Land Experts embark on the design and development of a GLTN curriculum on Responsible Land Administration

David Mitchell from RMIT University stresses a point during the Expert Group Meeting at the University of East London (UEL). Looking on is Siraj Sait of the Centre for Islamic Finance Law and Communities at UEL. Photo: UN-Habitat/Jean du Plessis

A two-day Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the Design of a Responsible Land Administration curriculum was held 2-3 November 2016 at the University of East London in the UK. The EGM organized by GLTN partners UN-Habitat, the University of East London (UEL) and RMIT University brought together a total of 18 experts from various countries and academic and professional disciplines drawn from within the land sector. The meeting discussed and agreed on next steps in the production of a structured knowledge base to support the development and delivery of the curriculum. The potential users of the curriculum would include any land-related academic program and self-study courses with potential for certification.

The EGM was part of a larger project under the GLTN International Training and Research Institutions Cluster that focuses on the development and validation of a curriculum on Responsible Land Administration. The first feasibility and framework design phase was undertaken by the University of Twente - ITC, Technical University of Munich, UN-Habitat and partners. This EGM has now established a firm foundation for the next phase of development of the structured knowledge base, which is planned for completion during 2017. Six modules are planned. These include an introductory, framing module on what responsible land administration entails (purpose, rationale, scope, definitions, core values, dimensions etc.), plus five substantial modules covering the key subject areas of access to land & land tenure security, land management & planning, land policy & regulatory frameworks, land based financing/ land value sharing, and implementation of responsible land management in the context of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals and Habitat III. Cross cutting issues such as the functioning and impacts of land markets, the gender dimensions of land tenure security etc. will also be incorporated.

The EGM members also participated in an academic Symposium on Affordable Housing and Development through Innovative Finance on the evening of Monday 31 October. David Mitchell of RMIT spoke about the EGM, and Jean du Plessis of UN-Habitat delivered a lecture on “Essential Paradigm Shifts in Land and Housing”. The symposium was organised by Siraj Sait of the Centre for Islamic Finance Law and Communities at UEL and was attended by the Malaysian Chief Minister of Perak, Dato Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, the UEL Chancellor, Shabir Randeree, and over 200 guests and students.

For further information on this project, please contact us at gltn@unhabitat.org

Participants at the Expert Group Meeting. Photo: UEL/Bob Reed