Applied research project receiving funding from EU's ERASMUS Research Fund
Thinking about cities of the future is a challenge that goes way beyond technology. We need to learn about civic consciousness, governance, quality of life, human and social development, and other topics that will unveil the multiple facets of cities, people and their realities. With that in mind, Cap4City, an applied research project funded by EU’s ERASMUS Research Fund, and delivered by PUCRS’ Business School, has designed an open and free course on smart and sustainable cities.
Hosted on EdX, the course presents the findings of applied research, and is divided into 8 modules, with 31 disciplines. Joint efforts from 12 Latin American and 4 European professors have been involved. The course address the social, technical, ethical and legal aspects of public management, communication, information systems, business and economics, governance and sustainability.
For Dr. Edimara Mezzomo Luciano, coordinator of the project in Brazil and Business School professor, this discussion is fundamental, as new challenges and approaches to smart and sustainable cities arise every day.
“We live in cities that concentrate more and more urban population, and this creates new problems and needs. According to Edimara, this prompts us to look for other perspectives: society, government institutions, private organizations and universities need to work together to face these challenges.
Photo: Giordano Toldo
Cap4City has been designed for students who want to learn about the different perspectives of smart and sustainable cities, both in the classroom, individually or in small groups. On the platform, students can download slides and support material, and watch the recordings. The course is filled with teaching cases, including from Brazil and Porto Alegre. Students can complete the program in up to 6 weeks, and it is available in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Co-created by the best experts in the world, the program features created by people who generate high quality knowledge on the various subjects associated with Smart and Sustainable Cities.
“Smart cities coordinate, in a collaborative and inclusive way, the efforts to use collective intelligence in a sustainable, environmental, economic, social and institutional way, to generate and maintain the quality of life of all its inhabitants”, she adds.
The course will be released on Aug 31, but registrations are open on this website. Applicants who register by Aug 31 can obtain the certified track from the EdX Portal at no charge.
