Welcome to the Summer Course: “Urbanism, Space and People of Hanoi”

Entering the first decades of the new millennium, for the first time in history, the number of people living in urban spaces has grown rapidly compared to rural areas, most of which are concentrated in the Global South [1]. Another term for the 21st century in the research community is also known as the "Asian urban century" with estimates that by the 2030s, more than half of the population of countries in this region will be concentrated in urban areas. Based on this reality, urban research in general and the field of urban anthropology in particular have gradually received more attention in social science research.

The infrastructural characteristics of urban spaces have partly reflected the process of socio-economic transformation in the context of the development of global neoliberalism. At the same time, through the historical context in the countries of the Southern Hemisphere shaped by the power relations from colonialism to post-colonialism, recent urban studies have agreed to put forward a new perspective on “Southern urban studies” (Patel 2014). This power relationship is also reflected through the theoretical system and new approaches in contrast to the old theoretical system which includes a discriminatory direction from the research perspective in the urban models of the Global North. All this shows that through the studies of cities in the Southern Hemisphere, the imbalance in topics and approaches in urban studies in general will gradually be satisfactorily resolved.

Based on such concerns about contemporary urban research, the Summer School program with the theme: “Urbanism, Space and People of Hanoi” is organized in conjunction with two specialized training institutions in social sciences and humanities research of the Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU and the Faculty of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Cologne, Germany. With the participation of lecturers from both schools, the course creates conditions for learners to explore the historical, cultural and human characteristics of Hanoi as a dynamic and developing city in Asia. In particular, the course aims to provide learners with the opportunity to learn, exchange and practice research based on the theoretical system and interdisciplinary approach in urban studies in the Southern Hemisphere.

+ First week of the course (18-23/09/2023): Lectures and discussions take place in the mornings (9:00-12:00); Field surveys at different locations within Hanoi city are held in the afternoons (14:00-17:00).
+ Second week of the course (September 25-29, 2023): Students focus on collecting materials and implementing individual or group research projects. The final report is presented on Friday (September 29, 2023)

The course opens up registration opportunities for both students and especially graduate students to participate in the program. Depending on each subject, the Organizing Committee will require the corresponding criteria:
+ For Master's students: Maximum number of 5-6 students, with good English communication skills, currently researching topics related to urban history, anthropological history - sociology in Vietnam. Commit to participating in the entire summer course program, ensuring completion of the research project at the end of the course.
+ For Students: Maximum number of 8-10 students, with good English communication skills, passion and love for topics related to urban history, anthropological history - sociology in Vietnam. Commit to attend at least 4/6 lectures based on personal study schedule, encourage students to actively participate in field activities.

Students who want to register for the course, please send an email to:nguyetnm@ussh.edu.vn
+ 01 CV with personal information and research,
+ 01 presentation in English (clearly stating the reason and wishes for participating in the program, including the research topic that the student is interested in related to the course content)
+ 01 copy of foreign language certificate (if any)
Email subject clearly states: Full name_Student(or)College student_Register to participate in Khoahoche2023
Application deadline: August 18, 2023
Application results will be notified via email after August 20, 2023