Advancing Sustainable Cities and Communities through Science Technology, and Innovation

Hosted and organized by the University of the Philippines Los Banos, the 7th annual APRU SCL conference took place in Manila with related field trips and a student symposium. 

APRU SCL has been housed within the Global Studies Institute (GSI) since 2016 and is a part of a network of 21 partner institutions across the Pacific Rim. Since then, the APRU SCL director, Yekang Ko, and GSI staff support the planning of the annual conference that takes place at a different host institute each year, along with both on campus and remote activates for faculty and students. GSI provides funding for UO faculty and students to participate in the annual conference. This year, three students and three faculty received funding.

"I am deeply grateful for GSI's support in enhancing our global leadership in this critical work addressing climate change and social justice,” said Yekang Ko, director of APRU SCL and associate professor in the School of Architecture & Environment. 

“SCL has created numerous opportunities for UO students and faculty to collaborate with peers across the Pacific Rim. These opportunities include annual conferences, working groups, student symposiums, summer field schools, online courses, student travel awards, and webinars, fostering the co-creation of actionable knowledge for a place-based sustainability approach.” The 2025 APRU SCL conference takes place at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C.