LKY CIC Brownbag Lunchtime Talk: “Welcome to University City”

Synopsis

The talk will examine the interdependence of Universities and Cities in driving successful urban transformation and futures for Australia and Singapore using exemplars around the world. These case studies provide the framework for exploring the magic mix that continues to drive their success and will be combined with exemplars drawn from the body of work of MGS undertaken in Australia.

Speaker

Throughout his career, Rob has sought to engage with the big challenges facing our communities and the cities they inhabit. As founding Director of the Award Winning Practice MGS Architects which he co-founded with Mun Kok Soon in 1985, , he has reframed our universities as hubs of innovation, knowledge, and employment in Plan Melbourne, leveraging their aggregated talent and strategic geography to transform and deliver positive social, economic and educational impact. In turn he has led the revisioning and curated the implementation of campus masterplans that have earned clients’ multiple awards, rising global rankings and cemented MGS as the leading Australian Design Practice for University masterplanning. Rob is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne in Architecture and Urban Design and a Adjunct Professor in Architectural Practice at Monash University, A life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, a Fellow of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association and in 2024 awarded the lifetime Leadership Award by The University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts for his contribution to Affordable Housing, University Masterplanning and City Design.