Inaugural Joint PhD Symposium on Urban Governance
In April 2026, the University of Auckland and the University of Melbourne launched the inaugural Joint PhD Symposium on Urban Governance.
The University of Auckland and the University of Melbourne have marked a new chapter in trans-Tasman academic collaboration with the inaugural Joint PhD Symposium on Urban Governance, held in Melbourne on 16 and 17 April 2026.
Bringing together the Department of Property at the University of Auckland Business School and the property group at the University of Melbourne, the symposium created a shared platform for doctoral researchers and academics to exchange ideas on some of the most pressing urban challenges of our time. The event highlighted the strength of collaboration between two major university property programmes and their shared commitment to advancing research in housing, urban governance, land economics, and urban analytics.
As the first symposium of its kind between the two universities, the event marked an important milestone in building a longer-term academic partnership. It also provided a strong international platform for PhD researchers to present work in progress, receive detailed feedback from senior academics and discussants, and take part in scholarly exchange at an important stage of their research development.
The two-day programme featured presentations on social housing, student accommodation, land value capture, post-disaster housing recovery, housing affordability, and urban sustainability. From the University of Auckland side, doctoral researchers presented work on ethnic diversity and housing valuation in Auckland, high-frequency traders and housing market volatility, and the effects of upzoning on housing affordability.
Associate Professor William Cheung from the Department of Property at the University of Auckland said the symposium was designed to support doctoral development through rigorous and constructive academic dialogue.
The symposium gave PhD researchers a serious international
platform to present developing work, receive rigorous feedback, and engage in
the kind of academic exchange that strengthens both confidence and research
quality. That is exactly the environment we want to create for the next generation of scholars.
“This inaugural symposium marked an important step in building a closer partnership between two major university property programmes in our region. More importantly, it gave PhD researchers a serious international platform to present developing work, receive rigorous feedback, and engage in the kind of academic exchange that strengthens both confidence and research quality. That is exactly the environment we want to create for the next generation of scholars.”
A particular highlight of the symposium was the international keynote delivered online by Professor Norman Hutchison, Honorary Professor in Real Estate from the University of Aberdeen, who spoke on the theme Housing Asset-based welfare in the UK, a fair policy? His keynote added a global perspective to the event and reinforced the symposium’s international character.
Beyond the formal sessions, the symposium also demonstrated the value of cross-institutional collaboration in nurturing the next generation of scholars. By bringing together presenters, discussants, and colleagues from different universities and national contexts, the event created a lively and supportive environment for academic exchange.
Associate Professor Cheung said the organisers hope this will become an ongoing initiative.
“It was very encouraging to see the level of engagement across the two days. As an inaugural event, it provided a strong foundation for future collaboration between our two universities, and we are very keen to continue building on that momentum.”