IIHS campus in Kengeri soon

BANGALORE: The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is setting up its campus in Bangalore, with the state government sanctioning land for it at Kengeri.The Institute is planning to start post-graduate courses in Urban Practices from the academic year 2012-13, which is currently pending approval.Laying out the institute’s plans at a press conference here on Monday, the Director of the Institute, Aromar Revi, said work had already begun in the city with a short term for working professionals and students.The second programme is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.MoU with BDAMore importantly, he announced the details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) regarding knowledge partnership to succesfully bridge the academia–industry divide.“What plans and ideas work for one city will not work for another. Hence, we need to equip people who are engaged in creating urban space with the necessary skills and knowledge,” he said.Giving out more details, he said that academicians who have worked extensively on town planning and government officials would sit together and look at the previous master plans.“What went wrong and what went right would be looked into and analysed.Thus plans will be drawn fleshing out local solutions but with future firmly in mind,” he explained.With focus on Urban Studies, this institute is touted as the first university on urbanisation.But Revi clarified that the organisation would also look into Urban and Rural Spaces with an interdisciplinary approach and studying settlements.Since they are looking at producing change-makers, they are looking at change from ward and municipal level on town planning, he said.Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India and entrepreneur Nandan Nilekeni was present.