Category: News from Asia & Australasia

Milan and Zhengzhou have made significant progress in their collaboration under the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), building on momentum from their initial meeting in January. The latest online session on 23 January focused on operationalising cooperation on sustainable urban food systems and advancing Zhengzhou's path towards formal Pact membership. Milan's representative presented the MUFPP's achievements over the past...

IURC Asia and Australasia hosts in-depth online training on EU funding opportunities The IURC programme organised a dedicated online session on relevant European Union funding opportunities, bringing together around 50 participants from IURC partner cities and regions. The event aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of key EU programmes and to support cities in identifying concrete opportunities aligned with their Communities...

On 23 December 2025, European and Chinese cities officially launched a new Community of Practice (CoP) on smart and circular urban development, marking a new phase of structured cooperation under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC) framework. The inaugural meeting brought together representatives from Madrid and Granada, alongside counterparts from Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Guangzhou, to discuss the structure,...

Granada Province and Zhengzhou City held their first coordination meeting on 22 December within the framework of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC), marking the start of discussions on potential areas of collaboration and the development of a future partnership. The online meeting brought together representatives from both sides to exchange regional profiles, strategic priorities, and initial ideas for...

Milan and Zhengzhou held their first online meeting on 9 January 2026 to explore collaboration opportunities under the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), marking the start of a structured dialogue between the two cities focused on policy learning, sustainable urban food systems, and international cooperation. During the session, the Milan team introduced the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, outlining...

Representatives from Madrid and Guangzhou held a bilateral meeting on 17 December 2025 to explore potential collaboration on urban development and circular economy initiatives, marking a new step in strengthening cooperation between European and Chinese cities.  During the discussions, the Madrid delegation presented the city’s experience in waste management and renewable energy, with a particular focus on the Valdemingómez Technology...

Following their active participation at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona and continued city-to-city engagement under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Gangtok Municipal Corporation have strengthened international collaboration to advance sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven urban development. As part of their international engagement, PCMC deepened dialogue with representatives from the City of Leuven (Belgium) during a high-level visit to Pune...

Opportunities for possible pilot/follow-up actions On 17 December 2025, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation – Asia & Australasia (IURC-AA) programme hosted a follow-up training webinar on Horizon Europe, building on the discussions initiated during the October 2025 IURC webinar on EU research and innovation opportunities. The session, led by Thomas Jacob, Senior Advisor for Funding and Methodology at International...