International Federation of Landscape Architects and Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Partner Up to Strengthen Landscape Architecture Education Globally
IFLA President Bruno Marques and CELA President Chingwen Chen with the signed MOU in St Louis
International Federation of Landscape Architects and Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Partner Up to Strengthen Landscape Architecture Education Globally
St Louis, Missouri, USA , 22 March 2024
The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering collaboration between academic and professional spheres within the landscape architecture field. This historic agreement solidifies both organizations’ commitment to promoting excellence in landscape architecture education and practice globally.
The signing ceremony took place in St Louis, Missouri, at the CELA Annual Conference titled “Taking Action: Making Change,” underscoring the global nature of this partnership and its potential to impact landscape architecture education across continents. The MoU signifies a significant step towards aligning academic research, education, and professional practice in landscape architecture. By joining forces, IFLA and CELA seek to enhance the quality of education, promote research, and facilitate knowledge exchange within the landscape architecture community.
Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Bruno Marques, IFLA President, expressed, “We are thrilled to formalize this partnership with CELA, which represents a crucial step towards bridging the gap between academia and professional practice in landscape architecture. This collaboration will not only elevate education standards but also empower practitioners with the latest research insights and academic perspectives.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Dr. Chingwen Cheng, CELA President, stated, “Collaboration between CELA and IFLA signifies the collective efforts in the landscape architecture community promising advancements in supporting landscape architecture education, research, scholarly work, advancing the field in practice, and advocating for the profession globally. We're thrilled to have IFLA at the CELA conference this year. Formalizing our ties is just the beginning of driving innovations together."
The MoU outlines various areas of collaboration, including but not limited to joint initiatives to promote the value of landscape architecture education globally, sharing resources to enhance education and professional practice, and collaborating on projects highlighting the positive impact of landscape architecture on the environment. In addition, the partnership will also focus on contributing to developing policies supporting education in landscape architecture and fostering joint programs for capacity building of educators and students, as well as collaborating on research projects, publications, events, and knowledge exchange activities to advance landscape architecture globally. Alessandro Martinelli, the chair of the IFLA Standing Committee on Education and Academic Affairs, sees this collaboration as “structurally necessary. Indeed, landscape architecture is the discipline of the 21st century. I consider landscape the one and only political narrative that can help the world face the pressing supranational socio-natural challenges of the day. As such, it is crucial that all landscape architecture social institutions – such as IFLA and CELA – strengthen their cooperation by formalizing ties and cooperation across overlapping areas of concern, interest, as well as diverse geographical regions.”
In addition to these initiatives, the MoU also opens the door for universities to join IFLA as academic corporate members, thereby enhancing collaboration and positioning CELA as the leading academic partner under the IFLA umbrella for broader international outreach and impact.
Both organizations are excited about the potential of this partnership to shape the future of landscape architecture education and practice. By working together, IFLA and CELA are poised to make significant strides towards creating sustainable, resilient, and beautiful landscapes for future generations.
About the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA):
IFLA is the only international non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting the profession of landscape architecture and advancing the quality and sustainability of built and natural environments worldwide. IFLA is the body that represents 80 national member associations across five regions (IFLA Africa, IFLA Americas, IFLA Asia-Pacific, IFLA Europe and IFLA Middle East) and more than 100,000 landscape architects worldwide. Our mission is to promote the landscape architecture profession within a collaborative partnership with the built environment professions, demanding the highest standards of education, training, research and professional practice and providing leadership and stewardship in all matters. Our strategic aim is to provide excellent services to our members and the extended family of landscape architects worldwide. As a global federation, our allies are international bodies like the United Nations, UN-Habitat, UNESCO, ICOMOS, FAO, IUCN, and WHO, as well as allied built environment international organisations, among many others, where our expertise is required.
About the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA)
The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) is an organization comprised of over 80 institutions and individuals interested in educating future landscape architects for global practice. CELA's 10 regions primarily cover North America, but its outreach is worldwide. CELA member institutions and individual members reach out to hundreds of educators and practitioners together to advance the field of landscape architecture. CELA’s mission is to support educators in advancing the profession and sustaining healthy, beautiful, and resilient places for all.
For Media inquiries, please contact:
IFLA Secretariat: Ms Sally Robertshaw, admin@iflaworld.org
CELA Executive Director: Ms Teresa Evans-Hunter, executivedirector@thecela.org