Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Professor Eric Corijn

Eric Corijn is Professor in Social and Cultural Geography at the Free University of Brussels and teaches also at the Master in Tourism at University of Leuven (Belgium). Formerly also thought at the universities of Deusto (Bilbao-Spain), Tilburg (The Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Vesalius College-Brussels (Belgium), at the Catedra Unesco de Politiques Culturals I Cooperacio at the University of Girona (Spain).
Corijn is the director of the centre for urban research at the Free University of Brussels:COSMOPOLIS, City, Culture & Society and coordinator of UABrusselsStadsplatform, a platform of Brussels urban studies.

Stefan de Corte

Stefan De Cortes holds a degree in geography from the Free University of Brussels (Licentiaat Geografie) and has a long experience of research in urban studies, with a focus on neighbourhood development in Brussels, cultural developments in European cities and migration dynamics in Belgian urban regions. He is currently a doctoral student working on a dissertation on globalisation and neighbourhood development (case study Brussels). He is the academic coordinator of two international master programmes in Brussels: MA 4Cities & MA European Urban Cultures.

Eefje Vloeberghs

Eefje Vloeberghs is academic corodinator of the Master of Arts in “European Urban Studies” POLIS and the 4Cities Master in Urban Studies. She is researcher at COSMOPOLIS, centre for urban research. Eefje Vloeberghs holds a degree in Social and Cultural Studies at VUB and the Manama POLIS. Her research is mainly Brussels -related, on neighbourhood monitoring, urban regeneration, and future visioning for Brussels. Contactperson for Brussels block POLIS.

Universiteit van Tilburg

Professor Hans Mommaas

Hans Mommaas published in 2000 a study for the Dutch Scientific Council for the Government on: ‘The leisure industries in city and countryside’. At the moment he is professor in Leisure Studies at Tilburg University, endowed professor in Urban Dynamics and Culture at Utrecht University, scientific director of Telos, Brabant Centre for Sustainable Development, a member of the National Council for Spatial Planning and scientific director in Transforum, a national program on agricultural and regional innovations and transitions. His research activities concentrate around issues of leisure, culture and sustainable spatial developments.

Nienke van Boom

Van Boom is lecturer and researcher at Tilburg University. She has degrees in Cultural and Leisure studies from a variety of European universities. Van Boom has extensive teaching experience in both undergraduate and postgraduate porgrammes. Van Boom recently oversaw and delivered a major trans-European research project in urban development and regeneration.

Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Katie Milestone

Dr Katie Milestone is the director of the Popular Urban Cultures Research Group and the Subject Leader in Cultural Studies in the Department of Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University. She teaches European Urban Studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has supervised numerous PhD research students. Dr Milestone is the academic coordinator of the Master in European Urban Cultures POLIS. Her research is focussing on the role of popular culture in transforming cities, cultural industries and gender and popular culture. In her work on European Social Fund projects, she gained experience of managing transnational partnerships including representatives from universities and NGOs in Italy, Greece, Ireland and Sweden.

Dr Robert Grimm

Dr Robert Grimm has substantial experience in studying urban contexts. Dr Grimm conducted and participated in European research projects. He investigated the relationship between global flows and local lives in Marseilles. He took part in a European research project studying the comeback strategies of former textile cites and supervised three research projects about urban regeneration in the small towns in the UK in 2009. Dr. Grimm has been an adviser for urban regeneration in Kirkless. Dr Grimm is also a member of the Kirklees local support group for the European Network of Local Authorities (LC-FACIL). Grimm teaches urban studies to undergraduates and postgraduates and supervises research students.

Estonian Academy of Arts

Professor Panu Lehtovuori

Panu Lehtovuori graduated as an architect from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1995. Lehtovuori is a co-founder of Livady Architects, a Helsinki-based practice. Lehtovuori and his team have received several prizes, purchases, and mentions in architectural and planning competitions. In 2001, Lehtovuori was the visiting research fellow at Manchester Institute for Popular Culture. At present, Lehtovuori is Professor of Urban Studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Lehtovuori’s recent research valorises the changes of the use of urban space in Helsinki, and tests a new, experiential approach to planning and urban design. He taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in urban design and planning.

Professor Juri Soolep

Soolep is Dean of the Faculty of Architecture in the Estonian Academy of Arts. He started his postgraduate research career in the Moscow Institute of Architectural Theory and History and holds a PhD in architecture from the University of Portsmouth since 2002. Soolep is a member of the coordinators subgroup on Training and Education in the Field of Architecture for the European Commission since 2009. He was the project leader of European Association of Architectural Education in 2006. Soolep is also a partner in a private architectural office. Soolep has participated in numerous architectural exhibitions and competitions. He has extensive experiences in the administration and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.