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RMIT UN-Habitat partnership – a new way of thinking
The RMIT UN-Habitat partnership was launched last night at “Cities, Settlements
and the Global South”, an address given by United Nations Under-Secretary-
General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, at
RMIT University’s city campus in Melbourne.
RMIT is collaborating with UN-Habitat through its Global Cities Research Institute,
which works on the ground with urban communities in 15 countries to build their
sustainability, security and adaptability.
Institute Director, Professor Paul James, said the partnership is a break from how
work has been carried out in the past.
“Previously there has been a divide between Universities’ research and United
Nations’ work on the ground. This partnership sees a fresh approach and a new
way of thinking about our engagement – bringing the theoretical and the practical
together.
“It also acknowledges that all urbanisation problems are not based in Third World
cities. Even cities such as Vancouver and Melbourne – that are consistently voted
as the world’s most livable cities – have urbanisation issues, such as climate
change effects and dealing with urban sprawl,” he said.
“The partnership confirms RMIT’s position as the key player in the Asia-Pacific
region for engaging cities in practical outcomes on the ground. We can now
establish an urban observatory to co-ordinate the social mapping of key cities in
the Asia-Pacific region which will help to find real answers to these issues, guide
the region’s governing bodies with quality, evidence-based research and
reinvigorate our work with local communities,” said Professor James.
Dr Tibaijuka, who gave the address last night, is the first African woman elected by
the United Nations General Assembly as Under-Secretary-General of a UN
program. A Tanzanian national born to smallholder banana-coffee farmers in
Muleba, she was educated at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in
Uppsala. She has served as a Member of the Commission for Africa established
by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, which resulted in the cancellation of
multilateral debt for several African countries by the G8 Summit in 2005.
At the end of last year UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency for urbanisation and
human settlements, named RMIT University as its Asia-Pacific research and
academic partner.
For further information or interviews: Professor Paul James, (03) 9925 2500,
or Barbara Norman, (03) 9925 8335 or Mobile 0424 155 133.
For general media enquiries: RMIT University Media and Communications,
Deborah Sippitts, (03) 9925 3116 or 0429 588 869.
18 June, 2009
NEWS 
