The Office of the Vice-President, International (OVPI) and the School of Cities are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Karan Singh as the incoming Associate Director of the School of Cities India.
Originally from Delhi, India, Professor Singh has lived and worked internationally, including in France, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States. In 2002 he joined U of T’s Department of Computer Science, and in 2018 he won the President’s Impact Award for contributions in computer graphics, design and animation. His research interests lie at the intersection of art, artificial intelligence, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction, and he has co-founded multiple companies, co-directs a globally-reputed graphics and HCI lab, DGP, has over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and has supervised over 50 graduate students.
The Associate Director of School of Cities India (SofCI) will work in close collaboration with the School of Cities leadership team, OVPI, and the U of T India Foundation to continue to develop partnerships in India that engage U of T faculty and students to address challenges in cities and the urban-rural interface. Working collaboratively with Indian universities, civil society, corporate and municipal partners, activities may include running student capstone projects, engaging graduate students in research opportunities and exchange, and developing research collaborations with faculty in India and entrepreneurship challenges which focus on urban and urban/rural issues.
“We are so pleased to welcome Karan Singh to the role. His connections to India, its cities and universities, his commitment to student and community engagement, and his entrepreneurial approach make him an ideal fit. We’re excited to collaborate with him in engaging academics and students at U of T and in India, and to learn from him about innovative ways to work with India’s municipalities, urban leaders and policymakers. I also want to thank Professor Mark Fox for his wonderful leadership in getting School of Cities India established and off to such a busy and engaged start”, said Karen Chapple, Director of the School of Cities.
Professor Singh will officially begin his four-year term on July 1, 2024. In the meantime, he is working in close collaboration with the current and inaugural Associate Director, Professor Mark Fox, who will step down from the role in June.
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*On February 1, 2023, the University of Toronto officially launched the U of T India Foundation in Mumbai, in partnership with Tata Trusts, with goals to leverage the skills and expertise of students, faculty and entrepreneurs at U of T to contribute to tackling urban challenges in India. A key component of this engagement with research, entrepreneurship and academia in India is School of Cities India — a focused area within School of Cities committed to engaging with Indian students, faculty, municipalities, urban stakeholders, and policymakers on a host of multidisciplinary initiatives relevant to urban studies, data & training.
