Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies

In 1958 Jan van Ettinger Snr., managing director of the Rotterdam-based Bouwcentrum[1] that had been set up to rebuild Rotterdam after the war, established the first International Course on Building (ICB).

[2] The objective was to acquaint planners, engineers and architects from developing countries with systematic methods to meet building requirements.

At the same time the institute began linking its short courses to a new Master's programme entitled Urban Management.

This programme was a collaboration with the Economic Faculty of the Erasmus University Rotterdam and was later replaced by the present Master's Urban Management and Development (UMD).

By this time the institution has built a strong network of partners and over 9000 alumni all over the world contributing to sustainable urban development.

Today, IHS develops human and institutional capacities to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in cities around the world.

In recent years, IHS organised regional refresher courses addressed to its alumni in South Africa, Thailand, Egypt and Cuba.

With the IHS Thesis Series the objective is to publish the best theses of the Master Programme in Urban Management and Development (UMD).