Informal and Shared Mobility in Low and Middle Income Countries (ISM)

The primary objective of the “Informal and Shared Mobility in Low and Middle Countries” (ISM) program is to contribute to strengthening equity and sustainability in urban transport by supporting research that creates new knowledge to better inform stakeholders to govern, design or develop informal and shared mobility, thereby contributing to better access to goods and services for all.

An important point of departure for the new program are indications from VREF’s preparatory work, that there are substantial knowledge gaps in numerous areas related to informal and shared mobility. While there is increased research interest as shown in a growing number of published papers and other activities, the preparatory work indicates that there is no established international research network or any dedicated global event that could to provide a focused exchange of knowledge and ideas in this area. While the ISM program will primarily support research on informal and shared mobility in low and middle income countries (LMICs), VREF will also seek to strengthen broader international collaboration by ensuring the integration of high income country (HIC) based universities in program activities.

In summary, the program will be characterized by:

• A geographical focus on LMICs
• Comparative studies between different urban contexts
• Collaboration and exchange among researchers globally, in LMICs as well as in HICs
• Interdisciplinary approaches in knowledge building, education and learning

The scientific profile of the program is built around three thematic areas: Impact – Governance – Integration.

In focus: