Hyderabad: TISS rolls out two courses with focus on growth of cities

Hyderabad: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad, in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), has launched two new programmes, including a two-year MA degree and one-year post-graduate diploma.

The programmes are designed to respond to the rapid growth of cities and the challenges that such growth presents. The latter requires a trained cadre of professionals who have expertise in various dimensions of city planning and management.

These post-graduate programmes equip students in five specific domains, including planning, institutions, city finances, data analytics and project management. They train them as professionals competent to face challenges experienced by cities.

TISS director Prof. Shalini Bharat said the courses prepare students to envision inclusive, child-friendly and gender just cities, while creating opportunities for green economic growth and sustainable livelihoods. The programme also includes capstone projects and city lab exercises with NIUA. They would enable students to acquire first-hand experience in working on government initiatives.

NIUA director Prof.Hitesh Vaidya said a comprehensive urban planning approach could change the country's growth story by leveraging myriad opportunities provided by cities and overcoming the challenges effectively. The two courses cater to the need for creating a pool of urban professionals who can think innovatively and provide solutions suitable to the specific city context.

The Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairman and also an adviser to TISS-Hyderabad B Vinod Kumar said, "we are happy that TISS and NIUA have come up with the programmes. Hyderabad is an emerging educational hub which is very important, given the international nature of the programme. We are expecting the programmes to attract several international students as the course content benefits several countries dealing with challenges associated with urbanisation."