Pune: MKSSS Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women (BNCA), a pioneer in architectural education for women in India, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ARCHIP University, Prague, Czech Republic, marking a significant step towards global academic collaboration in urban planning and design.
As part of the collaboration, a comprehensive international workshop was recently held in Prague, focused on ‘Urban Planning and Design.’
Also Read: Honeywell Launches AI-Driven Honeywell Connected Solutions to Transform Building Management
The workshop saw the participation of three faculty members and thirty-three undergraduate students from BNCA, working alongside four professors and twelve postgraduate students from ARCHIP University.
BNCA ARCHIP University MoU Aims to Promote Joint Academic Studios
This MoU, signed under the guidance of BNCA Principal Dr Anurag Kashyap, aims to promote joint academic studios, collaborative research projects, and structured student exchange programs between the two institutions.
The BNCA team’s visit to Prague was led by Dr Shruti Joshi, Project Head, along with Prof Surbhi Gadkari and Prof Pooja Ghorpade. The academic workshop zeroed in on the Veleslavin metro station area – a suburban transit node in Prague.
BNCA students proposed innovative urban design and landscape-based solutions to activate underutilized open spaces, targeting the needs of younger generations and creating interactive and diverse residential environments.
Also Read: Lauritz Knudsen Launches enConnect, a Future-Ready Smart Home Platform
Dr Joshi explained that the objective was to present practical and design-driven solutions to real-world urban challenges. The proposals considered spatial efficiency, community interaction, and demographic inclusivity as core design goals for the Veleslavin Local Area Plan.
This workshop marks the second phase of the ongoing academic exchange between BNCA and ARCHIP. The first leg began in January 2025 in Pune, where students and professors from ARCHIP participated in a similar urban design workshop focused on Pune’s metro station environments.
This BNCA–ARCHIP partnership represents a forward-looking model for global academic cooperation, fostering future-ready architects through real-world urban design exposure across geographies.
