Introduction

The International Doctoral School of Future City and Architecture, organized by CAUP of Tongji University, is going to be held on July 1--July 13, 2018. It is composed of two parts, a workshop focusing on research proposal and method training, and a lecture series introducing research frontiers.

1) Workshop on research proposal and research method training

This workshop will offer the PhD. students intensified training on how to develop thesis proposals, using proper research methods and making clear and feasible research plans.  The participants, divided into groups led by tutors, will visit and investigate four types of specific Shanghai urban spaces (Historical Space, Vertical Space, Waterfront Space and Suburban Space) one by one within four days, and will be required to select one type of urban space as presumed research object for extended study. Each group of students will collaborate to search for the reasonable research questions, applying interdisciplinary perspectives and methods, preparing the literature review, and proposing a systematic research plan as well as drawing a possible research conclusion.

The participants will have two opportunities to present their research.

The first is the mid-term presentation in the afternoon of July 10. Each group shall confirm their research object, proposing the possible research directions, and developing the proposal with the aid of tutors, thus initially framing the research question and structure. The second is the final presentation on July 13th, at the end of the whole program. The participants will be required to present the whole package of the research proposal in a PPT format to the Jury within a limited period of time. Those groups with best performance will get certain awards.

2) Forum and lectures

The International Doctoral School will provide various forms of lectures for the participants.

“Lectures on Research Method” and “Lectures on Shanghai Urban Space” are two parts closely related to the workshop, providing the participants methodological training from interdisciplinary perspective, as well as the basic knowledge on the city of Shanghai.

“The lecture series by Arata Isozaki” is a great opportunity for students to comprehensively understand the broad academic vision of this important Japanese modern master on architectural and urban issues.

The “DigitalFUTURES Conference”, and “Sustainable Vertical City Forum” are supposed to provide cutting-edge thinking and discussion on the specific issues of digitalization and sustainability with sensitive inquiry into the future lifestyle of human being. The latter is co-organized by CAUP of Tongji University and CTBUH.

The other three forums, “Frontier of Architecture”, “Frontier of Urban Planning”, “Frontier of Landscape Architecture” are chaired by three departments of CAUP, to present the frontier researches or tendencies of ideas in each discipline.

In total, the program is supposed to contain almost thirty lectures, an academic feast awaiting the PhD candidates to participate in.