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DAIDA Foundation Global Urban Thesis Award : competition edition 2025

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DAIDA FOUNDATION’s OBJECTIVE FOR THIS COMPETITION SERIES

The annual DAIDA Foundation Global Urban Thesis Award aims to acknowledge and support Master graduates who, through their work, help improve the urban infrastructure and living conditions for vulnerable groups in the rapidly growing cities of developing economies. Eligible participants are Master program students with either design or research component in subjects which are related to cities and/or urban- environmental landscape.

Association

with MYLIVEABLECITY

Effective Awards edition 2021 – DAIDA Foundation has appointed MYLIVEABLECITY as the administrator for purposes of communication and operational work arounds. All communications and queries should be addressed to academy@myliveablecity.com

DAIDA Foundation Board Members and Projects

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Mission

Mission Statement of DAIDA Foundation :

To support institutions or groups of individuals involved in improving the infrastructure and living conditions of vulnerable citizens in cities of the developing world. Through action on ground and through education, research and/or transfer of information.

DAIDA Foundation’s vision of the competition theme (Entries will be judged based on this outline)

Shyam Khandekar

Chairman of DAIDA Foundation and Co-founder,
Director and Editorial Director of the knowledge platform, MyLiveableCity.

An urban designer, city planner and architect with four decades of design experience in Europe and India. He was also the founder and director of the award winning Dutch design practice, Khandekar Urban Design and Landscape, that continued under the name of BDP Khandekar. He has lectured and published extensively on different aspects of Liveable Cities at universities and conferences across the world.

My Liveable City has published 4 books under his guidance: Affordable Housing, Inclusive Cities, Designing For Sustainability Through Upcycling and Urban Sustainability Through Brownfield Development - Learning from the Nirlon Knowledge Park, Mumbai. He has edited Streets For All : 50 Ideas forShaping Resilient Cities.

Read Shyam Khandekar’s definition of this year’s competition theme.

Who can apply :

Only thesis submitted during the academic year of Master program 2023-24 and 2024-2025 will be eligible for submission.

Read complete T&C
Prizes :

Total cash reward Euros 20,000. Distribution will be as follows:

Euros

6000

1st Prize

Euros

5000

2nd Prize

Euros

4000

3rd Prize
Jury will decide on the disbursement of the balance Euros 5000

Certificate will be issued by DAIDA Foundation to the winning participants

Register Your Intent to Participate
Last date  - 31 July 2025 

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2021 - 2024
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Timelines of the various stages of the competition:

  • Registrations close on 31 July 2025.
  • By mid-August 2025, DAIDA will confirm the number of submissions permitted to each Institute and will also share instructions for the submission process.
  • Last date of thesis submission will be 31.10.2025.
  • Jury panel will review submissions from November 2025 to January 2026.
  • Shortlisted candidates will be announced in January 2026.
  • Online event will be held in early February 2026, where the shortlisted candidates will be invited to defend their thesis to the jury and answer their questions.
  • Final winners will be declared around mid- February 2026 via an online event.