Professor Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, CARTA Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, was one of ten U.S. delegates representing the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at the XXVII World Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Architects (Union Internationale des Architectes, or UIA). Held during the first week of September in Seoul, South Korea, the event convened approximately 10,000 architects from around the globe.
The UIA is an international, non-governmental organization that advocates for architectural design excellence. Through its Commissions on Practice, Education, Competitions and Sustainability, and through its Work Groups, the UIA plays a citical role in advancing sustainable, healthy communities and environments, focusing on the design of low-income housing, urban resilience, and robust public space. Created in 1948 and based in Paris, the UIA is a global federation of associations of architects. Through its member organizations, encompassing over 120 countries and territories, the UIA represents about 1.3 million architects worldwide. Officially recognized by United Nations, the UIA undertakes programs and global initiatives in cooperation with UNESCO and other U.N. affiliates.
In 2017, Professor Nepomechie begins a 3-year term as appointed member of the UIA Education Commission, representing Region III (North and South America), and nominated as the Commission’s incoming Co-Director. The Education Commission, working with the UNESCO-UIA Validation Council, acts as a UIA think-tank on a range of topics impacting international architectural education. In support of a built environment that advances the public good, the UIA Education Commission and its Validation System seek improved access to high quality architectural education globally, as well as increased transportability of architectural education credentials across national borders. The UNESCO-UIA Charter on Architectural Education, created in 1996, is the document that guides the work of the Education Commission. It identifies a series of guidelines aimed at ensuring that young architects are capable of meeting the professional, social and cultural challenges of the modern world.
Sources:
UIA: http://www.uia-architectes.org
AIA: https://www.aia.org/articles/145246-a-global-voice-for-architects-how-the-uia-h
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