The Rector of the Krakow University of Economics (UEK), Dr Stanisław Mazur has signed a letter of intent to join the international consortium of Heritopolis university partners. 

The consortium operates within the framework of the MetroHub initiative, led by UN-Habitat, a UN agency dealing with issues of urbanisation and human settlements, including the promotion of sustainable urban centres.

In the international consortium, UEK will be represented by the UNESCO Chair of Heritage and Urban Studies at the Institute of Spatial Economy and Urban Studies, and Prof. Jacek Purchla and Dr Joanna Sanetra-Szeliga will be responsible for the implementation of the activities.

The concept of Heritopolis grows out of the conviction that metropolisation is the main feature of human settlements in the 21st century. UEK states that today more than 60% of the urban population (one third of humanity) lives in metropolitan areas with more than 300,000 inhabitants. They are the engines of local and national growth; they are estimated to produce 70% of global GDP. Their heritage and diversity can be considered a major 21st century resource to be passed on to future generations.