UNPAR International Student Conference on Global Citizenship 2015

By 2050, more than 6 billion people will live in urban areas. This development calls for ‘smart’ approaches to ensure that cities are optimized for environmental impact, economic activity, energy consumption, and ‘the good life’. To achieve this kind of situations, it requires rethinking as the need for smart urban solutions has never been greater. Whether developing new cities from scratch or rebuilding existing cities, the challenge is to ensure that the city becomes more livable, economically successful, and environmentally responsible (State of Green: In Focus – Smart Cities.

It is available online at: www.stateofgreen.com/en/InFocus/Smart-Cities). This challenge needs to be deeply contemplated and to be chosen/answered and this conference will provide the opportunity to do that.

It is important for students all over the world as global citizens to be aware of the urgency to preserve urban sustainability and to create a proper city, in where every people from different levels and different status can live comfortably. Students can help their society to minimize the harms of improper development of a city. As the prominent part of their own society, students are expected to contribute to the improvement and development of their own society, their country, and their world. The complexities of urban development study and human settlement are not something the student could bear to study by themselves. By sharing and expressing their experience, their thoughts, and their feelings on these matters with their fellow students and experts, they develop themselves to be the agent of change to create a smart city for all.

In line with Universitas Katolik Parahyangan’s concept about Global Citizenship, we are being urged to facilitate and accomodate students from all over the world to take parts and engage a fruitful discussion about sustainable urban and human settlement. Recognizing the interests and concerns the students have put in the field of urban development, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan wants to hold an international conference for students to raise the awareness and engage knowledge sharing through series of events.

This event will gather university students from Indonesia as well as international students from all over the world. The committee expects to gather total of 120 students consist of 30 Indonesian students and 90 international students. All of the participants will learn in series of lectures, express their feelings and share their thoughts in site visits, and also introduced to Indonesian cultures.

Objectives

1. The objectives of this event are to raise awareness of the students, to provide forum for knowledge and experience sharing, and to broaden students’ perspectives in seeing sustainable urban and human settlement. In addition to the prior objectives of the event, this event also aimed to enhance the soft skills of the participants as well as exposing them of diversity of cultures of the participants to bridge dialogues and build tolerance among participants.
2. It promotes Indonesian’s culture and tourism.
3. It promotes UNPAR as a good university destination for a student exchange program.

Who Can Participate in the Program and How?

This program is offered to Unpar student and any international student who has strong motivation to improve his/her knowledge on sustainable urban development. It is basically open for both undergraduate and post graduate student from any major of studies. This program is also offered to any partner institution of Unpar as part of the collaboration activities. To participate in this program, the student must submit application for further selection process. Application form can be submitted to international office of Unpar at iscunpar@gmail.com.