New partnership agreement signed with the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi

Head of School Professor Juliet Davis and Director of International Dr Shibu Raman travelled to Delhi  to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Delhi.

The partnership strengthens our existing relationship with SPA, with whom we have a strong track record of collaboration on research and design stemming from an earlier MoU in 2016. The new agreement signifies a commitment to cultivating meaningful partnerships and advancing collaborative initiatives in the realms of research and pedagogy.

SPA Dean of Research Professor Sanjay Gupta, Head of Urban Design Manu Mahajan, Head of Architecture Professor Anil Dewan, Professor of Architecture Manoj Mathur, and Professor Arunava Dasgupta (President of the Institute of Urban Designers in India) and Dr Shweta Manchanda along with other faculty members and students met Professor Davis and Dr Raman to sign the agreement on 22 January 2024.

WSA and SPA share expertise in a range of areas of built environment and design-focused research spanning urban design, heritage and conservation, and energy and environment. The new MoU will enable collaboration across both teaching and research, supporting the establishment of education partnerships to enhance the international learning experiences of students in both institutions. It will provide opportunities for the joint supervision of doctoral research students, and the development of joint funding applications in areas of shared expertise.

SPA is ranked consistently among the top 5 schools in India while the WSA is among the top 5 in the UK. SPA is recognised as an ‘Institution of National Importance’ for the role it plays in shaping architectural education and leading debate on the future of Indian cities. Among its notable alumni are the author Arundhati Roy and award-winning architects including Raj Rewal, Revathi Kamath, Gerard da Cunha, Anil Laul and Manjit Rai Agnihotri.

Dr Shibu Raman said “SPA is an important academic partner for WSA in India, sharing a range of research interests and pedagogic aims. Having build up momentum in joint activities such as a collaborative ‘Liveable Urbanism’ studio and research proposals, this renewal of the MoU will facilitate more collaborations and lead to staff and student mobility opportunities.”

In Delhi, Professor Arunava Dasgupta said “Since the last MoU between Cardiff and SPA in 2016, and before that too, SPA-UD and Cardiff were involved in many acts of partnered research, joint studios and publications. Some of the collaborations include design charrettes in Delhi, combined studios in Mangaluru and Kochi including joint exhibitions - both physical and virtual - joint paper writing, joint proposal writing for funding, preparation for student exchange programs, doctoral exams, Masters and UG examination/crit, etc. With this renewal of MoU, we hope to not only keep our actions alive, but to take our partnerships to new heights of knowledge/application.”

Specific topics that may be explored as areas of focus for cross-institutional learning and collaboration include fragile architectural/ urban heritage, sustainable housing, the liveability of urban places, challenges of rapid urbanisation, the production of urban heat islands and the intersections of health and air quality.

We are looking forward to working with SPA in the future.