Emerging Cities Fellowship Program
Launching January 2026
Launching January 2026
The Emerging Cities Fellowship Program develops future-ready leaders committed to co-creating sustainable, resilient, and regenerative cities. Designed and delivered under the City Futures Lab, the Fellowship brings together students, faculty, local governments, and regional institutions to co-design actionable solutions for the Iranun Corridor—Barira, Buldon, Matanog, Parang, and Sultan Mastura.
The Fellowship may run from 1 up to 4 semesters, depending on the needs of the student, the academic structure of their program, and the continuity requirements of the project. While many students may join for one semester, projects may be continued or deepened by the same team or by new teams over multiple semesters.
Open to students from:
UP Diliman (Urban Planning, CSWCD, Architecture, Engineering, NCPAG, etc.)
MSU–Maguindanao
Cotabato State University
Other universities and HEIs in the region
Eligible disciplines include:
Urban planning, architecture, engineering, development studies, economics, sociology, psychology, social work, environmental science, ICT/data science, GIS, political science, public administration, education, and related fields.
Interdisciplinary, cross-university teams are strongly encouraged to broaden perspectives and strengthen systems thinking.
Faculty who align their 2026 classes, studios, thesis, or capstone projects with Fellowship themes may serve as Teaching Fellows.
Teaching Fellows will:
Integrate futures thinking into coursework
Mentor interdisciplinary student teams
Co-facilitate design and co-creation processes
Strengthen academic–LGU partnerships
Support project continuity across semesters (1–4 semesters)
Participants include:
Parang LGU
Iranun Corridor municipalities
BARMM ministries (MPW, MTIT, MENRE, MIPA, MBHTE, and others)
They serve as resource persons, co-design partners, and co-owners of prototypes, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and guiding real-world implementation.
Fellows learn by doing—conducting research, fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, and prototyping with communities.
Teams combine social, technical, design, and governance perspectives to respond to corridor-wide challenges.
Diversity of expertise and campus culture strengthens creative problem-solving.
Weekly or bi-weekly team work sessions
Mentor and Teaching Fellow check-ins
Monthly cohort-wide reviews
Teams submit 4–6 minute video updates summarizing progress, insights, challenges, and next steps. These form part of a growing archive to support multi-semester project continuity. (click here for sample student projects)
Co-developed with LGUs and the Iranun Development Council (IDC). Possible themes:
Coastal resilience
Mobility & accessibility
Regenerative livelihoods & circular economies
Housing systems & public space
Digital governance & data ecosystems
Cultural heritage & place identity
Depending on logistics and LGU coordination, teams may conduct:
Community workshops
Stakeholder interviews
Participatory mapping
Site observations and data collection
Supported by:
City Futures Lab experts
Teaching Fellows
LGU & IDC partners
Peer mentors and invited practitioners
Prototype, design proposal, or strategic framework
Research or policy brief
Final presentation to LGUs & IDC
Documentation for potential continuation (1–4 semesters)
Projects may continue across multiple semesters depending on:
Project complexity and scope
Student academic timelines
LGU priorities
Momentum and feasibility for scaling
New teams receive a handover package including:
Monthly video updates
Documentation and analysis
Prototype drafts
Mentor feedback
This approach supports multi-year, corridor-scale transformation and allows students from various programs (thesis, capstone, studios, practicum) to engage at different depths.
Hands-on project experience
Strengthened interdisciplinary teamwork and leadership
Portfolio-ready outputs
Exposure to municipal and regional decision-making
Opportunities for applied research
Stronger academic–government engagement
Integration of futures thinking into academic programs
Actionable, data-informed insights
Prototype solutions addressing local challenges
Strengthened collaboration with universities
Contributions to the 100-Year Iranun Corridor Development Vision
Recruitment of Fellows & Teaching Fellows
LGU consultations and project scoping
Challenge framing with IDC and municipalities
Orientation & team formation
Training modules
Fieldwork & analysis
Monthly video updates
Prototyping & co-design with LGUs
End-of-semester presentations and continuation review
Handover to new teams or continued work by original team
Deepening, prototyping, or scaling selected projects
Integration into the Annual Emerging Cities Report
Cross-semester learning and documentation
Developed through the collaboration of:
PSSarmiento Group
Galing Pook Foundation
Asian School of Governance – City Futures Lab & PPP Lab
UP College of Architecture Faculty
UP NCPAG Center for Local and Regional Governance Faculty