Pakistani Experts from Aga Khan Foundation give a lecture on their planning study of the city of Salamiyeh at Higher Institute of Regional Planning

 Higher Institute of Regional Planning at the University of Damascus received a delegation of international experts in regional planning from Pakistan, in cooperation with Aga Khan Network. This delegation aims at presenting their experience and planning study of the city of Salamiyeh to the students of the Institute and familiarizing themselves with the role of the Institute in the planning process for social and economic development, in addition to the procedures applied in the Institute.

The Dean of Higher Institute of Regional Planning, Professor Dr. Ghada Bilal, gave a comprehensive presentation of the Institute’s most important scientific and practical activities, and invited the delegation to benefit from the expertise of the Institute’s professors and students during the planning study process carried out by the delegation in the city of 6. In a statement to the University of Damascus website, Dr. Ghada Bilal pointed out that the Pakistani delegation is a group of international experts working in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network and that they came to inform the Institute’s students about the qualitative study they are conducting. She also highlighted that they focus during their studies on community participation and attracting, supporting and developing the local community, in addition to working to empower the capabilities of civil society, in order to achieve sustainability of the planning study.

Head of the Pakistani delegation , director of the company implementing the planning study project, presented an introduction to the work methodology in the city of Salamiyeh, the framework , and the final product, indicating the possibility of applying the idea of "15-minute cities" to the city of  Salamiyeh, and reaching the necessary resources on foot, by bicycles or public transportation. In a statement to the University of Damascus website, he explained that the visit of the Higher Institute of Regional Planning came with the aim of meeting with students and exchanging ideas with them, especially since the institute contains a number of specializations that are concerned with community development and capacity empowerment.

Pakistani expert, Mr. Mehtab Qasim, highlighted the importance of the future partnership with the Higher Institute of Regional Planning especially with regards to work in the city of Salamiyeh, considering that the Institute has many experienced people who can support work and coordination in the field of developing work in the local civil society.

The meeting was attended by deputy deans of the Higher Institute of Regional Planning and a number of professors and students. The meeting concluded with a number of interventions from the audience about regional planning, which were answered by Pakistani experts.