Strengthening collaboration between universities, cities, and communities is essential to addressing increasingly complex urban climate challenges. This message was highlighted by Nurrohman Wijaya, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, Planning and Policy Development (SAPPK), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), during the EPIC Asia Regional Convening 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. Held on April 24–25, 2026, the international convening brought together academics, practitioners, and representatives from universities and cities across Asia to exchange experiences and develop new approaches to community-engaged education, urban development, and policy collaboration. Dr. Nurrohman contributed to the event by presenting ITB’s experience in applying the EPIC model to strengthen urban climate resilience in Bandung City.

Connecting Teaching, Practice, and Policy

Organized by the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N) in collaboration with Thammasat University, with support from START International, the convening adopted the theme “Learning Across Contexts: Connecting Teaching, Practice, and Policy through the EPIC Model.” The two-day program provided opportunities for participants to learn from local community initiatives, exchange experiences, and develop collaborative strategies for expanding university–city partnerships. On the first day, participants visited Pracha Ruamjai 1 Community in Bangkok’s Chatuchak District to explore community-based green initiatives and urban gardening practices. The field visit was followed by a peer-learning session at Thammasat University focusing on opportunities and challenges in university–city collaboration. The second day focused on translating these experiences into future action. Participants worked in thematic groups to explore potential cross-regional projects, joint studios, collaborative research, and shared knowledge tools within the EPIC network.

Bandung’s Experience in Building Urban Climate Resilience

During the peer-sharing session, Dr. Nurrohman presented “EPIC-N Model in the Case of Bandung City, Indonesia: A Participatory Approach to Enhance Urban Climate Resilience of Regenerative Built Environments.” The presentation highlighted ITB’s collaboration with the Bandung City Government, including relevant agencies such as Bappeda and BPLHD, through the undergraduate course Special Topics of Planning II. Through this approach, students engaged directly with communities to identify local challenges and develop participatory solutions related to climate change resilience and sustainable urban development.

Dr Nurrohman presented both the achievements and challenges of the Bandung experience. One notable example was the Dabaresih initiative in Dago, developed in Climate Village RW 05. The program integrated community-based waste management with local livestock activities, creating an approach that supported community empowerment while contributing to greenhouse gas reduction. The initiative subsequently developed into a government-recognized model of community-based climate action. At the same time, Dr. Nurrohman emphasized that long-term sustainability and community participation remain critical challenges. Community initiatives can become highly dependent on individual local champions, making it difficult to maintain continuity when key leaders are no longer involved. Similarly, the Buruan SAE Pacing urban farming initiative experienced implementation delays associated with limited community participation and membership.

From Local Lessons to Regional Collaboration

The Bandung case demonstrated how community-engaged teaching can connect academic learning, local knowledge, and urban policy, while also revealing institutional and social conditions that influence the sustainability of such initiatives. Following his presentation, Dr Nurrohman joined regional participants in collaborative working groups to identify opportunities for joint studios, cross-country research, and shared toolkits to strengthen community-engaged education and sustainable urban development across Asia. His participation in the EPIC Asia Regional Convening 2026 reflects ITB’s continuing commitment to international academic collaboration and to developing planning approaches that connect education, community action, urban governance, and climate resilience. The exchange also provides opportunities to bring lessons from Bandung into a broader Asian learning network while adapting international experiences to Indonesia’s diverse urban contexts.