit archives. Western researchers, on the other hand, are offered the opportunity to do fieldwork in China or India, which is crucial for good research.’
Housing, heritage & environment
Although the researchers are entirely free in their choice of topic, there are three co-ordinating research themes: housing, heritage and environment. ‘We chose to have very broad themes, so that the network could include as many disciplines as possible,’ says Bracken.
House types
Dr Gregory Bracken: ‘This subsidy allows for long-term exchange projects.’
It is not entirely clear so far which specific urban problems will be studied. The various researchers will make their topics known in the coming months. Bracken himself, as an architect with working experience in Asia, wishes to investigate the issues surrounding so-called lilong in Shanghai. Lilong is a type of house, in which 80% of the Shanghai population live at present. However, the houses are being massively demolished because they are considered to be old-fashioned, dirty and ugly. ‘These houses no longer meet current criteria, but thanks to their rich social function, they do ensure the safety of neighbourhoods. I want to investigate how this worked in the past. Hopefully, this knowledge can then be used in building new houses.’
Practical advice
The UKNA has the impressive ambition of providing practical advice. Bracken: ‘We will all meet once a year at a conference which will also, hopefully, be attended by third parties such as city administrators and architects. We wish to share our knowledge with them, because of course there will be many scientific publications.’
Pioneering role
As initiator of the project, the IIAS fulfils a pioneering function, since the UKNA is the first international academic network to focus entirely on Asia. And not only during the four years of the project. Bracken: ‘I am certain that this network will continue to exist. We wish to build something which people will want to be a part of.’
Links
- Asian Modernities and Traditions research profile area
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