Drawing from a recent conference and two books he co-authored, “Univer-Cities: Strategic Implications for Asia, 2013″ & Volume II on Univer-Cities narrative – “Univer-Cities: Strategic View of the Future from Berkeley and Cambridge to Singapore and Rising Asia” (detail), WSPC-Imperial, 2015 with a Foreword from Sir Borysiewicz, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; Mr Anthony S.C. Teo will highlight the significance of the university-city nexus and outline strategic peek for Asia.
In his talk, Teo will emphasize the link between universities and their cities and regions. University cities often ‘punch above their weight’ when measured by their economic contributions. The evolving narrative is that Univer-Cities will redefine the new Silk Road, not trading posts as in history, beyond mortar – New Knowledge, Research, Innovation and Technology Eco-Systems. Unsuccessful ones meet the fate of Timbuktu, the purgatory of Detroit; or the examplars of the Cambridge Univer-City innovation centre of Europe and beyond. Cambridge for instance has one of the largest concentrations of high technology industry in Europe. This has given rise to the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’ of startups, disruptive innovations and models from the university’s serendipitous and contentious research and eco-system that brought forth ARM for mobile-focus now pre-eminent over INTEL’s PC-focus.
Teo will also suggest how cities and universities can develop synergistic relations. Cities can develop transit, for example, while universities, with their longer view, can help cities avoid short-term mistakes. And while universities make huge contributions to the economies of their cities and regions with research engendering nouvo value creation and educated workforces, they also contribute in more subtle ways – primarily by valuing place and place-making. Urban campuses need a close, almost indelible, connection to the districts around them.
He’s co-chairing Univer-Cities Conference 2016 in November, Patron – HRH Sultan Dr Nazrin of Perak Darul Ridzuan PhD (Harvard) & Chancellor of centennial University of Malaya, will focus on the distinctive and dynamic impact of evolving “Univer-Cities” with medical origins.