LKY CIC Seminar: Peopling Cities of Technology and Big Data: Towards A Citizen Urban Science

The acceleration of data generation has led some to believe that the world can now be understood in dramatically different and productive ways. More importantly, the distinct urban bias in both the people generating the data, and the places about which (and within which) the data are produced have given rise to a new orthodoxy— “urban science”—in understanding cities. Proponents of urban science, on the back of “big data” and technological interventions, are gaining ground in shaping the study of cities and urbanization processes in recent years. What is big data, and as it propels urban science research, will it reproduce the same fatal shortcoming of past quantitative revolutions in diminishing human agency? If so, how then can citizens be meaningfully involved in urban science? Relatedly, how can researchers who lean towards qualitative approaches contribute to urban science research? Finally, how should policy makers make sense of urban science? These questions will be answered (a) via a sympathetic critique of the urban science paradigm; (b) by deliberating, through various urban-technological innovations, the potential of citizen urban s [...]

LKY CIC Brown Bag Lunchtime Talk:Beyond the Playground: Relationship between Children’s Play and The Configuration of Urban Physical Environment in Dhaka

This presentation shares findings from an innovative mixed-methods study that explores children’s (aged 7 to 14) play environments in three residential areas in Dhaka, the densest city in the world. The study examined the relationship between children’s play and the configuration of urban physical environment. Findings show that, although children’s play varies across location and socio-demographic profile, configuration of play spaces and street networks significantly influences intensity of children’s outdoor play. Results encourage us to rethink the concept of playground and recommend new ways to enhance children’s play and well being in cities. [...]

Visit by POSTECH delegation

LKYCIC was delighted to host visitors from Pohang University of Science and Technology on 28 September 2018. The Centre and the visitors discussed topics on future cities and smart cities. [...]

LKY CIC Brown Bag Lunchtime Talk: Critical Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitan thought in recent scholarship is commonly used in either a prescriptive or descriptive manner. It is often employed as a research agenda for various ethico-political projects or to make sense of social and political worlds beyond national frameworks. In both cases, cosmopolitanism seems to be understood as a set of assumptions about our social world. However, one of its inherent qualities is to scrutinise those assumptions and submit them to an ongoing critique. This talk aims to underline cosmopolitanism’s transformative characteristics and its capability to engage with the social world in a critical way. Possessing an unparalleled ability to understand phenomena and change them in the light of universalism, cosmopolitanism can be explored as a critical theory that has a distinct agenda and normative guidance. Drawing on the work of the Frankfurt School Theorist Axel Honneth, this talk proposes a theory of cosmopolitanism that is grounded in the concept of recognition and is as such an effective tool for identifying and critiquing social pathologies. [...]

Visit by State Secretary from the Federal Foreign Office: Mr Andreas Michaelis

LKY CIC Brown Bag Lunchtime Talk: “How Innovative Start-up Policy Can Change A City”?

In this talk, Dr. Lee will explore the fundamental success factors of youth start-up including creativity, attitude and innovation environment offered by the cooperation of public and private sector. We will discuss incubator models, Joint Innovation Center and recent trends of AI application. This talk lights up the road-map of youth start-up by introducing a couple of interesting case studies such as Jack Ma’s Alibaba and Jay Chou’s musical legend. We will demonstrate an innovative case of the New Taipei City(NTPC)--Amazon Web Service(AWS) Joint Innovation Center. Through AWS's wide range of cloud technologies and services, including big data core services, the NTPC--AWS Joint Innovation Center help integrate various aspects of the ecosystem to accelerate innovation for startup.The platform will create a cluster effect, attracting more talent, fund, technologies, market possibilities, and international visibility for the entrepreneurial endeavours of future generations. This can also facilitate startup growth and expedite digital transformation for traditional industries of the New Taipei City. [...]