South Korea - September 2020

In July and August 2020, in conjunction with the ‘City as Verb’ international exhibit coordinated by the City of Seoul, a corresponding lecture series brought together world-renowned speakers in a hybrid online/offline format. Curated by Korea AIA IR Country Representative John Hong, the discussion focused on reinterpreting our cities through active verbs rather than fixed nouns in the shift toward engaging citizens in urban design processes and governance. Featured speakers included Alexandre Labasse (Director, Pavillon de l’Arsenal director), Paco Bunnik (Chief Urban Designer, City of Amsterdam), Michael Jakob (Professor, Geneva School of Engineering, Architecture, and Landscape), Marina Otero (Director at Het Nieuwe Instituut, Amsterdam), among many others. Over 1700 guests attended both online and offline, with AIA IR members joining from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Members were able to obtain a total of 8 CES/HSW learning credits.

As a continuation of these Seoul-based events, a lecture series will be hosted at Seoul National University in October and November. Each event allows AIA IR members to obtain 2 CES/HSW learning credits by attending via YouTube live-stream. Featured speakers include innovative structural engineer Masoud Akbarzadeh (Professor, University of Pennsylvania on 15 October, 20:30 ET) and Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA (Partner, BIG on 29 October, 20:30 ET).

John Hong, AIA, LEED AP

Country Representative - South Korea