Civic Leadership for Cities in Transition.

This paper addresses the internationalisation of the curriculum for Civic Leadership and Community Planning in Higher Education at the University of Ulster. The research is undertaken through a partnership with the Northern Ireland Foundation, a Non Departmental Public Body. A window of opportunity has been identified in Northern Ireland to use conflict transformation activities to embrace sustainable social cohesion and active citizenship.In Belfast the Cathedral Quarter is being regenerated as the new creative heart of the city. The area is the traditional home to the Belfast College of Art, and the location for University of Ulster’s new urban campus. As part of the teaching and learning strategy, the University seeks to diversify the learning environment by increasing the number of international students.The research team is undertaking a study to internationalise the curriculum of the established Advanced Diploma in Civic Leadership and Community Planning. This innovative programme which is the first of its type in the UK is delivered through a partnership between the Business Institute and the School of the Built Environment to bring together the partners (officers in statutory agencies and representatives in the community and voluntary sector) who will be involved in implementing community plans and to build the civic leadership behaviours, trust, networks and the management competence necessary to implement community planning. Internationalising the curriculum of the Advanced Diploma in Civic Leadership and Community Planning will involve partnering with a network of cities emerging from conflict. These have been identified in consultation with the NI Foundation and include Belfast, Haifa, Jerusalem, Kaduna, Mitrovica, Nicosia, Cyprus. The new international programme will provide:• students and programme tutors with the opportunity to collaborate on learning, assessment and teaching in post conflict communities in transition • the opportunity to foster an international city transformation community of practiceThe first of the international programmes will be delivered in May 2013.