New Delhi: Anant National University hosted a national symposium in the capital, focusing on the integration of sustainability into architecture education and professional practice.
The event, organised by the university’s School of Architecture and the Centre for Public Policy Research and Design, was held at the India Habitat Centre. It brought together architects, educators, policymakers, industry representatives and students to examine how sustainability can be embedded more effectively in academic curricula and professional frameworks.
Discussions at the symposium centred on the growing importance of sustainability in the context of challenges such as urban expansion, climate change, urban flooding and resource constraints, including access to freshwater and housing. Participants explored ways to integrate sustainability into both teaching methodologies and real-world architectural practice.
The symposium featured three panel discussions covering themes such as campuses functioning as “living laboratories” for sustainability, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, and rethinking curriculum design to better equip future architects.
Speakers included professionals and experts from architecture, policy and environmental sectors, such as Benny Kuriakose, Vishal Garg and Zeenat Niazi, among others.
Across sessions, participants highlighted the need to treat sustainability as a core component of architectural education rather than an additional subject. Emphasis was placed on interdisciplinary learning, experiential approaches and closer engagement between educational institutions, industry and policymakers.
Officials noted that the symposium aimed to foster dialogue on aligning architectural education with environmental and urban challenges, while also encouraging the development of practical skills for implementation.
The event forms part of broader efforts by the university to engage with issues at the intersection of design, sustainability and public policy, and to support the evolution of architecture education in India.
