ur-scape virtual training in Vietnam
Government officials and academics from different parts of Vietnam attended a two-day virtual training conducted by researchers from the SEC on the geospatial planning support tool, ur-scape.
In the first week of December 2020, Dr Jonas Joerin, Dr Wang Yi, and Michael Joos from the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) conducted a series of virtual trainings on the ur-scape tool for local representatives from universities, government departments, and businesses in Vietnam. The trainings also had the notable participation of Mr. Marcel Reymond, Head of Cooperation of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), in Vietnam and Dr Kai Kaiser, Senior Economist of the World Bank.
ur-scape is a geospatial planning support tool for rapidly developing regions. It allows highly fragmented data to be integrated, analysed and used to develop urban planning scenarios. This tool allows users to experience and obtain necessary information, connect with each other, and share data. With an interactive and visual user interface, it is a platform that engages expert and non-expert stakeholders to improve the quality of planning consultation, participation, and decision making.
During the training sessions, the researchers provided in-depth instructions and hands-on support for the participants as they explored the ur-scape platform. The trainings combined user-friendly guidance with the demonstration of scenarios in which the tool can potentially be used in Vietnam. The participants also discussed how to link the training content with daily operations, co-design, and develop ur-scape technology applications suited to their needs.
In the future, the cooperating units want to build a Centre of Excellence to support cities and provinces in Vietnam.. The purpose of such a centre is to support and strengthen the usage of digital tools in local planning and management, while promoting data integration and moving towards building a digital government and digital economy.
This training was conducted under the "Disruptive Technologies for Public Assets Governance" programme led by the World Bank and supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), SEC, Information Technology Park and the Institute of Circular Economy Development in Vietnam.