Program Overview

Overview of Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is a large and diverse university with over 31,000 students from more than 100 countries. The university is set in the heart of Birmingham and focuses on practice-based learning.

About the University

The university has various schools and subjects, including:

• Art, Architecture and Design
• Business
• Built Environment
• Computing and Digital Technology
• Education and Social Work
• Engineering
• Life and Sport Sciences
• English
• Health and Social Care
• Law
• Media and Cultural Studies
• Music and Performance
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

Courses

The university offers a wide range of contemporary courses, including:

• Foundation
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate Taught
• Postgraduate Research
• Apprenticeships
• Full-time courses
• Part-time courses
• Online learning
• Short courses and CPD

Student Information

Life as a BCU student includes information on:

• Why study at BCU
• Be more employable
• Reasons to choose us
• Financial support
• Life in Birmingham
• Open days
• Our facilities
• How to apply
• Entry requirements
• Application advice
• After you apply
• Accommodation
• Enrolment
• Student partnership agreement

Alumni

The alumni community stays involved with the university through:

• Reunion events
• Mentoring programmes
• Placements
• International ambassadors
• Benefits and discounts
• Giving back

International

The university welcomes international students and offers information on:

• Why study here
• Life in Birmingham
• Why choose BCU
• Our focus on employability
• Accommodation
• Student support
• Study abroad
• Study in China
• International Summer School
• BCU International College

Business Services

The university offers various business services, including:

• Attend: Upcoming Events, Venue Hire, Careers Fairs & Events
• Recruit: Graduate Recruitment, Placements & Internships, Advertise Jobs
• Collaborate: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), Consultancy Services, Innovation Services
• Learn: Short Courses, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Apprenticeships

Research

The university's research areas include:

• Art, Architecture and Design
• Business
• Built Environment
• Computing and Digital Technology
• Education and Social Work
• Engineering
• Life and Sport Sciences
• English
• Health and Social Care
• Law
• Media and Cultural Studies
• Music and Performance
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

Course: Co-developing a Real Smart City

Overview

This course is a comprehensive and unique program that comprises training workshops in three levels, using LEGO Serious Play. The course covers topic areas, system, process, data, people, and technology in an innovative way.

Why Smart City Development is Necessary

The liveability of current fast-growing cities depends on addressing urbanisation issues such as traffic congestion, pollution, health, infrastructure, and waste management. Smart city development is necessary to provide agile and efficient services to citizens in real-time.

Why Attend This Course

Developing smart cities has been proposed as a response to urbanisation challenges and changing citizens' needs. This course helps attendees comprehend the meaning of a real smart city, its characteristics, and the requirements to develop it.

Who Should Attend

This course is suitable for anyone who wishes to learn about smart cities, including:

• Public Sector Professionals
• Urban planners
• City authorities/decision makers
• Mayors
• City councillors
• Smart city consultants
• Smart city advisors to the government/authorities
• Government leaders involved with new urban innovations
• Ministry leaders
• Urban innovation managers
• Policy makers
• Public-private Partnerships professionals
• Smart City project Managers
• Researchers, Students and Practitioners in smart city related topics
• Strategic Development Personnel
• Solution providers for smart cities

Tutor Description

The course will be delivered by Dr Vahid Javidroozi, who has worked over seven years in smart city subjects, especially city systems integration and city process change topics.

Course Details

• Level: CPD
• Study mode: Short Course
• Award: N/A
• Start date: November 2025
• Subjects: Computing, Construction and the Built Environment
• Location: City Centre

Course Structure

The course is offered in three levels:

• Basic (one-day course): necessity of urban innovation, the status of Smart City Development (SCD) in the world, conceptualisation of smart city using LEGO Serious Play (LSP), Requirements of SCD using LSP, city systems integration
• Advanced (Three-day workshop training): Basic topics + SCD fundamentals, city as a system of systems, SCD challenges, city process change, city as an enterprise, SCD readiness assessment, SCD roadmap development
• Expert (five-day workshop training): Basic and advanced topics + city as a socio-technical system, people change, data integration, big data for SCD, IOT for SCD, addressing live SCD related challenges together based on attendees' priorities

Facilities and Staff

The course will be taught at Millennium Point at the City Centre Campus. The university is constantly investing in its estate and has dedicated facilities for systems analysis, computer networks, programming, and more. The staff includes Dr Vahid Javidroozi, an Associate Professor in Smart City Systems.