The Permanent
Scientific and Technical Committee (PSTC) acts in an advisory role to the Board of CODATU and is co-chaired by two of its members who are also Vice Presidents of CODATU. Besides supporting Conferences, the PSTC gives an essential contribution in the identification of critical issues of urban mobility in developing countries and deepens the relationship between researchers and practitioners. PSTC is at present made up of 24 members who are academics, researchers and consultants of international level. The identification of members was coordinated by the co-presidents of the committee following pre-established criteria that ensured a good level of diversity in terms of research topics, geographical origin and gender.
Participants of the session organized by the PSTC during the Conference CODATU XVI
Members
- Ali Huzayyin, University of Cairo, Egypt (co-président)
- Anthony D. May, University of Leeds, UK (co-président)
- Ela Babalik-Sutcliffe, Middle East University Ankara, Turkey
- Helena Cybis, Federal University Rio Grande du Sul, Brasil
- Lourdes Diaz Olvera, ENTPE-LET, France
- Vadim Donchenko, NIIAT, Russia
- Assogba Guezere, Kara University, Togo
- Thierry Gouin, CEREMA, France
- Chinh Ho, Vietnam
- Rao Krishna, Institute of Technology in Bombay, India
- Fernando Lozada, Mexico
- Nico McLachlan, Indipendent Consultant, South Africa
- Dominique Mignot, IFSTTAR, France
- Kazuaki Miyamoto, Pacific Consultants Co Ltd, Japan
- Slobodan Mitric, Indipendent Consultant, Serbia
- Rafaa Mraihi, High Institute of Transport and Logistics, Tunisia
- Marcela Munizaga, University of Chili, Santiago de Chili
- Valerie Ongolo Zogo, University of Yaounde, Cameroon
- Monica Oreviceanu, Architect and Urban Planner, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration, Bucharest, Romania
- Charles Rivasplata, Mineta Transportation Instritute (MTI) and San Jose State University, US
- Pablo Salazar-Ferro, Independent Consultant, Columbia
- Rami Semaan, TMS consult, Lebanon
- Varamath Vichiensan, Kasetsart University, Thailand
- Jian Zhuo, Tongji University, China
Ralph Gakeinheimer, professor emeritus at Massachussets Institute of Technology (US) and formerly president of the scientific committee of CODATU, accepted to be Advisor to co-presidents of the PSTC.
Lorenza TOMASONI, Chargée de missions scientifiques et techniques à CODATU assists the co-presidents in coordination of PSTC activities and is in charge of the scientific secretariat of CODATU.
For more information about the committee : PSTC Introduction Note
Activities
The meetings
PSTC meets nearly every 2 months through video-conferences or by organising meeting during international events such as TRB, WCTRS, CODATU Conferences, etc. Minutes of meetings are available here below.
The questionnaires
The committee focuses on identifying critical issues, as they emerge over time, for both research and practice, and facilitating both the transfer of research into applicable policy and the identification of policy-makers’ research needs in the focus on developing countries and emerging/transition economies.
This will be achieved directly by the discussions within the committee, through seminars bringing together researchers and policy makers and through small scale research projects in cities in the target countries.
Among its supporting role to the Board, the committee is working on identifying the main issues of urban mobility in developing countries in addition to initiating activities to promote the transfer of results among those countries.
In its early work, the committee has focused on investigation of the lack of interaction between researchers and practitioners in the development of effective transport policies in developing country cities, and the underlying causes of lack of commitment and lack of trust. Members have been asked to respond to a short questionnaire to collect opinions and ideas.
Following discussion from the first questionnaire, members have been interrogated a second time to collect ideas for a research project to be supported by CODATU.
Results from this second questionnaire were presented by Tony May during the PSTC Session at CODATU XVI.
The PSTC Session @ CODATU XVI (Istanbul, 2-5 February 2015)
PSTC organised a session during CODATU XVI Conference in Istanbul on “How to get researchers and pratictionners closer” which was dedicated to the activity of the committee in order to share ideas and welcome opinions and suggestions from the audience. the summary of the session, presentations and documents are available here below.