Author: adelapetrovic

The project titled “Understanding intersections of neighbourhood change, marginalisation and racism: a comparative and collaborative research initiative“, funded by Charles University’s Strategic Partnership fund, successfully implemented key activities and workshops, fostering collaboration between Charles University and the University of Zurich. Despite challenges, such as a last-minute cancellation due to COVID-19, the workshops in Prague and Zurich proceeded with minor adjustments. The workshop was rescheduled in Prague and involved Urban Social Geography students, enriching their understanding of socio-spatial inequalities and neighbourhood change. In Zurich, Adel Petrovic and Prof. Martin Ouředníček (URRlab) joined Prof. Hilbrandt and her team (SURB) to explore social exclusion and racism in urban contexts, complemented by small-group discussions, research project presentations (URRlab presented OP JAK project, while SURB Responsible City project) and neighbourhood bike tours. The collaboration extended to the Swiss Geoscience Meeting in Basel, enhancing project outcomes and paving the way for sustained partnerships. The insights gained are already being applied in teaching and research at both institutions. Looking ahead, this partnership continues under the OP JAK project, supporting research on mobility and urban transformation over the next four years. Prof. Hilbrandt’s role as an external URRlab member underscores the project’s enduring impact on academic and institutional collaboration.

Call for applications! Students from geography, history, law, and other related fields of study from all levels are welcome to join.

Course description:

“Urban Regulations and Political Memory: Towards Understanding Spatio-Temporal Aspects of Urban Development” is an international, interdisciplinary course organised by five 4EU+ member universities: University of Warsaw, University of Milan, Charles University, Sorbonne University, Heidelberg University as part of the 4EU+ joint educational offer during the academic year 2024/2025. Key topics of the course are the driving forces of urban changes, development of smart cities and interdisciplinary methodologies of urban studies. The course is developed as part of an educational project which addresses changes in the conditions of the urban development of smart cities in Poland, Italy, Czechia and Germany, according to three dimensions: past (history), present (law) and future (geography). Emphasis is put on integrated and interdisciplinary approach in order to help students understand the complexity of new urban centres in which real estate development must coexist with the protection of the environment and with the history and heritage of the local community. The course will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of historians, lawyers, geographers and educational sciences specialists.

• Course dates: Wednesdays afternoons, starting from 2 October 2024 (13:15-14:45 / 13:15-15:45 / 13:15-16:30).
• Language of instruction: English.
• Number of online didactic hours: around 30 (lectures and workshops).

Assessment methods and conditions for obtaining credit:

Group work: producing an essay and delivering a presentation (each student group has to comprise participants from different universities). Essays will be presented at a face-to-face conference (2 days) held at the Charles University in Prague in March 2025. The best student essays could be published on the course communication platform / website or in co-authorship with the tutor in journals.

• ECTS credits at Charles University: Faculty of Law 4, Faculty of Science 5. / ECTS credits at the University of Milan: 3. (University of Milan: history –only MA students).
• ECTS credits at the University of Warsaw: Faculty of Law 8, Faculty of History 4, Faculty of Geography 8 / ECTS credits at Heidelberg University: Faculty of Geography 8.

Application and selection:

The students will be selected based on their CVs and motivation letters. The deadline for sending the documents is 16 September 2024. The CV and the motivation letter should be sent as a single PDF document to unread@wpia.uw.edu.pl. The file’s name should contain the applicant’s name (surname_name.pdf), and the subject of the email should be “UNREAD+ recruitment”. The motivation letter should indicate the students’ objectives and motivations for taking the course. The motivation letter should not exceed 1,000 characters. Check out our last year’s edition!