SPPD International Research and Projects
"We are committed to producing innovative research and improving communities here and abroad."
— Jack H. Knott, C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Dean and Professor
Faculty Research and Projects
Tridib Banerjee:
In 2008, Professor Banerjee attended the 5th China Planning Network conference in Beijing and Chengdu as an invited speaker. Post-disaster planning and reconstruction was a main theme of the conference which traveled to Chengdu for discussion with the municipal officials and planners about the recent Sichuan earthquake.
In 2007, Professor Banerjee was awarded a U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grant by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Program, and participated in a U.S. Speaker Program in India on Achieving Sustainable Development and Urban Renewal. He spent two weeks in India giving public lectures at universities, professional societies, non-profit organizations, business organizations and local government agencies.
Gregory Curtin:
Since 2003, Gregory Curtin, Ph.D., has served as the principal investigator for the ongoing United Nations Global E-Government Readiness Survey and Report. The Global Survey assesses the e-government readiness of the UN's 192 member nations. In addition to annual published reports, Dr. Curtin's team also developed an interactive online database maintained by the UN, allowing public officials and researchers to analyze and compare the findings by year, by individual nations, by regions, and by other indicators (http://www2.unpan.org/egovkb/).
In 2008, Dr. Curtin delivered the keynote speech at the Taiwan Electronic Governance (TEG) Forum and formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TEG. In 2007, Dr. Curtin conducted the inaugural USC/Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Collaborative E-Governance Workshop and Forum, and participated in the first Asia Electronic Governance Forum, which brought together scholars and practitioners from throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Dr. Curtin has published work on e-government in Latin America; has conducted e-government workshops in Ireland, France, Hungary and Serbia; and has worked directly with nations in the Caribbean region to develop legal, regulatory and policy frameworks conducive to e-commerce and e-government.
Terry L. Cooper:
In 2007, Professor Cooper co-organized a conference on Chinese homeowner associations (HOAs) with Professor Youhong Chen of Renmin University. HOAs are playing increasingly prominent roles in China's economic and political reforms as they seek to secure the property rights of new apartment owners and address communal problems. Professor Cooper and other USC faculty are collaborating with Chinese scholars to understand the new role of homeowner associations and their effects on civil society.
Eric J. Heikkila:
During the 2007-08 academic year, Professor Heikkila was a Visiting Fulbright Scholar based at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, conducting research on a range of urbanization issues in East Asia. He is the founding executive secretary of the Pacific Rim Council on Urban Development and has been a principal figure in the organization of PRCUD policy forums in Jakarta, Indonesia (May 2007), Siem Reap, Cambodia (October 2008) and Foshan, China (October, 2009).
As director of SPPD's International Initiatives, Professor Heikkila oversees SPPD Laboratory courses offered annually in China and Brazil, as well as an academic specialization in international issues at SPPD. He is also the principal liaison for SPPD in its newly established institutional relationship with the World Bank. In September 2008, Professor Heikkila was invited at the instigation of the Rockefeller Foundation to participate in an inaugural workshop of the African Center for Cities in Cape Town, South Africa.
Harry Richardson:
In 2008, Professor Richardson was awarded a grant from the Korea Foundation to support his sabbatical year in which his primary activity is the writing of a book on regional and urban policy and planning on the Korean Peninsula.
Peter Robertson:
Associate Professor Peter Robertson has received a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Brazil in 2009. There, he will be hosted by FGV EBAPE (Fundacao Getulio Vargas Escola Brasileira de Administracao Publica e de Empresas; in English, the Getulio Vargas Foundation Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration) in Rio de Janeiro. FGV has hosted SPPD's International Labs in Brazil for the last three years.
Christopher Weare:
Research Associate Professor Christopher Weare collaborates with colleagues at Renmin University in Beijing as part of the team studying the new role of homeowner associations and their effects on civil society.
In 2008, Professor Weare presented at the Taiwan Electronic Governance (TEG) Forum. The forum explored the evolution of e-government, which included ideas of participation, government transparency, public value, and democracy. In 2007, Professor Weare co-conducted the inaugural USC/KAIST Collaborative E-Governance Workshop and Forum with Dr. Curtin, and participated in the Asia Electronic Governance Forum.
Shui-Yan Tang:
Professor Tang is working on several research projects with colleagues at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, studying environmental regulatory enforcement and corporate environmental management in China.
Center Research and Projects
Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise:
Joint conference with the Korean Institute of Public Administration (KI): In 2008, the Bedrosian Center is conducting a conference on collaborative governance with KI. The conference explores collaborative governance experiences in the U.S. and Korea. Topics include collaborative governance and civic engagement, public service delivery, and environmental and siting issues.
Knowledge Based E-Government Research Center (KGRC) of the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST): The Bedrosian Center collaborates with KAIST on cross-national e-government research and scholarly exchanges in the Asia/Pacific region. Over the past two years, the Bedrosian Center has hosted Korean e-government researchers for workshops in California.
Taiwan E-government Research Center (TEG): Following the collaborative model with Korea/KAIST, the Bedrosian Center has engaged the Taiwan E-Governance (TEG) Research Center to collaborate on cross-national e-government research and scholarly exchanges. TEG is sponsored by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC), the national government ministry in charge of e-government in Taiwan.
USC Lusk Center for Real Estate:
The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate sponsors an annual symposium with the National University of Singapore, Hong Kong University and Tsinghua University in China, focusing on global real estate markets and investment conditions in Asia. This symposium has taken place over the past four years at each of the sponsor universities. SPPD Professor Yongheng Deng has led USC's participation in the event.