Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin 2013 (Asien-Pazifik-Wochen Berlin)

www.apwberlin.de

During the "Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in the Asia Pacific," participants will have the opportunity to attend the 9th Asia-Pacific Weeks (APW) in Berlin, which is Germany’s largest Asia-related event series. This year, the APW will be centered on the concept of Smart Cities and will analyze the challenges and opportunities facing both Berlin and Asia in the areas of sustainable development and infrastructure. Rapid population growth and depleting energy resources make the need for new initiatives in these fields increasingly urgent. The 2013 APW will provide a forum for discussion of vital topics such as business and politics, science and research, and culture and society as well as facilitating debate on possible advancements in areas including energy, mobility, political participation and education.

The Concept of the 2013 APW

The 2013 APW’s central theme is Smart Cities. This concept is based on the recognition of increasing urbanization, the growth of major cities and the consequent growth of the number of people living in urban areas. Considering that rates of energy consumption are far greater in urban areas, urbanization poses serious environmental problems that cities must take active steps to address. The 2013 APW therefore aims to encourage creative new ideas in the areas of sustainable development and climate protection in major cities, through a variety of events, lectures, workshops, presentations and exhibitions.

The Development of the APW

The APW are held by the Asia-Pacific Forum Berlin (APFB) in close collaboration with the Senate Department for Economics, Technology, and Research and with Berlin Partner GmbH. The event series are held in Berlin every two years, each with a different focus. Past APWs have focused on the following themes:

1997: First APW Berlin
1999: Country Focus on Japan
2001: Country Focus on China
2003: County Focus on India
2005: Country Focus on Korea
2007: Sustainability in Urban Infrastructure
2009: Mobility - Energy
2011: Health - Food - Water
2013: Smart Cities

2013 Program

The 2013 APW will be divided into three different categories in order to further analyze the year's main topic of "Smart Cities." Each category will focus on a specific theme within the overall concept of the event series, and will examine in-depth the components making up each theme. The APW will be divided as such for 2013:

June 5th - 6th, 2013: Smart Solutions for Urban Challenges
June 6th, 2013: Asia Business Day
June 7th - 14th, 2013: Partners Program

For more details about Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin 2013, please click HERE.