Dr Ajith Kaliyath

Prof. Dr. Ajith Kaliyath

Urban Chair Professor
Kerala institute of Local Administration

• PhD (Human Geography, QU Belfast, United Kingdom)
• PG. Diploma (Urban and Regional Planning, CEPT University)
• M.Sc (Applied Geography, University of Madras)

• British Chevening Certificate Course in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, UK
• Certificate in Urban Policies and Planning Strategies for Achieving Prosperity in Cities”, IUTC, South Korea
• High-Growth Enterprise Programme, Belfast City Council, UK
• Belfast Enterprise Academy, Belfast City Council, UK
• Certificate in GIS and its Applications, NRSC, Hyderabad

• Associate Director, Asia (Honorary), PASCAL International Observatory established by University of Glasgow, UK
• Joint Convener, Kerala Urban Forum
• Coordinator, UNESCO Learning City Thrissur Initiative

Urban Resilience, Cities and Technology, Data Driven Governance, Democracy and Planning, Inclusion, Peace and Justice, Child-friendly Urban Planning, Learning Cities, Planning Education

• Member, State level Steering Committee for Urban Reforms, Government of Kerala (2022)
• Member, LSGD Steering Committee for Rebuild Kerala Initiative (2021-22)
• Member, 14^th Five Year Plan Working Group on Urban Development, Kerala State Planning Board (2021)
• Member, 14^th Five Year Plan Working Group on Disaster Management, Kerala State Planning Board (2021).
• Member, Sub Group on Spatial Planning, Sixth State Finance Commission, Government of Kerala (2021)
• Member, Working Group on Engagement and Communication, World Urban Campaign (2021 onwards)
• Member, Power and Infrastructure Committee, Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2021 onwards)
• Fellow, Regional Studies Association (2020)
• Member, Sustainable Chennai Forum, Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2011 onwards)

• Rebuild Kerala Initiative (Risk-informed Master Plans and DM Plans and Trainings)
• GIZ-KILA Partnership on Cities Combating Plastics Entering Marine Environment (CCPME), Management of Organic Waste in India (MOWI) and Climate Smart Cities (CSC)
• KILA Place-Based Economic Strategies for large urban areas and urban clusters
• Mayor’s SDG Fellowships and TIE-UP Programme for Thrissur Corporation
• NIUA -KILA training partnership on Infant, Toddler, Caregiver Friendly Neighborhoods (ITCN)
• Coordinator for KILA’s MoUs with NIUA, SPA New Delhi, SAP-GEC Thrissur and IBS Hyderabad.

• University of Glasgow funding for Building Research Collaboration with Indian and Kyrgyzstan to explore the role of Universities in developing skills for smart cities (2019)
• ESRC, UK funding for Impact Evaluation Workshop in Glasgow, UK (2018)
• EU-India Sustainable Urbanisation Study Tour in the Netherlands and Spain (2017)
• ADB funding for Regional Workshop of South Asia Urban Knowledge Hub at Kathmandu (2015)
• Global Urban Observatory funding for Training Workshop on MDGs at UN-Habitat, Nairobi (2013)
• oikos International Travel Grant to University of St. Gallen, Switzerland (2010)
• The Soulby Research Fund, School of Geography, Queen’s University Belfast (2009)
• The 75th Anniversary Fieldwork Prize, Queen’s University Belfast (2009)
• Emily Sarah Montgomery Travel Scholarship (2009)
• Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) Young Academics Travel Grant to Czech University of Life Sciences (2009)
• International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-UK) Travel Grant for Workshop on Urban Landscape Ecology in University of Wolverhampton, UK
• UKIERI (Prime Minister Initiative-2) Travel Grant to India (2008)
• Overseas Research Scholarship, Queens University Belfast, UK (2008-2011)
• Sir Ratan Tata Travel Scholarship to UK (2006)
• British Chevening Scholarship for Young Indian Environmental Managers (2006)

• Runner-up-India’ project of Newton Prize-2017 (http://www.newtonfund.ac.uk/newtonprize/projects/urban-observatories-for-better-city- planning/).
• Researcher Plus Award, QU Belfast (2013).
• Overall Faculty Winner, ‘Research with Excellence’ competition and ‘Three Minute Thesis presentation’ competition, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast (2012)

• Playful Cities, Design Thinking, Creative Economy

• Exploring Curriculum for the Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change: The Case of Planning Schools in India, Environment and Urbanisation Asia (Asian Planning Schools Association Conference 2017 Best Paper Award)
• Exploring Multi-disciplinary Approach in Urban Planning: Need for a Paradigm Shift in Planning Education in India (Asian Planning Schools Association Conference 2015 Best Paper Award)

• Team Leader, Draft Social Infrastructure Strategy for Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (2019-20)
• Co-Investigator (India), “Building Research Collaboration with India and Kyrgyzstan to explore the role of universities in developing skills for smart cities” funded by Scottish Funding Council and University of Glasgow, UK (2018-19)
• Team Leader, Child-Friendly Smart Cities at NIUA funded by Bernard van Leer Foundation (2017)
• Team Leader, CapaCITIES at NIUA funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (2017)
• Established India Division of Regional Studies Association in partnership with NIUA.
• Indian Principal Investigator, UK-India Joint Network on Sustainable Cities set up by Research Councils UK and National Institute of Urban Affairs, India.
• Lead Expert, Multi-Dimensional Prosperity Index for 20 Indian Smart Cities funded by Asian Development Bank (2015-17)
• Co-Investigator, MHA-USAID-UNDP Partnership on Climate Risk Management in Urban Areas through Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation (2016)
• Coordinator, Urban Thinkers Campus India on “Cities for Inclusive Prosperity” (2015)

• Visiting Faculty (Co-Teaching), Department of Architecture and Planning, NIT Kozhikode, Kerala
• External Examiner, Planning Studio, SPA New Delhi (2022)
• Co-Guide, 3 Directed Research Projects of M.Plan Theses at CEPT University, Ahmedabad

• Roy, A.K, Kaliyath, A and Ghosh, D.(2022), “Exploring Curriculum for the Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change: The Case of Planning  Schools in India, Environment and Urbanisation Asia.
• Ghosh, D, Kaliyath, A and Roy, A.K. (2020), “Knowledge and Skills for Planning Profession in the High Growth Period of Urban Transformation in India” in Thakur, R et.al (Eds.) ‘Urban and Regional Planning and Development: 20^th Century Forms and 21^st Century Transformations’, Chapter 24, PP 371-386, Springer, New
• NIUA (2017), “Multi-dimensional Prosperity Index: Review of the first 20 Smart Cities of India”, New Delhi,
• NIUA (2017), “Policy Brief on Multi-dimensional Prosperity Index: Review of the first 20 Smart Cities of India, New Delhi,
• NIUA (2016), “Evaluation of Urban Planning School’s Course Curriculum to Incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation”, Co-Author of the Report for UNDP under a funding from MHA-USAID-UNDP Partnership on Climate Risk Management in Urban Areas through Disaster Preparedness and
• Roy, A.K, Ghosh, D and Kaliyath, A.(2015), “Exploring Multi-disciplinary Approach in Urban Planning: Need for a Paradigm Shift in Planning Education in India” Proceedings of the Asian Planning Schools Conference (Best Paper Award).
• NIUA (2015), “Concept Note for ADB on Multi-dimensional Prosperity Index for Smart Cities Mission”, New Delhi.

• Professor and Head, School of Planning and Development, Sushant University, Gurugram (Nov 2020-Feb 2021)
• Associate Professor, School of Planning and Development, Sushant University, Gurugram (2018- 2020)
• Environment Specialist & Team Leader, National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi (2014-2017)
• PhD Student, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queens University Belfast, UK (2008-13)
• Associate Professor, Akruti School of Real Estate Studies, Akruti Foundation, Mumbai (May 2007-October 2007)
• Programme Coordinator, Indo-German Advisory Services in Environmental Management (ASEM) Project, MoEF&CC, Government of India (2003-2007)
• Planner, Zoning Atlas Project, CPCB EMP-TTZ Office, Agra (2001-2003)
• Planner, Zoning Atlas Project, MPPCB, Bhopal (1999-2001)

• Team Leader, Draft Social Infrastructure Strategy, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Gurugram, Haryana, India (2019-20)

• Editor, Hand Books for Standing Committees in Urban Local Governments on Public Works/Town Planning and Finance

• Evolution of Smart City Projects in India during the final Workshop of Building Research Collaboration with India and Kyrgyzstan to explore the role of universities in developing skills for smart cities during 28-29 May 2019 at the University of Glasgow,
• Child-Friendly Cities-Potential of Urban Observatories in the International Conference on Cities 4 Kids – Urban 95 organised by Bernard van Leer Foundation and CII during 2-3 February 2017 in New
• Role of Automobile Industry in the Growth of Chennai in the Workshop on the Comparative History of City Growth in India and Japan: A Case Study of the Iron and Steel Cities organised by Indian Council for Social Science Research, ICSSR, JNU and University of Tokyo during 7-8 January 2017 at Beldih Club, Jamshedpur,
• Jointly led the Kickoff Workshop of the UK-India Joint Network on Sustainable Cities during 27-28 September 2016 in New Delhi and presented on Urban Observatories in India-Setting the Context.
• Urban Transformations in India jointly with Dr Debjani Ghosh, Senior Research Officer, National Institute of Urban Affairs in the ESRC-ICSSR-NIUA Joint Workshop on Urban Transformations, 2-3 March 2016, Jaipur
• Ecological Stress Framework for Smart City Planning at the 6th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRIM), October 2015, New
• Presented in the Urban Thinkers Campus India (Cities for Inclusive Prosperity), October 2015, New
• Presented in the Mini-Symposium on Land as a Critical Ecological Resource for Sustainable Cities, Queens University Belfast, UK, June
• Keynote Speaker on Inclusive Urban Prosperity in the EU-India Platform for the Social Sciences and Humanities (EqUIP), October 2016, New
• Ecological Pressures in South Chennai, in the Symposium on Climate Change and its Impact (Our Lives, Our Climate) jointly organized by Goethe-Institute Chennai,Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University and Care Earth Trust, Chennai, 22- 24 June 2010.
• Invited Speaker on Eco-city Initiative in India in the first Euro-India Forum organised by Euro India Centre, 8-11 January 2007, Goa, India
• Speaker on ASEM’s Role in Environment Management in Eco-cities in the International Workshop organized under MoEF-GIZ Joint Programme of Advisory Services in Environmental Management (ASEM), 19 July 2006, Ranchi,
• Speaker on Importance of Integrating DRR and CCA in Urban Planning for Risk Mitigation in a training of Disaster Management Professionals of Government of West Bengal organised by UNDP India on May 1, 2017, New
• Speaker on India’s Urban Transition to Urban Practice Team of PRIA on April 3, 2017 at PRIA, New
• Invited Speaker on Resilience as precursor of Prosperity and Smartness in the Smart and Resilient Cities-Integrating Approaches for Urban Development organised by TARU Leading Edge under ACCRN at Bhopal on 7th October 2016
• Panelist in the session on Sustainable Cities and Communities: Towards Age- Friendly Habitat in the Symposium on Towards an Age Inclusive Society: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals No: 3 and 11 jointly organised by UN Global Compact Network India, Anugraha and UN Information Center on 15th June 2016 in New
• Invited Speaker on Digital Connectivity and Neighbourhood Level Prosperity in Cities in Quality Improvement Programme on Big Data Analytics for Urban Planning and Management organised by Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee, 6-7 June 2016.