In November 2017 many colleagues from across the Univeristy of Glasgow came together with international academics from the Phillipines, South Africa, China Tanzania, India, and Bangladesh, to celebrate the launch of the GCRF Centre for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC). They were also joined by representatives from DFID and the Scottish Government.

Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences, welcomed guests and informed them how delighted and excited the University is to host such an important project.

Centre Director, Professor Ya Ping Wang, outlined the upcoming plans for SHLC. He explained how the focus will be on Africa and Asia with a knowledge exchange in and between countries via training, visiting research fellow programme, professional staff exchanges, events, and networking.

The final speaker of the evening was Professor Ivan Turok, Executive Director in the Economic Performance and Development Unit of the HSRC. He described how happy he was to be part of the team who will try and improve living conditions for poorer communities, and how the emphasis on international collaboration and mutual learning was particularly important in this new era of rising global tensions and uncertainties. Professor Turok stressed that this was a partnership of equals, rather than an old-style unequal and imbalanced relationship between researchers in the North and South.