AUICK Second 2004 Workshop

THEME

AUICK Associate Cities Research: STELLA Modelling

BACKGROUND

Before moving into high gear with the new strategy for the years 2004-2007, AUICK conducted a baseline study in each of the AUICK Associate cities (AACs) with the cooperation of academic partners and associate city officials. The objectives of the baseline study was: (a) to collect baseline levels of various Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators so that they could be used as a platform for assessing the impact of the project; (b) to determine various problems and issues, and the priorities assigned to them; and (c) to identify successful practices so that case studies of these experiences can be developed for use in training courses and sharing them with other cities through AUICK Newsletter and the website.

In August 2004, each academic collaborator organized an advisory group in each AAC.  The advisory group was composed of four representatives: two from the City (AAC Liaison Officer plus another) and two from local academic institutions (one social scientist and one natural scientist or engineer). The academic collaborator was appointed as a director for the MDG study. This was done to develop lasting collaborative relationship. From September to October 2004, each advisory group conducted data collection, and submitted the outcomes to AUICK by 1 November.  From 21 to 25 November, AAC senior officials, academic collaborators, and IAC members attended the Second 2004 Workshop in Khon Kaen, and shared the information on the collected data in terms of outcomes and experiences.  Research and work plans and report writing were also discussed.

By 15 December, each advisory group submitted a draft of their baseline study report to AUICK. From December 2004 to February 2005, policy analysis was made for review of data for policy implications through the advisory group dialogues and/or public hearings. The final report on the baseline study was submitted to the UNFPA by the end of March 2005.

AIM

The workshop was designed on a three-tier platform:

1. To share data and experiences from the baseline research conducted in each city from September to November, and discuss analysis and report writing format of the baseline survey report;
2. To examine STELLA simulation modelling methods to be utilized in more effective urban planning; and
3. To provide information on Japanese Official Development Aid that may become available through a joint project supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Kobe International Center for Cooperation and Communication (KIC).

PARTICIPANTS

The workshop was attended by 27 participants, including 9 AAC officials, 14 academic collaborators, and 4 IAC members.

(Participants listed alphabetically according to country)

A. AAC Officials 9 persons

Mr. A.K.M. Rezaul Karim
City Planner and Head, Department of Architecture and City Planning, Chittagong City Corporation, Bangladesh

Mr. Sun Chenggong
Chief of International Relations Section, Foreign Affairs Office, Weihai Municipal Government, China

Mr. Shiv Das Meena
Joint Commissioner (Education), Education, Revenue & Finance, Corporation of Chennai, India

Mr. Togar Arifin Silaban
Chief of Urban Infrastructures Division, Urban Development Planning Agency, Surabaya City Government, Indonesia

Mr. Abd Rahim Bin Abd Manaf
Head of Health Division, Health and Cleanliness Control, Kuantan Municipal Council, Malaysia

Mr. Rai Muhammad Amin Khan
Tehsil Municipal Officer, Tehsil Municipal Administration Faisalabad, Pakistan

Ms. Thelma Tongson Rivera
Special Operations Officer III, Urban Basic Services Programme, Olongapo City, Philippines

Ms. Woraphan Thuleechan
General Services, Office of the Municipal Clerk, Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

Ms. Anh Thuy Nguyen
Head of Protocol and International Relations Division, Foreign Affairs Department, Danang People's Committee, Vietnam

B. Academic Collaborators 14 persons

Dr. Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury
Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Dr. Du Yang
Associate Professor, Institute of Population and Labour Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), China

Dr. Tyagarajan Swaminathan
Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), India

Mr. Dharmendra Pratap Yadav
AUICK Honorary Consultant for Chennai Activities, India

Dr. Puruhito
Rector, Airlangga University, Indonesia

Dr. Sunarjo
Deputy Director, Post Graduate Program, Airlangga University, Indonesia

Dr. Kuntoro
Secretary, Research Center for Population and Development Research Institute, Indonesia

Mr. Made Are Subrata
Assistant of Administrator, Damandiri Foundation, Indonesia

Dr. Alias Bin Abdullah
Associate Professor/Director, Bureau of Consultancy and Entrepreneurship, International Islamic University Malaysia

Mr. Muhammad Nur Azraei Shahbudin
Project Officer, International Islamic University Malaysia

Dr. M. Asghar Cheema
Chairman, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan

Dr. Joel V. Mangahas
College Secretary and Director of Studies, University of the Philippines, Philippines

Dr. Peerasit Kamnuansilpa
Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Dr. Trinh Duy Luan
Associate Professor/Director, Institute of Sociology, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam

C. AUICK IAC Members 4 persons

Dr. Prem P. Talwar
Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina

Dr. Haryono Suyono
Former Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, Indonesia

Dr. Kareem Iqbal
Former Federal Secretary and Member of Sindh Local Government Commission, Pakistan

Dr. Gayl D. Ness
Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, USA

D. AUICK Secretariat  4 persons

Mr. Masayuki Ishitsubo
Executive Director

Mr. Nobuyuki Morimoto
Manager

Ms. Chika Kodama
Manager, Project II Division of KIC

Ms. Britt Barry
Special Assistant for English Document

PERIOD

Sunday 21 November to Thursday 25 November 2004

SCHEDULE/PROGRAM

REVIEW

The workshop strengthened commitment among AACs and their academic collaborators to work together to solve the urban population issues that each city is facing, and to continue sharing information, ideas and data. The STELLA modelling training gave participants basic technical skills in the use of the software and with further practical application, better understanding of how to use population statistics to ensure more effective urban development planning.

Finding great usefulness of the STELLA model for urban planning, Dr. Haryono Suyono, IAC Member of Indonesia, organized a two-day seminar on STELLA in Surabaya, Indonesia, for the city administrators and researchers from 27 to 28 November. It was a spin-off from AUICK’s workshop in Khon Kaen. The seminar was attended by 225 participants from five Indonesia cities. He commented that the STELLA software could help them to analyse and solve many issues which the five cities in Indonesia have to tackle.

The post-workshop monitoring indicated that the workshop was highly appreciated by the participants and concerned city adiministrators. The workshop was also a concrete example fo South-South cooperation generated by the AUICK project.

On 26 November 2004, two participants from China, on their way back home, visited UNFPA China Office, and met with Mr. Ronny Lindstrom, Deputy Representative.

Dr. Du Yang, first briefed on the workshop of STELLA software. He said that through this training, AUICK offered a useful and intuitive tool for forecasting various aspects in urban development which are relevant to the UN Millennium Goals. Khon Kaen University offered great help in organizing his workshop and made it success.

Then, Mr. Sun Chenggong briefly introduced Weihai City and its relations with AUICK. He said, “Although Weihai has made tremendous achievement in improving human living conditions, it still faces new challenges brought by globalization and economic development, such as environmental sustainability and the unexpected increase of aging population. We hope that we can solve the problems in urban development by sharing information with other AACs through the AUICK 2004-2007 Program and set a good model for other China’s small and medium cities.”

Mr. Ronny said, “I am impressed by AUICK’ s continuous commitment in helping Asian countries to obtain the UN Millennium Goals, and as an official of UNFPA, I am ready for any consultation and help to facilitate the successful cooperation between Weihai and AUICK during the 2004-2007 program.” He suggested that the workshop programs focus on specific project on what the city really needs, and the communication system be easily to be accessed.”